So I'm going to Seattle next week! YAY!

[grace0418]

I just checked the weather. It's going to be sunny and HOT the entire trip. So far this summer in Chicago, I don't know if there have been more than two days in a row that are what I'd consider summer-like. It's been in the sixties and cloudy or rainy more days than I can count so far. Who knew I'd have to travel to Seattle to have some summer this year? :)

I can't wait though, I love Seattle. Most of my family lives out there so I've been there a million times, but this trip I'm finally going to visit Mt. Rainier! YAY! We're also going to to a couple of Tom Douglas' restaurants. I'd like to go on a hike closer to the city this time too, so some of my family can join us. Any suggestions anyone? Bellevue area is good as well, we're staying with my brother this time, rather than in the city, to save money.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear grace0418!

Ah, I hope the weather holds for you!

It is really one of the most beautiful areas in the world...when the sun's out!

And Mt. Rainier! Just a gorgeous mountain!

If you can stay in the Paradise Lodge, on the mountain side, that would be heaven...

Have a fabulous time, and take LOTS of pics!

:bounce: :bounce:

[grace0418]

3. It's beautiful even when the sun isn't shining. In Chicago, for half the year, if it's rainy

everything looks grey and depressing. In Seattle it looks green and lush. There are few things I enjoy more than a walk in places that look like this:



And Washington seems to have a lot of that.

Anyway, thank you CP! I will have a lovely time. We have limited free time with all the family events so Rainier will be just a day hike. But someday we'll stay at the Paradise Lodge and explore more.

And I will see YOU (hopefully) in Cali in August. I will email you when I get back from Seattle to work out details.

:hi:

[woofless]

10. That looks like our back yard.

Paradise I tells ya'.

[grace0418]

12. Oh you lucky duck!

Sometimes when I'm walking through areas like this, I actually start to cry because I get so overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.

[pokerfan]

2. Mt. Rainier

Climbed it twice. Once via Camp Muir and once via Kautz Glacier.

It was tall...

Uphill the entire way...

[grace0418]

4. In both directions?

:) It's a beauty, that's for sure. We won't have time for a serious climb, just a day hike. But the weather is supposed to be great so we'll have fantastic visibility!

[pokerfan]

5. There are lots of day hikes in the Rainier area

A lot of the trails in the Paradise area are even paved and wheelchair accessible. I remember walking on them in full steel shank climbing boots hurt my feet.

Somewhere I have a book: Fifty hikes in Mt Rainier park.

[grace0418]

6. I ran across this last night...

http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_7602.asp

Sounded kinda interesting.

I wish we had time for a longer, more involved hike. That's the hard part about having so many relatives in the area. By the time we've visited everyone, there's only a few hours left to do what we want.

[pokerfan]

7. If you're going to drive to Rainier

you might as well make a loop of it. Enumclaw and Eatonville. Highways 706 and 410. See both Paradise and Sunrise.

[grace0418]

8. Cool, thanks.

How long does that take approximately?

Thanks for the help! :hi:

[pokerfan]

9. 252 miles total

I plotted a trip on Google Maps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=seattle&daddr=paradise,+mt+rainier+to:Sunrise,+mt+rainier+to:seattle&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=47.251599,-122.129608&sspn=1.42436,2.469177&ie=UTF8&ll=47.16731,-121.997681&spn=1.426616,2.469177&z=9">Seattle to Paradise to Sunrise to Seattle

[grace0418]

15. I was JUST about to map that out. Glad I came here first. Thank you

so much! You're a doll! :hug:

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

11. Don't forget to consider

heading north for fun.
A trip to the San Juans out of Anancortes, check out Whidbey Island etc
:)

[grace0418]

13. Oh yeah! My sister used to have a vacation home on Orcas Island. That was INCREDIBLE.

Actually it belonged to her husband's family; but for some reason the rest of the family wasn't that into it so they recently sold it. I was so sad. You could actually see pods of orcas swim by from their house. Amazing.

Unfortunately this trip is all about family, and we'll be having an 80th birthday party for my mom next Saturday down in Olympia. So we have to be content with a few hours of alone time here and there. I'm making it very clear to my family that our Rainier hike is private. Not that we don't enjoy being around them. It's just that my family is huge and is worse than herding cats. If there is a plan to do something at 8 am, we're lucky to get on the road by noon. And then someone always wants to stop for coffee or something. My husband HATES that, he's very organized and likes to stick to schedules. I'm somewhere in between, but have to sort of police both sides. I love my family and my husband but sometimes this stuff really stresses me out. All the more reason to take a private hike at Rainier.

[tigereye]

14. great city! Have fun.

[grace0418]

16. Thanks!

I will! :hi: