Day 7 - Mt. Rainier

So, we spent most of today exploring more of Mt Rainier.  The waterfall is Myrtle Falls, which was a steep but relatively short hike.  But...while we were there, we decided to keep going and ended up doing close to 10 miles of hiking.  Along the way, we glimpsed one of the glaciers before it was swallowed by the clouds.  We also met quite a few marmots on the trail (bottom right).

We also hiked to the Grove of Patriarchs, an island of 1000 year old trees.  The one on the top right was a giant cedar.  Bottom right was one that had fallen and now has new trees growing out of it.  It really was quite a remarkable place to see!

As the rain clouds rolled in, we got in one last hike to Silver Falls.  The water was so blue it looked dyed, and although the photo doesn't show it, this falls was quite big and powerful.  The lake on the right is Reflection Lakes, and although the mountains were covered in clouds, we did manage to catch one tiny patch of blue sky reflected.  We're back in Seattle tonight, staying near the airport.  We'll begin the long journey home bright and early tomorrow morning.

Day 6 - Mt. Rainier

On our way to Mt. Rainier, we stopped off for a quick hike to Iron Creek Falls.  We also had beautiful views of Mt. St. Helens despite the cloud coverage.

It was a rainy evening, but we decided to explore Mt Rainier since today happened to be free admission day.  The waterfall on the left is Christine Falls and the right is Narada Falls.  We plan to explore more of the park tomorrow on our way back to Seattle.  Hopefully it'll be clearer so we can see the peaks and sweeping views.

Day 5 - Portland / Columbia River Gorge

This morning, we drove up to Pittock Mansion to get a sweeping view of the city (too bad it was cloudy--apparently you can usually see Mt. Hood towering in the distance).  We made a special stop at the Saturday Craft Market before heading into the Columbia River Gorge.

We took Scenic Oregon Hwy 30 through the Columbia River Gorge this afternoon.  The sweeping views of the Columbia River are from Crown Point lookout (bottom left).  As you can see, the drizzle turned into yet another gorgeous day!

So we were expecting to see one or two falls but stumbled upon 1/2 a dozen!  Above is Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls just to name a few.  With the exception of Multnomah, the falls were surprisingly vacant for it to be a gorgeous summer weekend.

We finished a beautiful day with an even more beautiful sunset over the Columbia River.  The bottom picture features Mt. Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon.

We are spending the night at the Bingen School Hostel.  Our room used to be part of a classroom--it still has a chalkboard.  :). And, please notice the box fan--first place we've stayed that had one, and it makes all the difference in being comfy!  There are still lockers in the hallway where you can stow luggage, and there's an old gym where they offer exercise classes during the week.  Worst mattress I have ever slept on, but this hostel gets a check plus for character!  Next stop...Mt Ranier!

Day 4 - Portland

Lunch at the Grilled Cheese Grill in Pioneer Square, then to see Portlandia (second largest copper statue in the world).

We discovered why they call Portland the "City of Roses" today.  After visiting the absolutely serene and gorgeous Japanese Gardens at Washington Park, we strolled over to the Rose Garden, which overlooks downtown Portland.  The pictures don't do it justice, so check out this video and this video for a more authentic experience. And yes, that is a harp you hear in the background (minus the shrieking children).

 We ended the day with an ice cream from Salt & Spoon and a nice stroll along the waterfront.  We're going to miss Portland!

Day 3 - Astoria

On our way to Oregon, we snaked over to the coast and visited Long Beach, WA, where we stumbled upon the National Kite Flying Festival (click here for an awesome but very windy video). 

 

We loved the small town of Astoria, OR!  The Norblad Hostel we stayed in was in a historic hotel building and was quite charming!  The top pics are of our room (notice the glass door knob) and the view of downtown and the Columbia River from our window.  The bottom pics are from breakfast at the Blue Scorcher Bakery Cafe and shopping at Vintage Hardware (which had some really cool salvaged stuff).

While we were there, we visited a tower overlooking the city where we had 360 degree views of the Columbia River.  We also rode the historic trolley along the waterfront.  On our way out of town, we made sure to stop at the "Goonies" house (where they filmed the movie) and visited Youngs River Falls.

Day 2 - Seattle

Another gorgeous day!  Went to Lake Union and watched sea planes, the Ferris Wheel at Pier 50, and took a ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island (click here for a video).  We're whooped!

Day 1 - Seattle

Weather has been perfect so far!  Today we rode the Monorail over to see the Space Needle.  We opted out of the ($22 per person) trip to the top in favor of a hike to Kerry Park where the views are free (top photo). We also visited Ballard Locks and watched the ships come and go.  In the evening, we headed over to Gas Works Park, where we enjoyed a nice skyline view over Lake Union.  We also enjoyed the menagerie of talent in the park, including extreme yoga, hoola hooping, parkour training, kite flying, ballroom dancing, and not one but TWO polka groups practicing (click here for a video). Still can't get used to the time difference, so we're waking up at 3 am but going to bed at 11.  Getting a few puffs around the eyes!