• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Photo Gallery
    • Media — Plays well with others
    • Privacy Policy
  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Pacific Northwest maps
    • Pacific Northwest travel
    • Washington State
      • Soulful travel in Seattle
      • Salish Sea
      • Cascade Mountains
      • Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast
    • Soulful travel in Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon
      • Willamette Valley
      • Oregon Coast Towns
      • Oregon Coast
      • Central Oregon
      • Eastern Oregon
  • Travel planning & guided experiences

Kessi World

Mindful travel around the Pacific Northwest.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok

Nature connection

How to find magic at Oswald West State Park

January 4, 2023 by Matthew

Matthew Kessi leans against an old growth sitka spruce tree on the Oregon Coast at Oswald West State Park. He's wearing black raingear head to toe that appears very wet, with a striped colored hat. There are roots from another smaller tree and green fir branches hanging down into the shot.

Oswald West State Park seems to have it all. Old-growth giants greet visitors, ushering them through a dramatic canopy of texture and light to a beach – an alchemy of sand, rocks, and drift logs. Creeks flow to the Pacific Ocean, and 14 trails meander the rugged topography. Most people rush directly to the iconic Short Sand Beach, but way more magic is possible. This … [Read more...] about How to find magic at Oswald West State Park

10 Oregon Coast hikes to reclaim the soul

November 2, 2022 by Matthew

Waves crash along the path on a famous Oregon Coast Hike at Shore Acres State Park. The sky is a swirl of gray and blue and the water foamy as it crashes on the rock formations.

The Oregon Coast is a stellar example of nature's forces joining in inspiring the human heart to open. Majestic fir trees line steep foothills grounding the earth while different versions of moss grip forests floors like a cozy shag carpet. Rough waves churn their way through ornate rock stacks -- proudly standing as a testament to resiliency. Wide open beaches allow space … [Read more...] about 10 Oregon Coast hikes to reclaim the soul

Magic Miami

September 25, 2022 by Matthew

This scene in a mangrove in Miami Florida shows several white birds with orange beaks and the brown roots of the mangrove and green leaves.

Chad and I met 25 years ago; he is like my brother.  Circumstances recently gave me 24 hours in Miami, where he currently lives.  While short by usual trip standards, this visit left my spiritual battery overflowing with energy as the plane took off into the sunset over the Everglades. Knowing the importance of nature in travel for me, and with only a few hours to … [Read more...] about Magic Miami

How to make a nature connection in Bellevue Botanical Garden

September 21, 2022 by Matthew

A two tone fuchsia in Bellevue Botanical Garden shows delicate pink petals with a darker magenta interior and green foliage all around.

This article inspires a visit to Bellevue Botanical Garden. It guides how to elevate your nature connection with this 53-acre greenspace in the heart of a Seattle area urban beehive. Eleven distinct zones of botanical goodness patch together -- inviting discovery that can go deeper than the magenta hues of Fuschia lining the main lawn. My life is all about nature. I take … [Read more...] about How to make a nature connection in Bellevue Botanical Garden

Six steps to elevate your nature connection

September 7, 2022 by Matthew

A red mushroom with black dots underneath shows how delicate a nature connection can be. In this case, the tiny mushroom is surrounded by brown decaying fir needles, moss and a fading leaf.

This nature connection article is for you if: … [Read more...] about Six steps to elevate your nature connection

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Footer

Search the site

I would like to acknowledge that much of my inspiration comes from living on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to train from Seattle to Vancouver
    How to train from Seattle to Vancouver
  • Wallowa Lake Lodge -- a good night's sleep in Eastern Oregon's alpine wilderness
    Wallowa Lake Lodge -- a good night's sleep in Eastern Oregon's alpine wilderness
  • Seattle to Vancouver drive -- plan the best road trip
    Seattle to Vancouver drive -- plan the best road trip

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in