#Gates50States

The biggest challenge in our #Gates50States adventure is saying, “No,” to so many neat/cool/unique places and events and attractions in each state.  There just isn’t enough time to take in all that every state has to offer.  Nowhere has this been more true to date for us than Washington state.  What an amazing place, with a great diversity of locations, climates, environments, and… just stuff.  In Part 1, we covered our experiences on the Olympic Peninsula, and Part 3 will address our time in North Cascades.

We said goodbye to the Olympic Peninsula and drove to Mt. Rainier National Park, but first we’d grab a bite to eat at The Oak Table Cafe in Silverdale for a fantastic breakfast (get the German Pancake or the Apple Pancake… in fact, get one of each!) and a visit to the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport.

A hallmark of our trips has been the flexibility to take advantage of something that catches our eye in the moment.  As we moved from Port Angeles to Ashford, we saw a sign for the Undersea Museum, and being military novices from the midwest, the thought of learning about something new was appealing.  From submarine history to utilizing dolphins and sea lions in port protection, both kids and grown-ups enjoyed this diversion.

Little did we know when we arrived at Rainier’s entrance that our first afternoon there would represent the best weather we’d have on the mountain.  The peak looked so close… yet was so far away.

I booked the main house at Mountain Meadows Inn in Ashford because of it’s proximity to the entrance to the park.

We planned one full day for Rainier.  I took Lincoln along with my family up to Pebble Creek via the Skyline Trail, exactly halfway up the mountain, while Ryan stayed with the younger ones for some tooling around the trails adjacent to the Paradise Visitor’s Center.  We were all in for a cool, wet, foggy morning. Again, get there early to avoid the crowds and bring the right clothes/footwear. We traversed huge snowfields in mid-July and passed people trying to make it in sneakers. One woman was actually wearing dress boots with a heel!

Lincoln and I trudged through snow and fog.  He was a great team player for this hike, and we got a brief glimpse of the peak.  Gotta be quick with the photos!

After that big day of hiking, we all met at the Copper Creek Inn for a fine meal with great service.  And then… because we’re only there for a short time… we hiked the ~4 mile Comet Falls trail and beat the sunset.

Let’s just say we got a good night’s rest for our drive to Mazama, the next staging area for exploring North Cascades National Park, as we said goodbye to Mt. Rainier for many miles.