So here I am coming to you not so live but well the evening of day 1 of my latest adventure. I am in Ashford, WA about an hour and half south of Seattle.
"Wait Seattle? That is the West Coast? How? What?Why? When? "
Yes yes all the questions. Thanks to my wonderful employers, Capital One. What's in your wallet? I was sent out here to a wonderful conference done by the ACFE. I could bore you with that stuff but we know that is not why you are here. Sadly I forgot to bring Nate and my Porg. This saddens me. But nothing an be done about it now. True solo adventure it will be.
After the conference ended it was uber to the airport and pick up a rental car. Todays choices were slim. There was this giant red Toyota that screamed GIVE ME YOUR MONEY I WILL EAT ALL OF THE GAS! or a nice little black Chevy Blazer. Neither were my baby back home but what could I do. Blazer it was.
So todays actual plan was to head south get some food and check into my AirBnb Frey Family Farm. Well as everyone should know by now things always change either my chance or some wild notion I get.
Made it to lovely Elbe Tavern. I chose this place because it is no way catering to tourists. They find it I am sure but this is where locals go and it was just right. A big ol burger and fries. They even put my order in before the table of six that came in before me. Love them!
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Elbe Tavern
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Dinner down went and checked in to the way cute Frey Farm Air BNB. Met the Frey's daughter Emily as apparently they had not gotten to finishing up my bed because of other projects. This being a family farm and seeing that they were busy with people getting their produce I was not mad in the slightest. Was a bit alarmed I might have been walking in on someone else. But all was taken care of and they were all super awesome. It was super cute and I loved it.
Then well I was like what should I do .. . six miles to Mt Rainier National Park. Heck yeah lets go!
So off to the windy cold roads of the park I went. SO WORTH IT. First stop was Trail of the Shadows. A small less than a mile hike that wanders through beautiful Longmire Meadow with Rampart Ridge in the background. After wandering through and taking pictures I noticed something off about the pictures. I had left my UV filter on and it was overcast so they all looked bleh. Oh well. I fixed it and onward and upward.
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| Longmire Meadow |
Quick history lesson. The Longmire's were the first family to settle the area around Mount Rainier. Stumbling across the meadow in the late 1800s, the area around the meadow became James Longmire's homestead. The Longmire family later developed lodging and a mineral springs resort.
Found the trailhead for my hike on Thursday and continued along. Saw beautiful Christine Falls.
The drive all the way up Paradise Road even in the very overcast skies was really nice. And I even made a few friends up at the top.
It was a great first day and unexpected at that. I had been becoming a bit worried about this trip but now I feel like things are going to be a lot of fun.
Washington State, Mt Rainer National Park 127 miles
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