Mt. Rainier National Park

I feel like I have been having a secret infatuation with Mt. Rainier. Practically everywhere we went, we could see it peaking above the buildings and trees—when I then find myself trying to take a picture of it even if it's just a glimpse. Thus, we decided to visit the national park so we could see this beautiful mountain up close and personal (or as close as we could get because I am not hiking another mountain for a couple of years—another story, another time)! We drove down Mather Memorial Parkway (Route 410) and became excited when we saw the sign saying that we were entering Mt. Rainier National Park.

For awhile, it seemed like we were were getting closer to the mountain. And then...we saw a sign saying that we were exiting Mt. Rainier National Park. We're not really sure how we did that as we followed the directions—it wasn't until later that evening when I saw that we missed a turn when I looked at a map online—as I had only brought a print-out of the directions from Google Maps. (Where's the GPS or a phone with internet capabilities when you need them?)

We stopped at Chinook Pass to admire the beauty (as well head back) of Wenatchee National Forest. It was really windy while we were there, and CJ loved feeling the wind in his face. It's one of his happiest moments for sure!

On the other side of the street was a great view of Lake Tipsoo in front of Mt. Rainier. We decided to explore around the area for a bit since we were there! (It was already mid-afternoon, and we didn't want to be driving around a mountain all evening.)