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The Spring Gardens Series: A Look Ahead

by Alan K. Lee

We’ve had a few frosty mornings recently here in western Oregon, but we’ve also had some 60 degree days, the daffodils are blooming, and a few trees and shrubs have started to leaf out. Spring is just around the corner. And that means it will soon be time to visit or revisit some of the many outstanding botanical gardens in the Pacific Northwest. Many of them will be highlighted in the spring gardens series of posts on this site in the next few months.

New posts will be coming on Leach Botanical Garden in southeast Portland, the International Rose Test Garden in Portland’s Washington Park, Deepwoods Garden and Gaiety Hollow Garden in Salem, and possibly a few others, e.g. Shore Acres on the southern Oregon coast and PowellsWood Garden in Tacoma.

And we will have updated posts on many of the other gardens in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, including the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Hulda Klager Lilac Garden in Woodland, Washington, Connie Hansen Garden in Lincoln City, Oregon, and the world famous Butchart Gardens near Victoria, BC.

We’ll also revisit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Hubbard, Oregon, Hoyt Arboretum and the Lan Su Chinese Garden In Portland, as well as the Portland Japanese Garden.

So, if you’re a lover of flowers and gardens, stay tuned for our spring garden series. In the meantime, enjoy the photos above, and those below, taken at the International Rose Test Garden, which will be the first post in the series.

Posted March 6, 2022.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Tacoma Museum District

by Alan K. Lee

The Tacoma Museum District consists of four museums within easy walking distance of each other: the Museum of Glass, the Washington State History Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, and the Children’s Museum of Tacoma. In addition, two other museums, Foss Waterway Seaport, and LeMay – America’s Car Museum, are less than a mile form the four central museums.

“Penumbra In Grey and Amber” by Hanne Enemark and Louis Thompson, Museum of Glass

“Aurora Orange Basket with Night Black Lip Wrap” by Dale Chihuly, Museum of Glass

On a recent trip to Tacoma, my wife and I had an opportunity to visit the Museum District. Our first stop was the Museum of Glass. I love sculpture, be it stone, wood, metal, ceramic, or glass. And I’ve long been a fan of Dale Chihuly’s glass artistry, so I was eager to see the museum’s display of his work, as well as the works of other the artists featured.

Chihuly is a native of Tacoma, and the city is rightfully proud of its most famous son. He is one of the world’s foremost glass artists. His works can be found in museums and galleries around the world. I was a little disappointed that the collection of his work at The Museum of Glass, at least what is on display, is modest. You can see much more of his work at Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass. And the Tacoma Art Museum has a large collection of his works. More on that below.

Outside the Museum of Glass there is much more of Chihuly’s work displayed on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a pedestrian bridge that spans I-705 and connects the Museum of Glass to the Washington State History Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, and the Children’s Museum of Tacoma.

“White Raven” by Preston Singletary, Museum of Glass

“Feather Pulled Through Water” by Preston Singletary, Museum of Glass

The Museum of Glass is not as much about Chihuly as it is about the diversity of Northwest glass artists. There was a large exhibit of works by Native American artist Preston Singletary when we visited. The museum also has a large collection of works by many other glass artists. There was also an interesting display of works designed by children and made at the museum by the Hot Shop Team.

“Untitled” by Clare Belfrage, Museum of Glass

“Untitled” by Michael Fox, Museum of Glass

“Mr. Popcicle” (left), designed by Emily Cooper (age 9) and “Hamburger Cowboy” (right), designed by James Barr (age 7), Museum of Glass

“The Square Shark,” designed by Adelle R. Patton (age 11), Museum of Glass

Hot Shop Team in the Cone, Museum of Glass

Inside the distinctive and massive Cone, you can watch members of the Hot Shop Team at work as they create glass art works. There are also workshops at the museum where you can actually work with the Hot Shop Team to create your own glass art pieces.

