Day Ten: Have you Seen Mount Rainier?

Since Nic had to be to work relatively early Monday morning, we loaded up and said our goodbyes just as the sun was rising. Today we would begin our westward voyage, but first we made plans for a drive to Mount Rainier. Mt. Rainier is a National Park which offers two scenic driving options, one of which takes you by views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Saint Helens. Since it is only an hour and a half drive south from Seattle, we decided the extra time would be worth it.

As we took off towards the Mountains, Rainier loomed in front of us. From the highway, this is the image that we saw. (photo compliments of: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Rainier/images.html)

This is what we saw once we got closer.

The infamous Seattle rain had caught up with us at last. Realizing that the view would leave much to be desired, we decided to abort our climb of Mt. Rainier and returned to the highway.

Setting our sites on Montana, we set the compass to east. One of the first signs that we were out of the states was the change in road signs. It appears that Washington State is very proud of their name sake. The state roads are marked not by the shape of a shield, but by a silhouette of good old George himself. Once we not longer noticed George smiling down on us, we knew that we must have made it into Idaho once more and would soon be entering Montana.

Another sign was the change in local fare. We eventually stopped seeing fruit stands with fresh Washington cherries, and soon noticed that everything from soap to milkshakes was being flavored by huckleberries instead.

Heading north in Montana, we traveled some local roads which weaved us through the mountains following a deep blue stream. We were passing small towns and plenty of ranches and then rounded the corner to find Flathead Lake. The rich blue of the sky reflected in its surface made the water seem as though it would go on forever. The lake sat smooth and clean with only the occasional sailboat dotting its surface.

We traced the rim of the lake for at least 20 miles and then began looking for the town we would be camping in.

The KOA in Whitefish, MT has by far offered us the most for our money. A night comes complete with free games (horseshoes, golf, etc.), free bike rentals, use of indoor pool/water park, spa, and they even have their own petting zoo. Add to this a complimentary breakfast in the morning, and it equals a great deal.