Hike--a-thon 2019 Difficulties with parking and with HEAT

One of my "go to" hikes for hike-a-thon each year is Mercer Slough, especially for the You Pick Blueberry farm, well imagine my surprise this year when I get there and I find that they are building a light rail station all along the road where I usually park. So I drove around and had to find another trailhead. I still got in 2 miles along the Bellefields and Heritage Loop Trails.

Blackberries instead of blueberries today

Then I flew a trip to Lisbon, Portugal and I decided to hike the Portuguese Camino.  The last time I did this section of the camino was for hike-a-thon in 2015. Since then I got information that the REAL beginning of the Camino in Lisbon is not the Se Cathedral but a small church called The Church of Santiago. This church is only a few blocks away from the Cathedral. I think why pilgrims do not begin here is because it is often closed and you cannot actually get your passport credential here. But they do have a sign on the building !

Walking from the Church of Santiago to the Se Cathedral are still Yellow Arrows designating the Camino route.

The first camino arrow is on this tree at Igreja de Santiago

I pick up my passport at the Se Cathedral and begin my hike to the Vasco da Gama Tower

Let me just say that although it was overcast in the morning, it was wicked hot and humid. I was melting all through my hike.

The pilgrimage routes to Santiago and to Fatima leave Lisbon together

By this time, riding the cable cars is looking like a good idea!!




The Vasco da Gama Tower is approximately 475 feet tall and is in the  Parque das Nações.  Built along the river in 1998 for the World's Fair that was held here and it is named after the Portugese explorer Vasco da Gama.  Vasco da Gama lived during the 1400's and explored from Europe to India via the oceans. 

Vasco da Gama Tower

Oh Yeah, my feet are enjoying a break

And back at my hotel, the skies clear later in the afternoon!

The view from my hotel room, you can see the cable cars

Hike-a-thon is in full swing now and I will be doing day hikes around Seattle on my layovers at home and away.  I will be meeting Ryan during his through hike of the Pacific Northwest Trail in Northern Washington State and I will do some day hikes with him too!! Thank You to Barb and Jean for my most recent donations! I am half way to my goal for monies and for miles!! 

I hope I can count on all of you this year for support. Any amount from $1 to $100 is welcome.You can click on this link to go to my WTA fundraiser page

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/2179299

or you can send me a check (made out to WTA (Washington Trails Association) or just a dollar in the mail would be very welcome. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this cause in the past and hopefully again this year!

to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116