A few weeks ago, Jonathan and I took the girls to Washington State to visit their grandparents for the week. While in the area, we decided to drive through, and take short walk around Mount Saint Helens.
Now the last time Jonathan and I were here, was when I was meeting his parents for the first time and we were just friends. I remember having a wicked crush on him and thinking, Ya know, if he is the one, then we will most likely be visiting here again in the future.. and we might have children to take pictures of here someday!
Well, lo and behold! He is indeed the one, and I could not have begun to fathom how precious our two daughters are! While they are still far too young to really appreciate being so close to a live volcano, they still had fun running around and spending time with Grandma and Grandpa!
Once again, my good friend Wikipedia will share with you the significance of Mount Saint Helens! Ahem..
Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough (known as Lawetlat’la to the indigenous Cowlitz people, and Loowit to the Klickitat) is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows.
Mount St. Helens is most notorious for its major 1980 eruption, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railways, and 185 miles of highway were destroyed.
A massive debris avalanche triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale caused an eruption that reduced the elevation of the mountain’s summit from 9,677 feet to 8,363 feet, replacing it with a 1 mile wide horseshoe-shaped crater.
The debris avalanche was up to 0.7 cubic miles in volume. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was created to preserve the volcano and allow for its aftermath to be scientifically studied.
As with most other volcanoes in the Cascade Range, Mount St. Helens is a large eruptive cone consisting of lava rock interlayered with ash, pumice, and other deposits. The mountain includes layers of basalt and andesite through which several domes of dacite lava have erupted. The largest of the dacite domes formed the previous summit, and off its northern flank sat the smaller Goat Rocks dome. Both were destroyed in the 1980 eruption.
What is truly trippy about visiting the region of the volcano, is seeing the forest of shattered tree stumps. Just ghostly shards of trees, bent like brittle matchsticks and being overgrown by a tangle of wildflowers. You can almost imagine what it looked like to see them being blown away… creepy!
It looks so lovely there, I want to go
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
You should visit if you are ever in the area, Washington is GORGEOUS!
Looks like an amazing place, great post, thank you for sharing! 🙂
Camille xo
http://www.cococami.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you for stopping by my blog and showing some love! <3
Gosh America can be so beautiful . . . living in the city you forget these things
http://lifeisjustrosie.tv/
Yeah, it is good to get away and see the sights every now and then when you live in the city!
Wow, the irony of this place being absolutely gorgeous having such a tragic past; it looks heavenly! You know, your kids are going to be so well rounded and have such a love for different cultures and history, it’s amazing what you and the hubs are instilling in them at such a young age, good for you! Thanks for sharing, beauty, and I hope you have a great day!
XO,
Jalisa
http://www.thestylecontour.com
Right?! It was really awe inspiring! And your comments about my girls make me so happy, that is really my greatest desire, to have my girls well rounded and to see the world! I always said I want them to be as comfortable in a forest or a cathedral or a museum! <3 Hugs!
I wasn’t born yet either, ha ha. What a beautiful place to visit!
We are too youuuung! lol
What an amazing place.
Beauty – and danger, co-existing as nature does so well.
It was a little unnerving being so close to the volcano, it was gently smoldering when we visited!
Wow! this place look magical.Very beautiful.Thanks for sharing pretty.
http://www.tessyonyia.com
Thank you for stopping by Tessy! <3
Wow such a beautiful place! These pics are beyond beautiful!
xx
cvetybaby.com
Thank you, I had so much fun taking them! <3
That’s an amazing place indeed!
Fabrizia – Cosa Mi Metto???
Yeah, I look forward to visiting again soon in the near future!
Wooow photos are amazing!!! I wish to visit this place one day 🙂
You really should! Washington State is just super gorgeous!
Amazing pics, darling! Loving the wildflowers!
xoxox,
CC
Yeah, those flowers were tangled up EVERYWHERE around the stumps.. it was gorgeous!
Looked a wonderful list was had and enjoyed seeing all your gorgeous photos. By the way in 1980, I was only 3 years old and am truly not sure where I was during this explosion, but was most definitely alive just a lot younger 😉
How DARE you not remember this explosion from when you were 3?!?!? haha! Thanks for stopping by Janine! <3
Some stunning views up there!
There really were! <3
What a sweet post! A lot does change in 7 years.
Right?!??! It really does boggle my brain sometimes!!
Yes, I was old enough! I was in middle school, and it was so far away that I only remember seeing it on TV. It was pretty amazing to think that could happen in the US. It was quite devastating. So interesting to see what it looks like now… to see how things have changed and are regenerating.
Yeah, everywhere you look it was regeneration and rebirth.. really super awe inspiring! That is so cool that you remember it going off though!
So lovely! Those shattered tree stumps are kind of creepy, but cool too. I have always wanted to visit there.Thanks for sharing your trip!
Yeah, I took waaaaaay too many photos of those stumps.. they just fascinated me!
Isn’t it just beautiful up there!! Awesome view. TFS!
xox
Lenya
FashionDreams&Lifestyle
It really is!! Thanks for stopping by Lenya! <3
great trip dear, nice pictures
kisses
<<< tr3ndygirl fashion & beauty blog >>>
Thanks sweetie! <3 <3 <3
It looks so beautiful!! Your photos are amazing!
xx, Elise
http://www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com
Thank you Elise!!! <3
Great photos, interesting place 🙂
It really was, I love it there!
😉
Bonitas fotos!
Ótima sexta!
Beijo! ^^
Thank you for stopping by Amanda! <3 <3 <3
amazing view
http://www.queenhorsfall.com/#/
It really was! <3 <3
What a lovely post, I enjoyed all of your photo’s.
Stunning scenery and also the flowers are so colourful.
Great photo of the four of you to finish.
As it’s the last day of September, may it be a good one for you, and all good wishes for the new month that starts tomorrow!
All the best Jan
Thank you Jan, you too! We had such a wonderful trip and yes, I love our family photo here! <3
Oh goodness!! What a gorgeous place. I’d love to go someday. I don’t remember the eruption, but I remember hearing about it when I was old enough.
It is crazy to think that there are large volcanos like that in the US.. glad I wasnt around for that one haha
Stunning photos! Such a nice virtual getaway on a Friday afternoon! It’s sweet that revisiting brought up memories of years earlier where you could reflect on how much has changed. It’s special to revisit places. Something about being there calls up old memories and details you might have forgotten.