After taking in the Museum of Glass, we crossed the Bridge of Glass and made our way to the Tacoma Art Museum. TAM has developed a national reputation in recent years as an outstanding regional mid-sized museum. Its focus is on Northwest artists and Western American art.

“Old Santa Fe” by Tom Lovell (1909-1997), oil on board, Tacoma Art Museum

“Pinons With Cedar” by Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), oil on canvas, Tacoma Art Museum

The majority of TAM’s collection of more than 5000 works of art are by Northwest artists, and the recently added Haub Family Collection makes TAM the premier museum in the Northwest for Western American art.

“Mad Wolf, Blackfeet” by Bi Wei Liang, oil on linen, Tacoma Art Museum

“Georgia On My Mind” by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, oil on canvas, Tacoma Art Museum

The In the Footsteps of My Ancestors exhibit of contemporary works by Native American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was a nice compliment to the more traditional depictions of Native Americans in many of the Haub Family Collection works.

Debora Moore, Arboria exhibit, Tacoma Art Museum

TAM also has a large collection of glass art by Dale Chihuly and other glass artists, much of it donated by the Benaroya family. I particularly liked the Arboria exhibit of works by Debora Moore.

“Raven With Salmonberry” by Marvin Oliver, cast bronze, Tacoma Art Museum

We didn’t have time to visit either the Washington State History Museum or Foss Waterway Seaport on our last trip. We’ll save those for another time. I would have enjoyed the LeMay car museum, but my wife had little or no interest, so we skipped that. And we didn’t have any of the grandkids with us on this trip, so we skipped the Children’s Museum, also. The information below was gathered from the websites of the other museums in the Tacoma Museum District and various other websites.

The Washington State History Museum is owned and operated by the Washington State Historical Society. The Society was founded in 1891, the original museum was dedicated in 1911, and the current museum opened its doors in 1996. In addition to the museum, the society also operates the State History Research Center, and publishes Columbia magazine.

The Children’s Museum of Tacoma is unique in that it does not charge an admission fee. A donation is requested, but not required. Everyone is welcome regardless of their ability to pay. The museum is dedicated to the idea that play is central to children’s learning, and the museum has six “playscapes” that let children explore, play, build, and learn. In addition, the museum sponsors Play To Learn programs for children under six and their adults at more than twenty locations around Pierce County.

Foss Waterway Seaport houses historic maritime exhibits, an education center, the Heritage Boat Shop, and event spaces in the Balfour Dock Building on the Thea Foss Waterway. The Seaport also has docks and floats on the waterway for educational and recreational use. Foss Waterway Seaport is located on Dock Street, a little less than a mile north of the Museum of Glass.

1954 Dodge Carrera Panamerica, LeMay – America’s Car Museum

LeMay – America’s Car Museum is located south of the main group of museums, just west of the Tacoma Dome. During his lifetime, Harold LeMay (1919-2000) of Spanaway, Washington collected more than 3000 cars. At its peak, the LeMay collection was the largest privately owned automotive collection in the world. America’s Car Museum houses some 300 cars from his collection. In addition to the museum, the LeMay Car Show, held on the last Saturday in August each year, offers the public a chance to view more than 1000 vintage cars from the LeMay collection.

If you’re planning to visit more than two of the museums, purchasing a Museum District Pass can save you some money. The pass is available for purchase at any of the six museums and can also be purchased online from the Travel Tacoma website. The pass is good for one visit to each of the six museums and is valid for one year from the date it is first used.

Originally posted June 30, 2019. Most recently updated June 26, 2023.

