One of the great things about being retired is that you can schedule your activities around the weather, if you choose to. We have wanted to take a trip up to Sunrise on Mount Rainier. A couple of years ago, when we were living in Olympia, we did a Harley ride up to Paradise, which is on the other side of the mountain. We wanted to do this trip on the Harley too, so we needed some good riding weather to make it fun. Tuesday of this week was predicted to be sunny and warm, so we set our sights on that day for the trip.
The weatherman was right because Tuesday morning was warm and the sun was shining. We headed out with minimal leathers, and we should have put on some sunscreen. Once we cleared through Enumclaw, the traffic melted away and the roads were open. The views were scenic all the way up the mountain, and we stopped at a few great places along the way and shot pictures.
Once we reached the Sunrise Center, we changed into hiking shoes and did a little scouting around, and then had lunch at the snack bar. Even though the views were spectacular at Sunrise, Rainier is most impressive from a distance when you really get a sense of how much taller it is than anything around it. As I look at the photos now, none to justice to the breathtaking views. This is definitely a place you need to see for yourself.
Claire’s view from the back seat.
Panoramic view from Sunrise Point.
So many great places to stop and take in the scenery.
Made it to the stop (at least as far as the road goes.) You have to go on foot from here.
A little hiking…
Claire’s ready to get back on the road!
Randy & Claire's Northern Michigan 