July 20, 2025 - Driving from Alaska to Maryland
Drive to Paradise, Mount Ranier preview

We spent most of today driving, leaving Hoquiam and Highway 101 and heading east.  We were driving to see the southeast portion of Olympic National Park but saw a sign early on saying the area we were trying to see was closed.  So we continued east towards our destination for tonight:  Paradise, just outside the southwest area of Mount Rainier National Park.

We still had some time when we arrived at our lodging in Ashford late afternoon so we continued up the mountain, entered Rainer NP, and drove to Paradise where the Visitor Center was.

Here, looking down the mountain from a bridge at the Nisqually River.
   
Our first look at Mount Ranier.
   
Heading right for it!
   
We stopped briefly at Longmire where they have a little museum.
   
Face to face with a Mountain Lion.
   
Mount Ranier is a 14,410 footer.
   
 
   
Interesting.
   
Some of the trees up here get pretty big.
   
We left Longmire and entered the park.
   
We continued up the mountain to Paradise which is where the main Visitor Center is and all the trails start from.
   
It was late afternoon so I figured there would be parking available and there was.
   
Looking south from the secondary parking lot.
   
And looking north at big Mount Rainier.  And our car!
   
The main Visitor Center.
   
Inside the Visitor Center which is big and relatively new.
   
Diorama of a climber at Ranier's summit.
   
I take his word for it.
   
A placard naming all the mountains to the south which are in the 6,000-7,000 foot range.
   
Some of the mountains in Tatoosh range to the south.
   
The all important Trail Map.
   
A neat 3-D map of Mount Rainier showing the Paradise area at bottom left.
   
 
   
Lynnette and I decided to hike the short and easy Nisqually Vista trail.  It was an excellent choice.
   
 
   
The wildflower meadows were stunning.
   
A babbling brook through tree stands.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
We arrived at this overlook and saw Nisqually Glacier, part of Mount Ranier.
   
 
   
Wow.  What can you say?
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
There is even a little snow left.
   
Close-up of one of the wildflowers.
   
What a great hike!
   
A good look at the Tatoosh Range to the south.
   
Back down the mountain in Ashford, we decided to eat Himalayan at the Wildberry Restaurant.
   
The food was hot and good.  I had the Sherpa Stew.
 
This exhibit was in the corner of the restaurant.  It turns out the restaurant owner, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, is a world-class mountaineer who has ascended Mount Everest 15 times, and set the world speed record for doing so!
   
You need proof, here is proof.
   
More proof.  So this older guy working at the restaurant -- maybe not as old as us -- walked by and Lynnette asked him if he was the guy.  He was.  She asked him if he had climbed Mount Rainer.  He sort of snorted and said, "Yes, 95 times".
   
A short distance from the Wildberry Restaurant was our lodging:  the Mountain Meadows Inn Bed and Breakfast.
   
The B&B.
   

I think the B&B had two or three rooms with access to the common family room and kitchen.  It was very nice.
   
There was a hot tube over to the right in that grove of trees.
 
We got a good nights sleep which was good because tomorrow would be a strenuous day of hiking.
   
 
   
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