Photo Notes:

The featured image at the top of this post is a work by Shayna Lieb titled “Dawn” displayed at the Museum of Glass (photo by the author)

The photo of the Washington State History Museum was taken from Wikimedia Commons (credited to “Visitor 7”)

The photo of the the car at LeMay – America’s Car Museum is also from Wikimedia Commons (photo credit to John Lloyd, Concrete, Washington)

The photos of The Children’s Museum and Foss Waterway Seaport are taken from their respective websites (photos not credited)

All other photos © Alan K. Lee

Point Defiance Park, Tacoma

by Alan K. Lee

Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington is a 760 acre urban oasis located on a peninsula jutting into Puget Sound. The park has something for almost everyone – a variety of botanical gardens, old growth temperate rain forest areas, a large salt water beach, an off-leash dog park, 15 miles of hiking and biking trails, an ADA accessible waterfront path, a recreation of Fort Nisqually, a marina, and the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. All together, the park’s attractions draw more than three million visitors every year.

Near the main entrance to the park, there is a Visitor Center that would normally be a good place to begin your visit. But, unfortunately, it is currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, our first stop on our most recent visit was the Rhododendron Garden. Resembling a natural old growth forest more than a formal garden, the trails through the garden are quiet and peaceful, and in the spring and early summer, when the rhodies are in full bloom, this is probably the most beautiful of the park’s gardens.

Owen Beach is currently closed for reconstruction, but it is normally a popular area of the park. And judging by the size of the parking lot, it’s likely to be a very popular spot on summer weekends. The beach is wide (at least at low tide) and extends for quite a ways along the shore, so it can probably absorb the crowds. On our visit in 2019 it was almost completely deserted, though.

There is a wide, paved, ADA accessible path (the Promenade) connecting the beach with the marina area of the park, and an on-going construction project will further connect the park’s trail system with the Point Ruston Waterwalk, giving unhindered pedestrian and bicycle access to the park from the Tacoma waterfront.

The outer loop of the Five Mile Drive provides numerous waterfront access points with views across Dalco Passage to Vashon Island and across The Narrows to the Gig Harbor area of the Kitsap Peninsula.

The outer loop is closed to vehicular traffic part of the day to give cyclists, runners, and pedestrians access to the northern half of the park free from conflicts with motor vehicles. On our most recent visit it was closed after 2:00 pm, but on our previous visit it was, I believe, closed in the morning. Check the Point Defiance Park website for the current schedule if you plan to visit the park.

Most of the outer loop section of the park is heavily forested. There are miles of trails winding through the forest. It’s beautiful, serene, and it’s not hard to forget that you’re only a few miles from the second largest city in Washington.

The Fort Nisqually reconstruction is a living history museum where volunteers and staff, dressed in period clothing, demonstrate the crafts of the 19th century. This Hudson’s Bay Company trading post was the first non-Native settlement on Puget Sound. The original fort was located in what is now DuPont, Washington. The recreation here was built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration.

The Northwest Native Garden’s emphasis is, as the name suggests, on plants native to the Northwest’s temperate rain forest. There’s a small pond, small streams and waterfalls, a meadow, and rock formations. It’s a relatively small area, and the trails can be walked in fifteen minutes or so, but you’ll want to linger.

On both of our recent visits our final, and longest, stop was at the botanical gardens area near the entrance to the park. Here there is a large pond with a waterfall, an herb garden, a large rose garden, a dahlia garden, and a Japanese garden. We could easily have spent even more time here than we did on either visit. And if you visit the zoo and aquarium, you could spend most of the day just in this section of the park.

Point Defiance Park is one of the largest, and best, city parks in the Pacific Northwest. It is, without question, one of Tacoma’s top attractions.

Originally posted May 19, 2019. Updated and re-posted November 16, 2021

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Stehekin and Lake Chelan

by Alan K. Lee

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of a week-long visit to Lake Chelan and the small community of Stehekin in central Washington.

Lake Chelan is a fjord-like body of water, fifty miles long and no more than two miles wide at any point. It is also one of the deepest lakes in the United States, with a maximum depth of 1486 feet. Only Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe in the U.S.are deeper. The upper end of the lake is part of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, which borders North Cascades National Park.

