Hi! I’m Meeshka

Meeshka Brand smiling at Mount Rainier National Park in spring, surrounded by a snow-covered alpine landscape.

A Washington local who helps first-time travelers feel confident and excited as they plan their PNW outdoor adventure.

Sand & Elevation is the outdoor travel brand I created.

I built it to make trip planning easier for people visiting Washington’s national parks and iconic outdoor places.

Meeshka Brand standing on a rocky alpine overlook at Mount Rainier National Park, looking out toward the Tatoosh Range under a hazy blue sky.

The name Sand & Elevation reflects the two landscapes I return to again and again: the wild Pacific coastline and the mountain ranges always in sight.

It grew out of years spent exploring these places myself.

I’m a Washington Local With Firsthand Experience

I live between the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, surrounded by the Salish Sea. Seeing Mount Rainier reigning over the landscape never gets old.

My husband, Colby, and I have been visiting Olympic Peninsula beaches and Washington State parks for over a decade (Salt Creek and La Push are at the top of our list!).

Meeshka Brand and her husband Colby smiling on Second Beach in Olympic National Park.
Me and Colby on Second Beach in La Push

But in 2021, something shifted. 

I was already a hiker, but that year, I wholeheartedly knew I needed to climb mountains and reach higher elevations. So I did, completing bucket list hikes such as Camp Muir, Mt Ellinor, The Enchantments, and many other adventures. 

Since then, I’ve developed a (mostly) healthy obsession with Cascade volcanoes. 

The mountains are where I feel most alive, but some of my best days have been spent on beach hikes along this region’s world-class coastline destinations, like Point of Arches and Cape Flattery.

Where I’ve Hiked & Traveled

Everything I share is grounded in real trips and real conditions.

Unlike travel guides written after a single visit, my guidance comes from spending time in Washington’s national parks year-round and in every season.

Here’s a snapshot of where I’ve been over the last few years.

FEBRUARY: Hurricane Hill Trail at Hurricane Ridge

MARCH: Port Angeles beaches including Ediz Hook, Crescent Beach, Salt Creek Recreation Area, Elwha Beach, and East Beach, Moments in Time Trail, Emerald Valley Inn, Mount Storm King Hike, Lake Quinault Lodge, Quinault Loop Trail, Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail, Ruby Beach

APRIL: Mount Si Trail, Mount Walker Trail, Skyline Trail to Camp Muir, Fairholme Beach, Kalaloch Lodge, Tree of Life, Kalaloch Beach 4

MAY: Mailbox Peak Trail (twice!), Mount Townsend Trail

JUNE: Skyline Trail to Camp Muir (twice!), Big Creek Campground, Mount Baker

JULY: Paradise at Mount Rainier: Myrtle Falls & Edith Creek, Skyline Trail, Inspiration Point, Reflection Lake, Narada Falls, Ricksecker Point, Glacier Bridge, Christine Falls; Sunrise at Mount Rainier: Sunrise Nature Trail, Emmons Vista, Silver Forest Trail, Naches Peak Loop Trail, Tipsoo Lake, Stafford Falls, Burroughs Mountain Trail

AUGUST: Port Townsend, Fort Worden, Crescent Beach, Spruce Railroad Trail to Devil’s Punchbowl

SEPTEMBER: East Beach at Lake Crescent, Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival, Sol Duc Valley, Sol Duc Falls, Sol Duc Resort, Salmon Cascades

OCTOBER: North Cascades National Park, Blue Lake Trail, Washington Pass Overlook Trail, Diablo Lake, Skyline Loop Trail

JANUARY: Lake Quinault & Quinault Rainforest, Maple Glade Rainforest Trail, Kestner Homestead Trail, Merriman Falls, Lake Angeles Trail, Ediz Hook

FEBRUARY: Madison Falls Trail, Port Angeles

MARCH: Olympic National Park Visitor Center Garden Clean-Up with Friends of Olympic National Park

APRIL: Sol Duc Rainforest Retreat, Sol Duc Falls to Lover’s Lane Falls, Ancient Groves Nature Trail, Salmon Cascades, Lake Crescent

