Today’s outing was Mount Rainier. My husband and I ate breakfast while the kids slept in, if you can call 10 am sleeping in. Then we left for the day, driving about two hours to Mount Rainier. About the time we stopped for lunch, my husband spotted the mountain in the distance. It looked like an illusion from that distance, but it gave us something to focus on as we drove closer and closer.
At a small scenic stop, we pulled off the road and took a picture of ourselves (don’t you love the automatic option on cameras) in our spiffy convertible with the mountain in the background. When we got to the park, we put the top down (again) so everyone would have a great view of the park. Our first stop inside the park was a waterfall. It was only a short, but steep, walk down the path to get a great view of the waterfall from below with the spray cooling your face while you looked on.
Finally, we arrived at Paradise, where there was a Visitor Center, Hotel and Restaurant. Trails led up the mountain from there. Brittany did not join us (Brittany speak here: I had blood gushing down my leg...it is highly unusual that I decide just to not partake in hiking) due to the pesky and painful flies that attack you every step of the way. (If you keep a brisk pace, you can usually outrun them and they will leave you alone. Just don’t stop!) The three of us started up the trail, enjoying the incredible display of wildflowers that bloomed profusely everywhere within vision. It was a lovely sight and continued as the trail climbed. At some point, our son withdrew and joined his sister in the Visitor Center. My husband and I climbed until we reach the snow and the trail divided going to the summit or a camping area. We were delighted with the view of the valley, the marmots that cavorted over the rocks, and the brown-trampled snow. (I have to admit – without my husband prodding me on, I would have given up and turned back myself.) Finally, we headed down and met the kids. It was time to leave before the sun went down, and it was a long ride back to the hotel. What a wonderful day it had been!
Look in the shadow in the lower left corner. :)
This is most definitely a photograph of my parents walking back down the mountain, see the two little white spots walking through the green trees directly beneath the snow capped mountain's....yea, that's mom and dad!
This was our pleasant run-in with a fox, so cool, never seen one in the wild in person before.
1 comment:
i wish i had gone with y'all. looks like it was so much fun.
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