The Lake Chelan Basin was formed by two glaciers during the last ice age, an alpine glacier that came down the valley from the North Cascades, and a lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet that later came up the valley from the east. The terminal morraine of the Cordilleran glacier, at what is known as The Narrows, forms the narrowest and shallowest part of the lake.

The town of Chelan, 170 miles east of Seattle and 160 miles west of Spokane, lies at the lower, eastern end of the lake, and is the jumping off spot for exploring the lake. While Chelan offers a lot for the visitor to enjoy, we spent only one night there before heading up the lake. We stayed at the Riverwalk Inn, a 13 room hotel across the street from Riverwalk Park that has been in operation since 1918. There is also a café on the property, but, unfortunately, it was closed when we were there.

While I can recommend the Riverwalk Inn, Chelan has a wide variety of other lodging options, from rustic cabins to full service hotels. Chelan also has a variety of places to eat and drink. If you’re a fan of craft beers, you’ll want to check out Stormy Mountain Brewery. While the service was somewhat lacking, the beer selection and quality were both good and the pulled pork nachos we had were superb.

The lower end of the Lake Chelan is easily accessible and can be explored by car. From Chelan, the South Lakeshore Road goes as far as Twenty-five Mile Creek State Park, twenty miles from Chelan. On the north shore, you can drive as far as Green Point, about ten miles from Chelan. Beyond those two points, though, there are no roads along either shore of the lake, and no access to the lake by road. The only way to explore the majority of the lake is by boat.

Between Twenty-five Mile Creek State Park and Stehekin the surrounding mountains drop steeply to the shore. The only structures you will see are a few isolated cabins along the shore and a small group of cabins at Lucerne.

Stehekin lies near the upper end of the lake, surrounded by the peaks of the North Cascades. It is a strikingly beautiful and totally unique place. What sets Stehekin apart from almost all other communities in the Pacific Northwest is that you cannot get there by car. The only road out of Stehekin dead ends in North Cascades National Park. You have to come by boat, float plane, or on foot. The Stehekin area has fewer than 100 year round residents, but, despite its isolation, bustles with tourists, summer residents, Pacific Crest Trail through-hikers, and seasonal workers from spring through fall.

Getting to Stehekin from Chelan requires some advance planning. If you don’t have a boat of your own, you can rent one in Chelan, but most visitors to Stehekin come by passenger ferry. Lake Chelan Boat Company (better known as Lady of the Lake) operates three ferries that run from Chelan to Stehekin. Another option is the Stehekin Ferry, which runs from Fields Point Landing (about 17 miles from Chelan on the south shore of the lake) to Stehekin. In the summer months, demand is high and tickets sell out well in advance. Reservations need to be several months before your planned visit.

You can do a day tour from Chelan to Stehekin and back via ferry, and many visitors to Stehekin are day trippers. But the length of the ferry ride (from an hour and a half to four hours each way, depending on which ferry) limits the amount of time you have to explore the area. Many people, my wife and I included, prefer to spend multiple days in Stehekin, but lodging options are limited and also require some advance planning.

North Cascades Lodge (photo from lodge website)

North Cascades Lodge in Stehekin is located at the ferry landing. It’s the most convenient and has by far the most rooms available. The only other lodging options are private cabin rentals, the Stehekin Valley Ranch, ten miles up the valley from the ferry landing, and a few primitive campgrounds. Lodging reservations must also be made well in advance, and must be coordinated with your ferry reservations.

We have stayed at North Cascades Lodge several times. You can rent a room (some with fireplaces) with a private bath, a cabin with a small kitchen, or an entire lakefront house that sleeps as many as 12. Our room was fairly basic, but comfortable and large enough to serve our needs well. The lodge also has a store and a full service restaurant, one of the few dining options in Stehekin. Stehekin Valley Ranch also has a dining room (reservations required), and you can get breakfasts and lunches at Stehekin Valley Pastry Company (aka The Bakery), located a couple of miles from the ferry landing. The only other dining option is renting a cabin with a kitchen and cooking your own meals.

