A Trip to Mount Rainier, Part 2

 It took me forever to decide which photos I wanted to share today.  I really need to learn how to make photo collages.  After we left the Sunrise Lodge area behind we continued our drive around the park until we arrived at our next stop, The Grove of the Patriarchs. This magical spot was an easy 1.5 mile trail that looped through the forest. 

It looks like my hubby is getting his strength back!

 Eventually we had to cross the river on this suspension bridge.

 Once we were on the other side of the river we found ourselves on an island filled with magnificent old growth Douglas Firs, Hemlocks and Cedars, some over 300 feet tall and 40 inches in diameter.  Because so many people come through the park each year to see the trees, a boardwalk has been built to protect the roots.

This Red Cedar is estimated to be 1000 years old. Look at this knobby bark.  Even though it looked rough, it felt smooth under my fingers.

 

Looking inside a fallen tree. 

As we made our way back to the car we could see the signs of fall just beginning along the trail.

 On our way to Paradise we passed  Reflection Lakes.  On a clear day you can see Mount Rainier reflected in the water.  Unfortunately, today was not that day.  However, the spot is  beautiful and you could still see the reflections of trees and clouds.

 

 We finally made it around the park to the Inn at Paradise only to find the roads and parking areas were being repaved that day.  So we had to park our car a ways away and walk up the hill to take a look.  Although it was only mid-afternoon it seemed much later as the clouds had darkened and were beginning to threaten rain.  

The Inn itself was built in 1914.  Nestled 5,400 feet up the south slope of the mountain and with 121 guest rooms, it is considered one of  "the great lodges of the West". 
 

 I loved this rustic interior with the huge beams and massive stone fireplaces on each end. 

 

Once again because of the clouds we couldn't see the mountain but the views were still stunning.

 There were many wonderful trails that would have taken us through the alpine meadows filled with fall color.  You can see the trail beckoning off in the distance. 

Just at this point it started to rain and we began to make our way back down the hill.  By the time we got to our car we were soaked and ready to call it a day. 


 But we discovered one more lodge on our way out of the park and decided to make one last stop to see if we could dry ourselves out before hitting the road for a 2 1/2 hour drive home.

We were delighted to discover here at The National Park Inn this cozy little room with a fire crackling in the fireplace ready to greet visitors who needed a place to rest after the days activities.  It was the perfect place to get ourselves warmed up and dried out.

Once we were warmed up and ready to explore the lodge a bit more we discovered this log cabin style general store on the grounds.  I didn't buy anything but it's always fun to poke around.

I thought this jewelry was interesting.  Each piece is made from a real leaf that has been perfectly preserved and then dipped in copper. 

I really liked the pottery made by local artists too.  It was tempting to bring home one of those blue pieces but I am a retiree now and I have to watch the budget.  Besides, I am supposed to be getting over my pack rat tendencies.

And so our little journey around Mount Rainier has come to a close.  Even though we were a little disappointed that we couldn't see the mountain as well as we had hoped, we still had a wonderful day. I hope you did too.

A Trip to Mount Rainier, Part 1

Being retired together means we can now take "spur of the moment" excursions whenever we feel like changing up the daily routine.  Last week, we decided it would be fun to take a quick overnight road trip so we took out the map to see what looked interesting.  We chose a trip to Mount Rainier National Park.  Established in 1899 the national park is the fifth oldest National Park in the country and only a few hours drive away.  Thinking about how close it actually, is we were amazed to think that we had only been there once before many years ago. It didn't take long to pack up the car, call the kids to let them know and hit the road for an adventure.  

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Taking our time, we arrived in the town of Enumclaw, WA late in the afternoon.  The old historic community is a busy little crossroads with highways heading in several different directions. Situated just a few miles from the base of the mountain it was the perfect place to spend the night.  There are only two hotels in the town.  The place we chose had this pretty little court yard filled with hydrangeas.  

After settling into our room we found a place for dinner and then took a walk around the town.   Across the street from our room was the Logging Legacy Memorial Park.  This amazing bronze statue of two oxen pulling a log to the river was placed here to commemorate the logging history of the state.  It weights over 15,000 pounds! 

As we looked through the windows of the closed shops we could see that many of them were decorated for the fall.  This one was especially cute.

 

Next door was a music store with old pianos outside on the sidewalks where people on the street could stop and play a tune.

The late setting sun was casting reflections on the windows but we could still see in to enjoy these blown glass pumpkins.

After our nice walk around the town and through the park we settled into our room for the night.  We wanted to get an early start to the mountain in the morning.

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Our first stop of the day was up 6,400 feet to Sunrise, the highest place in the park that you can drive to.  We discovered the lodge had closed for the season the week before.  There was scaffolding up all along the outside as workers were busy repairing and winterizing the buildings   In another few weeks the roads will be closed for the winter.  There was no snow here yet but the air was chilly and we were glad for our warm jackets.  The visitor center was still open though and we could walk along the roads and trails in the area.  We had been expecting sunshine but the clouds had rolled in obscuring the mountain.  Even so, the views were still beautiful.

     
Those poles you see at this lookout are used to measure the snowfall up here.  The park gets hundreds of inches of snow every year. 

There were so many trails to try but we weren't prepared or ready to take a long hike.  Perhaps another time.  Meanwhile, we needed to get back on the road if we were going to make it to our next stop.  We will save that for another day.  Next time I will share pictures of  our walk through the Grove of the Patriarchs and visit to Paradise.  I hope you have enjoyed our little trip so far.