Mount Rainier

We came home from Seattle on Wednesday evening, and I took Thursday to unpack and attack the laundry.
Now, I have a moment to update the blog...

We had a fantastic trip! We made a number of happy memories we will carry with us forever.

Perhaps tops on that list was our trip Tuesday to Mt. Rainier. Now I've been up to visit my aunt and uncle countless times since they moved from SoCal 17 years ago, and this was my first trip to the glacial-volcanic monster, which reaches more than 14,400 feet into the sky.

Forgive this picture-heavy post, but as you can see, the views were breathtaking. (Remember that you can click a photo to see it larger on your screen.)

The mountain itself is amazing, dominating the skyline for hundreds of miles on a clear day. (This is the Northwest, so "clear days" are special. We were very blessed with gorgeous weather, as you can see.)

Coming in the fall added to the scenery. The brush was burgandy, peach and salmon, begging to be admired.

We parked near the visitors' center and "hiked" a few miles on a couple of different trails. The trails were all paved, so the difficulty was in the thin air and steepness of the grade.

The weather was great, sunny and crisp but not too cold. We saw deer, blue jays, hawks and chipmunks.

Cora had an amazing time. I have memories of Uncle Bill carrying me on his shoulders in Yosemite when I was four, and I hope she likewise remembers this trip!

She hiked like a champion, and tackled a set of rock stairs on her own, "all by myself!" with no help from Daddy. She was very proud of herself, as you can see, posing with Stace by the "Skyline Trail" sign.

Violet also enjoyed herself, in her stroller and later in an infant carrier on Aunt Patty's back.

The only thing better about this part of our trip would have been to stay the night near the park. It's about a two-hour drive from Seabeck, and with two little ones, longer than that. Next time!