A few people arrive in Stehekin by float plane. A surprising number arrive on foot, many of them Pacific Crest Trail through-hikers. The PCT crosses the Stehekin River at High Bridge about ten miles up the valley from the head of the lake. The National Park Service operates a shuttle bus (called the Red Bus for obvious reasons) between Stehekin and High Bridge. There is also a post office in Stehekin where through-hikers can send supplies for the final leg of their hike to the Canadian border and the end of their journey. And a few backpackers make it to Stehekin via the 23 mile hike over Cascade Pass from the west side of the Cascades.

Stehekin is one of the most isolated communities in the country. Not only is there no road access, there’s no cell phone service and only very limited wi-fi. But that’s part of its appeal. Turn off your phone. Forget about TV. The sheer beauty of the place and its proximity to North Cascades National Park and Glacier Peak Wilderness, as well as the PCT, make it an ideal destination for the outdoor oriented traveler. And there are plenty of things to keep you entertained while there.

A National Park visitor center is located near the ferry terminal and would be a good starting point for your exploration of the area. However, when we were there in August it was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just uphill from the North Cascades Lodge, adjacent to the visitor center, there is a craft shop, The House That Jack Built, that displays and sells souvenirs, hand crafted gifts, and artwork created by local artisans. It’s small, but worth checking out.

You can rent bikes (or bring your own) and ride the road up the valley to The Bakery (a must stop), 320 foot high Rainbow Falls, The Garden, an organic produce farm, the Old Stehekin School (now a free museum), or all the way to High Bridge. The Red Bus also makes daily runs to the bakery, Rainbow Falls, and High Bridge. You can even rent ATVs and explore the valley that way (no off-roading, though).

You can rent kayaks or an electric boat at Stehekin to explore the lake, and there are a number of hiking options, from short loop trails in the Stehekin area to longer outings along the shore of the lake or from the Rainbow Falls and High Bridge areas. Or you can just relax in Stehekin and enjoy the view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

On our recent outing we rented bikes and rode to the Bakery and Rainbow Falls one morning. That is a very easy ride on a paved road. We also stopped at The Garden and the Old Stehekin School. Above Harlequin Bridge the road is gravel and a little more challenging, although on a previous visit we rode all the way to High Bridge and back.

The next day we rode the Red Bus to High Bridge in the morning to hike and photograph the upper end of the valley, and returned on the Red Bus that afternoon. There are several worthwhile hikes starting at High Bridge. The 5.5 mile out and back Agnes Gorge Trail leads to a 200 foot deep canyon and a very scenic section of Agnes Creek in Glacier Peak Wilderness. You can also do the 3.3 mile out and back hike from High Bridge to Howard Lake on the PCT. It’s also possible to do a longer loop that takes you past Howard Lake and returns to High Bridge along the Stehekin River. Or you can hike a portion of the PCT that follows Agnes Creek. High Bridge is also the starting point for the 16 mile roundtrip to the summit of McGregor Mountain, more than 6500 vertical feet above High Bridge – more than a bit beyond my capabilities at this point, I’m afraid.

We had planned to get out on the lake on our final day in Stehekin, but it was very windy that day, so we spent the day reading and relaxing at the lodge instead. No problem, though. The beauty and uniqueness of the Stehekin area make it a wonderful place even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. It’s one of my favorite places in the Northwest to visit despite (or maybe because of) the isolation and the difficulty in getting there. The only reason that we haven’t visited more often is that there are so many other wonderful places in the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) to explore.

Posted September 30, 2021

All photos © Alan K. Lee, except as noted

Mount Rainier

By Alan K. Lee

One of the benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest is that you have incredible places like Mount Rainier National Park almost in your back yard. Mount Rainier is close enough to both Seattle and Portland that it’s possible to visit the mountain as a day trip, which many people do. But Rainier is so large, and there is so much to explore, that you can’t even begin to experience all it has to offer in a day, or even a week.

