Park 22: North Cascades National Park, WA:  From the Olympic Peninsula, we traveled by ferry from Kingston to Edmonds to begin our day heading north to Camano Island where we visited a USNA classmate just north of Seattle.  His lovely contemporary home was perched on a bluff overlooking the Saratoga Passage between Camano and Whidbey Islands.  After a lengthy Happy Hour reliving old aviation stories, he grilled Copper River Salmon in the drizzle without a hint of concern for the clouds blowing in.  Guess you get used to that in the Pacific Northwest!   The next morning, after a delicious breakfast at his favorite local diner, we turned EAST!    



Sunset over Saratoga Passage

Ferry from Kingston to Edmunds, WA

North Cascades National Park is bisected by WA-20, a scenic highway that crosses Washington.  There are trails for hiking, but because of snow and rain, our tour was mostly car bound on 20E except for a few short hikes to overlooks of the lakes and dams across the Skagway River.  Three amazing dams provide over half the power to the Seattle area.  

Waterfall along WA-20E

This park is nicknamed the American Alps and you quickly understand why the mountain range is called the Cascades, as countless waterfalls from melting glaciers create icy cold blue-green creeks and rivers.  When we crossed the final two passes, we descended into a drier, less forested scene of grasslands and pastures.  It was only then that we could look back and glimpse a few of the snow covered mountaintops that had been obscured by clouds as we drove through the Park.  Just out of the mountains, we passed through Winthrop, WA, a small town whose entire downtown architecture is a throwback to the old West of the 1880’s.  We were now back in high desert country.  What a change!

Diablo Lake

Odometer: 9,480 miles.

Driving across Diablo Lake dam

Looking back on the Cascades

Park 21, Olympic National Park, WA:  Enroute to the Olympic Peninsula, we visited good friends from Arkansas who now live in Federal Way, WA.  Their wonderful hospitality during our two night stay included delicious salmon and shrimp caught by him in the Puget Sound and delightful homemade breads and desserts by her!   We walked the rocky shore of Puget Sound with their two Corgis just below their lovely home collecting sea glass.  On Saturday, we traveled up to Seattle for an afternoon and night, where we took in the typical touristy spots along with a fantastic seafood meal at Ray’s Boathouse. 

Partial clearing on top of Hurricane
Ridge

Olympic National Park was overcast and cool, with the temperature dropping to 34 degrees as we drove up Hurricane Ridge.  Dense, dense fog obscured any view of the visitor center parking lot, much less Mt. Olympus and its neighboring mountains.  Highway 101 encircles the national park and we traveled west from Hurricane Ridge to the Crescent Lake and Sol Duc Springs areas.  The Park has an old lodge with cabins on the shore of the lake and Sol duc Springs has natural flowing hot, sulphur water pools for bathing and relaxing.
One area highlight was spending the evening in Sequim, WA and enjoying an excellent seafood dinner at the Dockside Grille – a must stop if you’re in the area.

Marymere Falls at Crescent Lake

Odometer:  9,144 miles.

Crescent Lake from the Lodge

Dockside at the Dockside Grille in Sequim

Park 20: Mt. Rainier National Park, WA: How often can you visit Mt. Rainier and never see the mountain - apparently often!  We began the climb in sunlight through a grove of enormous Douglas fir growing on a carpeted floor of moss, lichen and ferns, but were quickly greeted by rain and heavy fog as we wound our way up to Paradise from the southwest entrance of this vast park.  As we ascended, heavy snows began to cover the trees and the clouds rolled in.  The road snaked along the Nisqually and Paradise rivers where in years past glacier and snow melt cut a wide swath down the mountain toppling trees and spreading mud and rock for miles.    

Moss covered grove of Douglas Fir

The power of glacial and snow melt

The top two thirds of the still active volcano, rising 14,410 feet, and its 22 glaciers remained hidden, but we were treated to dozens of waterfalls along the drive up the eastern side of the park.  We hiked to Box Canyon where the sheer granite walls had been carved to the depth of 115 feet by years of raging waters.  Mt. Rainier creates its own ecosystem, from sub-tropical forests and meadows to glaciers, because of its gigantic size and the moisture laden winds from the Pacific.  We must come back someday when we can see the oft photographed reflection of the volcano in the lake with colorful wildflowers in full bloom!  

Odometer:  8,810 miles. 

Narada Falls

Christine Falls

Somewhere up there is Mt. Rainier