Sundays with Sunny

Sundays with Sunny includes a wide variety of one-day outdoor adventures so that, whatever your abilities and interests, you will be inspired to get out in nature, have fun, learn something new, and refresh your soul. No need to be a super athlete; no need to be a map and compass expert; no need to buy a four-wheel drive. With Evergreen Escapes, you just look at the calendar, find the adventure that appeals to you, and go!

Sundays with Sunny have been organized by weekend, January through December. Each adventure features nature events or seasonal wildlife opportunities unique to that time of year. Many of these adventures have been extracted from the book “Washington Nature Weekends, 52 Adventures in Nature,” by Sunny Walter; many have been developed exclusively for Evergreen Escapes. Sunny is an long-time nature photography guide and we often have a birding, geology, wildflower, et al. expert along to help you see more and appreciate the finer points of what you are seeing.

Our enduring and shared philosophy, which has become our way of life, is that nature enriches our lives and transforms our spirits. We’re pleased to share our knowledge and joy with you.

We hope Sundays with Sunny will inspire you to experience seasonal events all around the Puget Sound Region and all throughout the year. We hope you will discover new places and interests and enrich your appreciation for nature. We also hope you will take some time to "take a deep breath," and, as often as possible, completely immerse yourself in the experience to benefit from the soul-refreshing peace.

Who Needs to Experience Sundays with Sunny?

We are all busy--working or retired; married or single; no kids, young kids, grandkids--busy, busy. Too often, the outdoor recreation we crave and the serenity we need seem too difficult to achieve. But getting in tune with Mother Nature lets you see more and do more, and the resulting harmony of nature's music in your life can be a symphony of pleasure. So you need to have an outdoor adventure.

Evergreen Escapes Adventures are the very best way to introduce children to the joys of the great outdoors without having to do all the research and planning yourself.

Evergreen Escapes Adventures also make lovely anniversary or birthday gifts for your loved ones.

Finally, Evergreen Escapes Adventures are the ultimate way to entertain visiting friends or relatives when you are busy working.

If you’ve already been on an Evergreen Escapes adventure, share the idea with a friend or neighbor, take a child along next time — share the joy. Can there be greater delight than a 7-year-old boy, grinning from ear to ear, who has just seen his first harlequin duck (“It’s beautiful!”) Or a friend, always too busy to spend much time outdoors before, who sees her first bald eagle through a telescope and smiles with pleasure.

Use Our Calendar

Make it a habit to browse our Evergreen Escapes Calendar to note all the seasonal opportunities that appeal to you, your friends, and family. Make reservations or in advance so you don’t get left out of that trip you just can’t wait to do. Check back every month to see what’s new. Soon, planning ahead will be routine, and recreation and emotional refreshment will no longer take second place in the rat race of your life.

Learning to Care

Along with providing enjoyable one-day adventures, our goal is to educate and inspire you and your friends to enjoy all of nature’s delights—birds, lizards, wildflowers, butterflies, whales, waterfalls, geology, fall foliage —and to care about them. We encourage you to develop an appreciation for nature’s partnerships and diversity.

We know that active involvement often follows appreciation. Among ourselves and our friends, we’ve noticed a natural progression: using, noticing, caring, acting. At first, we use a hiking trail and simply enjoy a good day. Our enthusiasm sooner or later leads us to seek more information--a bird book, a mushroom class--and that leads to a heightened awareness of nature’s rich surroundings and the constant changes to the colorful palette brought about by seasonal events. Caring deeply about preserving and protecting the environment and its inhabitants usually follows. Then comes action; we join others in contributing energy and time to caring for the natural world.

Don't Forget Your Manners

We at Evergreen Escapes know that good manners are as important outdoors as inside. When we enjoy the outdoors, wherever that may be, we are in the homes of wildlife and we follow certain guidelines. Be aware of the impact that "just watching" has on wildlife and habitat. Please don't flush or disturb wild animals deliberately. Keep your distance. Stay in a vehicle or watch from a blind when practical. Respect private property. Pull off public roadways to look. Stay on trails and paths. Try not to trample plants, and collect them only when it is allowed, and then sparingly. Don't litter. Tread lightly and maintain silence as much as possible. Leave an area as pretty as you found it--or better.