I never thought I’d see this place so many times, but every since 2005 (my first visit/drive here), I keep returning and being shown more and better of it.
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Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Main Images (Images Begin)
- Sea-Tac
- Mt. Rainier
- Eastern Badlands
- Best Hotels
- Vegan Restaurants and Shops
- Ancient Ruins
- Other Sites
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Introduction:
The biggest of all the volcanoes I’ve hiked up and into was here; Mt. Rainier. It is so big that it dominates much of the northwestern quadrant of this big corner state. After learning about the Mt. St. Helens incident, I am hesitant to ever return, but it was absolutely lovely exploring that cool and snow-capped alpine wilderness. With what little time my team had during this first push, we sure made it count, and I’d wanted to return for years, wondering when it would finally be.
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Phase 2:
During my second visit to this state, I caught up on old times with another fellow warrior turned Blackwater hoss (former Marine gone legal-mercenary for arguably the best company in the world in that field, now called Academi), and was treated to the weeks-long grand-tour of Seattle and all its surrounding areas out for dozens of miles. I even found a micro-rainforest out on its Olympic peninsula. The only hitch was that I’d made sure it was alright to use the spare floor of the dude’s giant house until my flight out, but for some reason that turned into “just 2-3 days” after I was already there; must have been a miscommunication somewhere, and my how those things stir the life-paths, making for the longest and most interesting of treks. Still, that beyond-last-minute total change of shelter plans motivated me to do way more camping and exploring than I would have otherwise, so I oriented to this state like it was going out of style, and I’ll be ready for a return and business anywhere.
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sun12may: Spokane to Pullman has the most beautiful green rolling farm hills to the horizon
Glad I got to see it again
(and S of Pomeroy; both routes into the north of the Umatilla National Forest)
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Phase 3:
The forecast for my third long-term trip to this state includes endless perfect-10 babes; I’ll be staying with them this time, and enjoying all of Sea-Tac’s finest, most likely in several penthouses and other fine estates. The two Asian girls atop the Space Needle who asked me to take their picture come to mind, along with many, many others I spotted that 2nd time. That should free up my mercenary buddies and their families to relax in their houses without my quirky wizard-haired expedition ass lurking around in their basements and greenbelts; win-win. Fifty Shades of Grey was set here, I also note; good signs.
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Main Images:
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Sea-Tac:
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Mt. Rainier:
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Eastern Badlands:
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Best Hotels
Cedarbrook Lodge – Seattle:
Hyatt Regency Bellevue:
Northern Quest Resort & Casino – Airway Heights:
Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue – Seattle:
Skamania Lodge – Stevenson:
Suncadia Resort – Cle Elum:
The Davenport Hotel and Tower – Spokane:
The Edgewater Hotel – Seattle:
The Goodstone Inn & Estate – Middleburg:
The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club, and Spa – Kirkland:
Willows Lodge – Woodinville:
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Vegan Restaurants and Shops:
Floret – near gate A1 in the Seattle airport (for their vegan mushroom French dip sandwich)
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Odd Burger (coming soon)
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more TBA
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Ancient Ruins:
- Boulder Park; 2-story ones Randall Carlson explained got rolled there from other mountain ranges via a mega-flood during a cataclysm
–went there ~2017 in Jeep
–2024 May 12 Sunday morning decided not to go rest of way; rerouted (until I have my chosen teammates and airship, etc.; the means to properly/fully study those ruins) - Mt. Rainier may be another World Tree ruin/stump
more TBA
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Other Sites:
Pataha campground: drive down winding gravel road, turn and continue past creek-edge trailers and cabins, turn into canyon grove, very secluded (thick greenbelt, remote, no homes in line-of-sight), 3 camp/tent spots (or 4, if counting the narrow vehicle trail to the fallen thick trunk), each with a campfire iron ring and picnic table, pre-staged firewood (big pile at the far/back spot), 1 outhouse, mosquitos until fire smoke makes them leave, bats over the pond, frogs croak after nightfall but not all night, rarely anyone there.
Forest Boundary campground: hilltop, flat, wide open, several spots, all with firepit iron ring and picnic table, pre-staged dry pine-needles branches (but not always firewood chopped), horizon/sky views, paved road access, no mosquitos, ATV trails,
and this was where in the Jeep ~2017 I tried to tan but the komorebi was insufficient, so I just had a meal of tomato soup in a paper hotel cup, with Fritos, canned asparagus, and water (and I had it again this time, helping refresh that memory –and soften it; not stressed or sad this time).
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playlist: Foo Fighters are from here