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It was still overcast as we drove to the Wallingford district
across Lake Union. There are lots of little shops here, but we
didn't have much time to look around. Maybe next time.
Peppers at Pike Place Market
We returned to Pike Place Market, where I took some pictures of
the market and the flying fish. Then it was Wild Ginger for lunch
again.
Crabs for sale at Pike Place Market
It looked like it was beginning to clear up and we thought about
going to the top of the Space Needle, but it was still too cloudy.
We started driving toward Mt. Rainier at about 1:30pm.
We drove south on I-5, east on 152, then hopped onto Highway 7.
On Highway 7 we saw a lot of logging trucks, and saw the resultant
hillsides further on.
We reached the Cougar Rock campground (3180 feet) in Mt. Rainier
National Park at about 4pm. We had our pick of campsites, as it
was only about a quarter full. We picked the nicest one we could
find and started setting up under sunny skies. Mt. Rainier itself
peeked over the treetops.
Christine Falls
After a short rest we drove to the viewpoint for Christine Falls.
It's okay. But much more impressive is Narada Falls, our next
stop. Water rushes underneath a bridge and down a sheer vertical
drop of about 150 feet. A light mist constant pours over the viewpoint
railing. Unfortunately, it was late afternoon and getting dark;
I decided we should return during better light to enjoy the view
better.
Narada Falls
Mt. Rainier rises steeply, towering 11,000 feet over our campsite.
There are several turnouts along the road which provide views
of this impressive behemoth. As we drove back down to our campsite,
a mysterious mist suddenly started rising out of the ground. It
soon engulfed Mt. Rainier and the sky turned gray. I've never
seen fog develop so quickly. Perhaps it has something to do with
Rainier's glaciers.
Dinner consisted of macaroni, dried vegetables, salsa, and smoked
salmon (courtesy of our trip to REI). Delicious! Dessert? Chocolate
covered pecans (also from REI).
The bathrooms at the campground are a luxury compared to those
at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite, or even those at Lassen. Not
only are the bathrooms relatively clean and lighted -- they're
even heated! Such luxury!
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