MAY: Marymere Falls Trail, Forks, Hoh Rain Forest, Hall of Mosses Trail, Spruce Nature Trail, Kalaloch Lodge, Tree of Life, Kalaloch Beach, Big Cedar Tree Trail

JUNE: National Park Inn at Mount Rainier, Longmire Historic District, Comet Falls Trail, Trail of the Shadows, Hurricane Ridge shuttle from Port Angeles, Klahane Ridge via Switchback Trail at Hurricane Ridge

JULY: Eagle Peak Trail (Longmire), Ashford, Nisqually Vista Trail, Deadhorse Creek Trail, Packwood, Elbe, Alta Vista Trail, Edith Creek & Myrtle Falls, Paradise Meadows

AUGUST: White River to Sunrise via Wonderland Trail, Sunrise Visitor Center, Dege Peak Trail, Packwood

SEPTEMBER: Port Angeles, Sunrise View Point via High Ridge Nature Trail, Hurricane Ridge to Klahane Ridge, Seattle

OCTOBER: Marblemount & Newhalem, Maple Pass Loop Trail

NOVEMBER: Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls to Golden Gate Trail, National Park Inn, Twin Firs Loop in Longmire

DECEMBER: Skyline Trail to Glacier Vista, National Park Inn

JANUARY: Longmire, Christine Falls, Glacier Bridge, Narada Falls, Mountain Meadows Inn in Ashford, Narada Falls to Reflections Lake to Wonderland Trail, Nisqually Vista Trail

My Experience Guides the Recommendations I Make

I live twenty minutes from the Olympic Peninsula and one-and-a-half hours from the Cascade Mountains. 

I visit Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier in all seasons. In the Cascades, I’ve summited Mount St Helens and Mount Adams and have climbed Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. 

Chances are, I’ve experienced the places you want to go. (My AllTrails app has tracked 651 miles and 146,227 feet of elevation since 2021, and that’s not counting the times I forgot to hit start!) 

Here’s a taste of what I know:

  • Where to find the heartiest breakfast in Sequim, which coffee shop is worth a stop in Port Angeles, and where in Forks you can get BBQ that Texans wait in line for
  • Which accommodations near Olympic National Park are the coziest and most comfortable because I’ve stayed in them myself
  • How to answer “Ashford or Packwood?” when deciding where to stay while visiting Mount Rainier National Park

I know all of this – and more – because I live here! And I’ve done countless hours of research for my own trips. (Nerd alert: planning is my pastime!)

Dreaming of Exploring Paradise? Start With My Free Planning Guide

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    Built with Kit

    Meeshka Brand hiking at Lake 22 in Washington’s North Cascades
    All smiles while hiking Lake 22 in the North Cascades

    How I Help First-Time Visitors Like You Explore the Pacific Northwest

    My mission is to help first-time visitors plan trips to Washington’s national parks with confidence — so you know what makes sense for your season, your timeline, and how you actually like to travel.

    Most trip frustration doesn’t come from bad planning. It comes from missing seasonal context, underestimating drive times, or not knowing which stops are truly worth it for your trip.

    This site offers comprehensive guides, easy-to-follow itineraries with maps, photos I’ve taken myself, and practical tips to help you take the trip that’s right for you.

    Ready to Plan a Trip to Olympic or Mount Rainier?

    If you’re looking for a local guide with insider knowledge about the places you want to visit, you’re in the right place. 

    It’s my absolute pleasure to be that planner friend you didn’t even know you needed, helping you discover the magic of the Pacific Northwest.

    So glad you’re here.

    xo, Meeshka

    Planning a Trip to Olympic or Rainier?
    Planning a Trip to Olympic or Rainier?

    Skip the guesswork, stress, and hours of research—let me help you plan your itinerary!

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    TRIBAL LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

    I acknowledge that the land on which I live on the Kitsap Peninsula is the ancestral homeland of the Suquamish Tribe and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. I thank the people of these tribes for their care and stewardship of our shared lands and waterways.