Day 2: Mt Rainier NP to Tieton

Day 2:  Mt Rainier NP to Tieton

Weather: Mid 40s, heavy fog in MRNP, warming up to mid 70s and windy in Tieton

   

On a clear day....the real thing plus a reflection

What we saw from the same vista

QOTD: What happened to Mt Rainier?

AOTD:  Nothing, it reverted to just where it always is every other time THB has been close: nowhere to be found

Breakfast buffet: THB makes himself a waffle topped with walnuts and yogurt, with bacon; DB has French toast and bacon and tastes the bread pudding (THB thinks it is left over dessert from last night), coffee, $40.

Let’s talk about the weather some more: it is very cold and foggy, Mt Rainier has disappeared (not to reappear while we’re in the park). Since we’re in training for a hike with Walk Japan (notice THB did not call it a walk with Walk Japan), we’ve picked a hike of 4-5 miles starting from the lodge.

DB gets some help from the front desk and we park partway down the hill to cut down on the ambiguity of the distances and avoid a steep uphill for the last half hour. The hike is well marked, includes plenty of up and down and even a bit along the road (very Japanese), and we cover the 4+ miles in about 2 hours.

Nowhere to get a bottle of water, THB improvises

Leaving the park is soooooooooo much fun: 30 minutes driving in medium to dense fog. The fall foliage has started and THB can’t tell if the leaves look blurry in the fog or blurry from his blurry eyesight. What THB can see is very pretty. The part that's not white. 

The drive to Tieton is around 1.5 hours, very scenic, highly recommended! Lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Tieton, the Central Café Bistro (hmmmm…..como se dice in Espanol, por favor?). THB has spicy fajitas de pollo and DB had a quesadilla con pollo, with fresh made ice tea, $27.

We take in a very interesting juried art show at the Mighty Tieton: 10 by 10: about 150 small pieces (hey, not larger than 10 by 10 inches), some of it very, very good. Work by artists as far away as Sweden, many from WA.

We’re staying in a loft space, #13, next door to the gallery The bed is upstairs, everything else (including the bathroom) is downstairs. With the fan on and the large door to the street open, it is very comfortable (remember, it is mid-70s here now that we’ve escaped the clutches of Mt. Rainier).

Dinner with S&C (hosts of the apple picking and cider drinking this weekend) and P&S (more friends in town for same-same) at Cowiche Canyon in Yakima. Big place, sort of an upscale diner type place and lots of local brewskees to choose from because tomorrow (in the parking lot behind the restaurant) is the beer and cider festival. THB has prime rib dip (very good, beef rare and tender) with fries, and others have various salads, salmon, roti chicken, and drinks and wine for the women and different local brewskees for the guys; $90/couple.