Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier was stunning with all of it's snow.  This view is my favorite I think from any of the parks we've visited. 

Mt. Rainier, another active volcano, is located about 60 miles south of Seattle and 26 miles from Eatonville, WA where our daughter-in-law, Zia grew up.  She spent a lot of time in the park and her mother worked there.  

Zia showed us some great sites and even went to one she hadn't been to before.  Zia's mother, Judy, passed away in 2015, but her husband Bob had us all over for dinner our first night at Rocky Point Campground in Eatonville.  The dinner was fabulous and we really enjoyed meeting and visiting with Bob.

Shortly after we entered the park we came to Kautz creek.  We took family pictures below and then we read that several years ago the creek had changed course!  News to Zia.

National Park Inn at Longmire Visitor Center was built in 1906.

Across from the Longmire Visitor center was the Shadow Trail.  We walked past the area that held the Longmire Springs Hotel, established in 1890.  Many came to soak in the cedar tubs sunk into the springs.

Iron Mike Springs 

Medical Springs

Beaver work 

The Longmire cabin is the oldest building in the park.

Zia was on the hunt for the "stink cabbage" she remembered.  It did stink!

Huckleberry

Next hike was from Paradise to Myrtle Falls:

Original building.  The upstairs was an apt.

Myrtle Falls

Our last hike at Mount Rainier was the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail.  Here we took a suspension bridge to a loop trail to see 3 and 4 story, 1,000 year old, Douglas Firs and Western Red Cedar trees.  

After we crossed the bridge there were plenty of rocks to toss in the water.

Now we have Mount Rainier Jr. Rangers!

We stopped at Dan Klennert's Ex-Nihilo (in Latin: something created from nothing) Recycled Spirit of Iron Sculpture Park on our way back from Mount Rainier. Dan has sculptures all over the U.S.  Lots to see!  I only wish the gift shop had been open.

Samira started out with a puppet theater.  She and Cyrus went on to create a "cozy spot" under the table.  Great use of little RV space.