My wife and I have vacationed in Mount Rainier National Park a number of times over the years. Our favorite part of the park is the aptly named Paradise area, located on the south slope of the mountain at an elevation of 5400 feet, 9000 feet below the summit. The name Paradise was bestowed on the area by Martha Longmire, one of the early developers of tourist facilities in the area, more than a century ago. But appreciation for the beauty of this spot goes back much farther. Native Americans frequented the area long before it was discovered by white settlers, and they apparently appreciated its beauty just as much. Their name for the area, Saghalie Illahe, translates to Heavenly Place or Land of Peace.

Paradise is the most visited section of Mount Rainier National Park for good reason. Subalpine meadows abound with lupine, paintbrush, and dozens of other wildflowers. Small streams and waterfalls course down the mountain. There are many trails in the area that offer spectacular views of the Tatoosh Range to the south, and, of course, of Rainier itself.

Summer weekends are usually very, very crowded. There may be long lines at the Nisqually Entrance to the park, and you’re unlikely to find a parking spot anywhere close to the Jackson Visitor Center or Paradise Inn after mid-morning. Even if you get there early, you’ll still be elbow to elbow with other visitors. If you can visit during the week, I’d highly recommend doing so, and even then I would recommend getting there as early in the day as possible. But even if you can only visit on a summer weekend, Paradise is such an incredible place to see that it’s worth putting up with the crowds, provided that you can actually find a place to park. If you can’t, though, there are many other places in the park worth visiting.

The popularity of Paradise has certainly impacted the area. The meadows above Paradise Inn are crisscrossed with trails, many of them paved, and the sheer number of people using them can’t help but have a negative effect on the quality of the area in terms of wildlife habitat. But even close to Paradise Inn and the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, you are almost certain to see wildlife such as hoary marmots and golden-mantled ground squirrels.

Yellow-pine chipmunks are also frequently seen in the meadows. Black-tailed deer are abundant in the area and may be seen even close to the visitor facilities. Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers are frequently seen in the area, and more than sixty other species of birds are known to inhabit the subalpine areas of Mount Rainier, almost fifty of which nest in the park.

On the trails above Paradise, you are likely to see other wildlife. Look for mountain goats on the slopes above you. Black bears, elk, coyotes, bobcats, and cougars also frequent the area. Look (and listen) for pikas on talus slopes.

Hiking opportunities are abundant in the Paradise area. The Falcon Guide, Hiking Mount Rainier National Park, is a good resource. On our most recent trip (in August 2021) we spent five days in Paradise and did at least one hike every day.

The highlights of the trip were the two hikes we did on the Skyline Trail. The first was the four mile out and back hike to Panorama Point. The second was the roughly four mile Skyline-Golden Gate loop. Both are listed as “moderate” hikes, but both have significant elevation gains (1700′ and 1400′ respectively). We did both hikes early in the day during the week, but we were far from the only ones on the trail, especially on the hike to Panorama Point. But the area above Paradise is so incredibly scenic that the crowds didn’t diminish the experience much.

There are also plenty of easy hikes in the Paradise area for people who don’t want to (or aren’t able to) hike to the higher areas on the mountain. Myrtle Falls, for example, is an easy one mile round trip hike from Paradise Inn.

On our last few visits, we have stayed at Paradise Inn. It is one of the grand lodges of the Northwest, on a par with Crater Lake Lodge, Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, and Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park. It’s worth visiting, even if you’re not staying there. It’s an amazing structure.

Paradise Inn was constructed in 1915-16 opened July 1, 1917. The attached Annex was completed three years later. The combined structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Close to Paradise Inn, the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, named after long-time U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson, offers general information, exhibits, a park film, guided ranger programs, a book/gift store and a cafeteria. Unfortunately, all visitor centers in the park are currently closed due to the ongoing pandemic.

