I skied in the olympics!

It isn't easy to get to ski in the olympics. There's only one, of course. It isn't clear if you'll succeed even if you get there, because the conditions are difficult and your vision about how your run should go may be foggy. And the road there is difficult. So difficult, that unlike all the other Washington State ski resorts, you need to have chains. And the rental agencies did not rent them ... Oreilly Auto Parts to the rescue (with free returns :-) ). I am or course talking about the Hurricane Ridge ski resort in the Olympic National Park. A historic ski resort opened in 1958, operated by a non-profit association for enabling skiing in the mountains of the park.

The summit elevation is 5240 ft or m, and there's 800 ft of vertical. The official website (including traffic information) is here. The resort is a small, family-oriented ski and snowboard area, supporting a ski school, ski team, terrain park, and tubing area. The area is operated by the non-profit Hurricane Ridge Education Foundation. On site there's almost nothing - even the road isn't open expect Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There's two containers, one for ticket sales and another for bathrooms. A parking lot. 

There used to be a lodge with food, rentals, etc. But it burned down in 2023.

The weather is very unpredictable. As wikipedia puts it:

"Hurricane Ridge is named for its intense gales and winds. The weather in the Olympic Mountains is unpredictable, and visitors should be prepared for snow at any time of year. "

I had a lot of fun, skied also the off-piste areas on the Poma lift:

Road & views:

Slopes:

Facilities - the patrol hut, the ski lift engine hut, and the ticket sales container:

Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot, TGR. Photos, videos, and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko.

Olympic Lodge Pools

 

While skiing in the olympics :-) I stayed of course at the Olympic Lodge (of Port Angeles, Washington). They had a pool... which I had to try of course. The main pool was ok but not super warm in the winter (heated, still, of course). But the jacuzzi was very warm!

The hotel website is here.

Photos:

For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. I never take photos of saunagoers or swimmers, all photos are taken when the facility is closed or empty.

DFW's AA Flagship Lounge vs. Capital One Lounge. Which is better?

If you flying to or from the North America on Finnair, the changes are that sooner or later you'll have to fly through Dallas Forth Worth airport. This presents a major first world dilemma: should you use the American Airlines Flagship Lounge or the Capital One Lounge? Both boast to be the best. But what's the truth?

So I tried both. I've been to the AA Flagship Lounge before. It has food, it is large, it has services, a special dining part, showers, etc.

I was put on a waiting list for the Capital One, and once I got the text that I can go in, I had to enter in 10 minutes. It worked well. They have showers, food, even a yoga, relaxation, and cycling rooms (!).

But how did it work:

• Food. Both have not so super tasty basic lounge food, but American has proper dining (which I have not tried, but typically is good), and Capital has only what I would classify as snacks.

• Crowds. American has a ton of people but is massive. Easy to find seating. Capital was packed, had difficulty finding any free seat, even after waiting. 

• Atmosphere. I liked to decor in Capital better, but American is also good.

• Service. American was able to help me with my tickets. Not possible in Capital.

• Extra services. Maybe a win for Capital, with Yoga and Cycling, even if I did not check them out this time.

Still, the crowds and finding a seat is a priority. The clear winner in my mind is the American Flagship lounge. I will use that the next time!

Capital One:

Flying out from Dallas:

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

PLANEWEAR - Best airport shop in the world?

I was flying through the Seattle-Tacoma airport, and I run into an unusually interesting airport shop. And maybe not just interesting, possibly the best ever airport shop that I have ever seen, anywhere. At least for plane enthusiasts!

The PLANEWEAR shop sells airplane memorabilia, like Pan Am clothing, aluminium strips from dismantled, historic airplanes, luggage tags, various "remove before flight" and "crew" tags, etc. Very nice! Much recommended!

Their website is here.

The Seattle-Tacoma airport is also otherwise an interesting visit. Because of the views of Mt. Rainier you can get from that incredible bridge over the taxiway, and the general cleanliness and design. Almost like you were in Canada or Europe, not in US :-) Not the standard US airport design for sure.

However, also a word of warning. For some reason this airport does not appear to have any of the immigration automation that has made the US immigration process generally very smooth, a few minute deal from what it used to be -- an hour or multi-hour wait in lines. However, apparently you can get the old experience still at SeaTac :-) 

I also visited the Alaska Air lounge at the airport. I had not realized Alaska was part of OneWorld, but they are, great! The lounge was quite nice, not huge but definitely a good place to have breakfast.

Shop:

Airport:

Lounge:

Also, what an earth are these raft safety notices doing on Alaskan planes?? I thought there should be a plane safety notice...

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Swim @ The Vihdin uimahalli

Found another Helsinki area swimming hall, again! Great! This time in Vihti, at the Vihti Swimming Hall. It is a 25-meter swimming pool and smaller kiddie pool, a part of the school building complex in Nummela.

I interviewed some of the other saunagoers and they appeared a bit negative about their hall, the old design and the small pool with just 25 meters and was it four or five tracks. 

I thought the hall was quite nice. There were two saunas, so enough space. The saunas were well lit and not too dark, everything was clean and worked well, there weren't too many people so you got to swim with just 1 or at most 2 other people on the same track. The entrance fee is just 5 €. Overall, a happy experience!

There appears to be some kayaking activity going in the hall as well, judging from the kayaks stored by the pool. Nice. 

The official city webpage for the hall is here. The wikipedia article is here. The Google Maps link is here. The hall was opened in 1978.

I recently found another for me new hall, the Siuntio Spa. Wonder how many more there can be?

Sign for the school and swimming hall area:

The pool:

Entrance:

For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko and Vihdin kaupunki. All rights reserved. I never take photos of saunagoers or swimmers, all photos here are either from outside or from the Vihti city website.