More from Washington

The activity we were looking forward to the most during our stay was a weekend at Mt. Rainier. We even brought our own camping gear from Utah we were so excited about it. Our high expectations for a wonderful stay in the great outdoors were exceeded. It was a rejuvenating weekend being in such a beautiful place. We left for the park early Thursday morning so we could snag the perfect campsite. We found a great location that would accommodate our larger group.

After getting our tents set up and the gear unloaded, we went for a hike to Pinnacle Peak. It was recommended by one of my dad's friends, so we thought we'd give it a try. It started off at Reflection Lake, which was marvelous itself. The most magnificent part was how close we felt to Mt. Rainier. It is such a gargantuan mountain! We couldn't stop turning around every few minutes to just stare at the majestic peak. The entire hike was about 3 miles and we loved having such a picturesque view without having to hike too far.

The view from Pinnacle Peak was fantastic! On a super clear day you can see the three peaks of Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams. We could see one peak quite clearly, although I'm not positive which one it was! Suffice it to say it was a beautiful sight and we already knew that two days would not be enough time to explore this exquisite place.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending time at our campsite, as well. We did all our cooking courtesy of the fire, which resulted in some adventures. On the dinner menu for the first night we burritos and the can of beans we used almost exploded thanks to the open flame. We had a lot of fun (maybe a little too much fun) cooking up tasty desserts the second night.

It was a lovely first day of setting up camp, exploring the mountainside and sitting around the campfire. We even had some good old-fashion folk music to listen to, courtesy of our neighbors in the adjacent campsite. Our second day was spent in a most majestic setting: Paradise. It is truly one of the most magnificent places, especially with the wildflowers in bloom. The High Skyline trail took us six miles around the base of the monumental mountain, which was just amazing. We traveled through fields of wildflowers, across glaciers, and along rocky paths. 

The Visitor's Center and Lodge were just lovely. We made sure to stop in for a few minutes to enjoy the cozy atmosphere and dream about being there in the wintertime. There is just something so enchanting about cabins and mountain-esque settings.

As we trekked further along the trail, the mountain grew closer and closer. It felt as though we were right next to it, although in reality we were quite far from it. Being there in person made us appreciate how immense this mountain really is. When we see it in the distance from home it doesn't appear to be quite so massive.

As can be seen from Jeff's classic explorer pose, we made it to the top of the trail.

Jeff had a close encounter with a marmot along the path. These little critters are "heavily built, gregarious, burrowing rodent of Eurasia and North America, typically living in mountainous country" and we saw a handful during our explorations. As Jeff approached the burrow, one of the marmots decided to come out and having a staring contest. It was a pretty funny sight, although I was a bit nervous the rodent would charge at any moment.

One of the most spectacular stretches of trail was near the end, as we crossed the golden gate trail. Not many things make me happier than walking through a vast field of wildflowers. I was in heaven.