Day 1, Mt Rainier National Park

Day 1: Fly from Oakland to Seattle, drive to Mt. Rainier NP

Weather: Overcast and cool in E-ville, mid 60s in Paradise (and dropping fast)

QOTD: So, how does Mt Rainier rank?

AOTD:  Somewhere in the middle

Fly to Seatac, a bit rough in the middle of the flight, enough that one of the stewardesses shouts over the intercom for the other attendants to buckle up!

 

The off-site SeaTac car rental is jammed

Hey, we used to own one of these!

It’s about a 3 hour drive from the airport to Paradise Lodge in Mt Rainier National Park. Some great shots of Mt. Rainier, blue skies overhead. We’ve been by this park several times and the weather has been so severe we’ve kept on driving. It’s either number 37 or 38 for THB and DB (depends on who is counting?), and the last of the Pacific NW parks for us (we’ve finished up several other NP geographical areas).

We’re staying at the Paradise Lodge, which is a classic NP lodge: pretty on the outside, motel circa 1955 on the inside after you get past the gigantic common room. The lodge is closing on Sunday, so things are slimmed down. Dinner is the same in all the parks (i.e., just below mediocre), though DB thought her salmon was very good. Chicken for THB, a shared arugula salad (huge, a few beets, pine nuts and pickled red onion), a drink, glass of wine and local brewski (too cold), $110.

The dining room