Day 33, Friday, July 9. Finding Mount Rainier was easy. We needed easy after our not being able to find Mount Saint Helens. The GPS took us right to one of the entrances to Mount Rainier. During the drive there, we could see the snow covered mountain from miles away and we were in constant-awe of the majestic beauty of this mountain.

Before we get to Mount Rainier National Park, we stop to admire this beautiful lake.

The wild flowers were in full bloom.

Riffe Lake is near Morton. From Google: The city is noted for its scenic setting, mild climate, year-round recreation opportunities and close proximity to Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. Incorporated in 1913, Morton is located in the geographic center of Lewis County, Washington, 32 miles east of I-5 on US Hwy 12 on the White Pass Scenic Byway.

The white dot in the picture is either a hang glider or a parachuter.

From google: At the bottom of the lake lies the small town of Riffe which was sacrificed for the good of all when the lake was formed in 1968 with the construction of Mossyrock Dam, the town was covered with about two hundred feet of water although the deep end of the lake is approximately three hundred and sixty feet deep. The lake was originally named Davisson Lake after a Tacoma utilities director, who had no significance to Lewis County, as you can imagine this was about as popular as a fart in church so after years of petitions and resolutions the name was officially changed in 1976 to honor the small pioneer town that was drown so now it’s known as Riffe Lake.

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A short hour and a half ride has us at the entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Again, our America the Beautiful pass got us free admission to this National Park. For this park, $30 grants you unlimited entry for one vehicle and passengers for seven consecutive days. We saved $30.

Nisqually: Southwest Entrance

We entered through Nisqually, but we did not exit through Nisqually. We have no clue where we exited. Thank goodness for our GPS.

Every time I snapped a picture thinking it was the best picture, the closer we got the better view we had for pictures.

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Paradise is at the end of the road leading to Mount Rainier.

Once you get to Paradise, you see the visitor center/gift store. Parking was limited and the Big Boy Truck, because of it’s fat rear end (dually) is hard to park when parking areas are mostly full. We kept driving. We were on a one way road so we had no clue where this road would take us.

When leaving Paradise, there is a waterfall. The picture on the left is the waterfall on one side of the road. On the other side of the road, you see the rushing water from the waterfall.

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There are several tunnels on the way down the mountain.

Reflection Lake still has snow on the banks. The camera could not capture the reflection of the trees on the lake as well as the naked eye but I was able to capture a little of it.

We drove through a construction area on the way down. We only had to wait a few minutes.

After the fiasco with trying to find Mount Saint Helens, I am one happy camper here at Mount Rainier.

I can’t say the same for Benji. How much longer do I have to be in the Big Boy Truck mom. I want to go back to the 5th wheel and chase my tail.

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God Bless, Stay Safe, Be Kind to All Kinds and enjoy the ride.