Thursday, July 24 Mount Ranier, Tacoma Glass

 Thursday,  July 24

Fifty degrees this morning at 7 AM.    Breakfast is egg sandwiches and oranges  and we head towards Mount Rainier.  Everything is quiet and beautiful.

Huge trees, cool clean air, dark dense forests and Mount Rainier reigning over all.  What a beautiful morning!  We are given a map with highlights at the entrance booth and follow it for the most part.

We stop at Nickel Creek and the Box Canyon of the Cowlitz which is so narrow and deep at 115' that it is hidden in shade for the most part. 

Another tunnel.

Stevens Creek and Sunbeam Creek and walks in the woods.   Wish we could bottle this air to take back to Houston!  A plaque at one stop reads simply "Inspire to Preserve".

 Lots of pretty flowers as we go higher...

We do a short hike to Narada Falls which is 168' high and hides a small rainbow, then along the stream that feeds it.

  

Mount Rainier towers at 14,410' and is topped with snow.  It is large enough to create its own weather, influencing cloud formation and subsequent storms and precipitation. The bright blue sky, dark green evergreens and white mountain paint a gorgeous picture.  

By 11:00 things become crowded and we skip the last few stops.  The entry line when we leave is crazy long like it was at Glacier. This really isn't the ideal time to visit the places we are going, but dictated by circumstances.  But mornings and evenings are quiet and delightful.

We head a little north and west to visit the Museum of Glass in the city of Tacoma.  Six lane traffic seems horrible after enjoying quieter country roads for so long....  There is a marina behind the museum, which is on the edge of Puget Sound.

The first thing we visit is the "Hot Shop" where a few folks are heating and shaping a large glass vase.  Someone explains a bit about what they are doing.  They have regular artists who work here, but the facility is also open to craftsmen who can apply to use the facilities.

Lots of gorgeous works on display. 

Glass Flowers inside glass

Of course we love the brilliant Chihuly works!

As well as a gallery of works designed by children and executed by staff.  

We chat with a few women at the ticket/information counter while trying to determine a safe area to find a hotel. Tacoma is at the southern end of Puget Sound and places on the water are very pricey; and we don't want to go north towards Seattle since our next destination is Olympic National Park - in the opposite direction.  So we opt to continue on to Olympia and find a hotel near their airport.  Spark, a new line by Hilton, turns out to be just fine. We do a load of laundry and cobble together dinner from the Trek, as there is nothing conveniently close.  Good nights sleep!