About

Alyssa Outside

I’m originally from Florida and now based in Seattle, which means my outdoor life has changed a lot over the years. I grew up somewhere flat and hot and where summer was the bad time of year; I now live somewhere mountainous, rainy, and obsessed with summer. I hike, backpack, camp, ski, run, and bike. I take a lot of photos, on whatever camera I have with me (sony a6700) , usually while chasing good light on a trail or in a new city. I read books before trips and then annoy whoever I’m with by pointing out things I learned from Rick Steves and the authors.

Alyssa Outside is where I write it all down: trip reports, trail notes, weekend itineraries, packing lists, and the logistics I wish someone had handed me before I went. Some adventures are a couple hours from Seattle. Some are a 10-hour flight away. Either way, it’s usually more fun outside.

Crater Lake

What I’m usually doing

My year has a rhythm, even if I’m bad at protecting time for all of it:

  • Spring — watercolors, photography, shaking off winter
  • Summer — backpacking, camping, hiking, road trips, international travel (and a lot of photos)
  • Fall — running, writing, more hiking
  • Winter — skiing, cooking, movies,

Alyssa Outside is my place to share what I love about the outdoors. Backpacking is my favorite version of that: a little uncomfortable, a lot disconnected from the internet, and very good for inner peace. Car camping is the other half of the equation. I love bringing board games, elaborate camp meals, and an eight-person tent filled with pillows. I love both.

I love photography

Travel and the outdoors are how I got serious about photography. I like the small moments as much as the big views: light on the Puget Sound from a ferry deck, a bird I didn’t expect on a London market morning, alpenglow on a summit I’d been hiking toward all day. I’m not trying to be a professional (but…. if you like my pix let me know!) I love having a reason to pay closer attention to where I am.

Most of what I shoot ends up here on the blog or on alyssacaples.com, where I keep photo collections from trips like the San Juan Islands, Finland, and summer hikes around Washington.

Where I’ve been (and where I’m going)

Seattle is my home base for PNW adventures: the Olympic Peninsula, the Enchantments, snow camping at Kendall Lakes, San Juan Islands weekends, and an ever-growing list of Washington State Parks I haven’t visited yet.

Beyond the Pacific Northwest, I started traveling internationally in 2023 and haven’t really stopped since. So far that’s looked like Europe (London weekends, Finland in February, Ireland), Colombia in South America, Southeast Asia (Vietnam & a motorbike loop I was very excited about), a 12-hour Tokyo layover I turned into a full city day, and road trips across the American West — Lassen, the Redwoods, Banff, Glacier, and plenty of stops in between.

I like trips that mix movement and stillness: a big hike in the morning, a slow dinner at night, a journal entry when there’s nothing else to do. Travel forces me to live in the moment in a way that’s harder at home, when I’m trying to fit in a walk, a workout, dinner with a friend, and three other hobbies in one evening.

Why this blog exists

I do a lot of research before I go anywhere. Ferry reservations, visa timing, what to pack for February in Helsinki, whether you actually need a vehicle reservation for the San Juans. Before my trips, I take elaborate notes. After my trips, I figured out what I actually needed vs what I thought I needed. My friends and family are always asking for recs and insight, so I figured Alyssa Outside was the perfect place to share that with everyone.

Beyond my itineraries, I also just like documenting the journey in words and in photos. I journal a lot, and writing down exactly what I felt on a trip, and being able to share it with others, is a little magical. I mean, Rick Steves and Suleika Jauoud are some of my favorite memorists, where their storytelling their travel experiences makes the trip dance alive in my mind. My posts may be a bit more SEO-coded, I still love writing down how I felt as I experienced it. The purpose of travel is to experience new things beyond what we are used to, so writing it down is how I memorialize my experiences for others. Writing and sharing information is what human brains are basically wired to do, so I continue that path. in the form of a travel blog. : – ) If my notes and ramblings help one person book the right ferry, pack the right layers, or feel a little less nervous before their first international trip, that’s the whole point.

You’ll find:

  • Trip reports — what a trail or place actually felt like, not just the stats
  • Weekend guides — San Juans, Olympic Peninsula, Seattle summer ideas
  • Road trip itineraries — multi-day routes with the real logistics
  • Gear & packing lists — what I bring, what I rent, and what I’ve learned the expensive way

A little more about me

When I’m not on a trail or a plane, I’m probably reading, editing photos from the last trip, or planning the next one. I’m a lifelong learner with too many hobbies and a strong belief that documenting things makes them easier for the next person — and for future me, who will absolutely forget which island has the better bakery.

If you want the wider picture and what else is going on… ( coding projects, books, movies, and more photography) — that lives at alyssacaples.com.

Say hi

I love hearing from people who found a post useful, are planning a similar trip, or just want to swap trail recommendations.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be outside — I’ll probably write about it later.

— Alyssa