Accommodations in the area are somewhat limited. Paradise Inn has 121 rooms, 42 in the main lodge and 79 in the attached Annex. The National Park Inn in Longmire has 25 rooms. Reservations for both can be made through Mount Rainier Guest Services, 360-569-2275. Information on accommodations outside of the park can be obtained from the Mount Rainier Visitor Association . All reservations should be made well in advance.

There are two large campgrounds in the southern part of Mount Rainier National Park. Cougar Rock Campground, between Longmire and Paradise, has 173 individual sites and five group camp areas. Ohanapecosh Campground, in the southeast part of the park near the Stevens Canyon Entrance, has 188 individual sites and two group camp areas. Both have RV sites that can accommodate up to 27 foot trailers and 32 foot motor homes (35 foot at Cougar Rock), but there are no hookups. Both do have dump stations. Reservations can be made through the Mount Rainier National Park website.

Both Paradise Inn and the National Park Inn have full service restaurants, but both were operating on a reduced scale due to the pandemic when we were there in August. The National Park Inn dining room was closed, but take out meals could be ordered and picked up at the reception desk in the lobby. The dining room at Paradise Inn was open for dinner only for most of our visit, but closed (unexpectedly) for the season on our last day there. Paradise Inn also has a limited service cafe, and there is a cafeteria at the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center that is open daily during the summer season and on most weekends and holidays in the winter (depending on road conditions). The National Park Inn restaurant is open year round.

There is far more to Mount Rainier National Park than just the Paradise, of course. Below Paradise, the Reflection Lakes along the highway offer beautiful views of Mount Rainier.

The nearby Snow Lake Trail is an easy and worthwhile hike. To the east, the Stevens Canyon area has a number of interesting areas, including Box Canyon, a 180 foot deep slot canyon, and a number of roadside waterfalls.

The Longmire area has some interesting history, a museum, nice hiking trails, and the National Park Inn offers both lodging and dining options for the visitor. The road to Longmire is also plowed in the winter, so it’s a year round destination. (The road from Longmire to Paradise is open in winter when the weather allows.)

In the Ohanapecosh area in the southeastern corner of the park, the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail is a good family friendly outing. And the nearby Silver Falls Trail is a must for waterfall lovers. In the northeastern section of the park, the Sunrise area offers beautiful views of the eastern side of the mountain and has an abundance of hiking trails.

You could probably spend an entire summer in Mount Rainier National Park and not see it all.

Originally posted July 10, 2018. Updated and re-posted September 18, 2021.

Seattle Center and the Space Needle

by Alan K. Lee

I remember going to the Seattle World’s Fair as a ten year old kid and seeing the Space Needle for the first time. That was pretty cool. At that age I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up (never happened), so the U.S. Science Pavilion was also a highlight for me. I remember seeing the Mercury space capsule that Alan Shepherd rode into space. That was pretty cool, too. So was riding the Monorail. But what I remember most vividly was putting a few coins into a vending machine and having a ready to eat hamburger pop out. A hamburger vending machine. That was the coolest thing ever.

Today, the Seattle Center occupies the site of the 1962 World’s Fair. While most of the buildings constructed for the Fair were torn down after it closed, some of the buildings were re-purposed and remain today. The United States Science Pavilion became the Pacific Science Center, and the Washington State Coliseum that housed the World of Century 21 exhibit became Key Arena, one-time home of the Seattle Super Sonics NBA team. The Monorail and the International Fountain are still in operation, and, of course, the Space Needle remains Seattle’s most iconic landmark and draws people from all over the world to the Seattle Center.

The 605 foot tall Space Needle underwent a major renovation a few years ago. There is now an open air, glass walled observation deck, and a revolving glass floored interior space (The Loupe) where you can look straight down to the ground more than 500 feet below your feet. If those are too vertigo inducing for your pleasure, the 360 degree view from inside is still offers an awesome view of Seattle, Elliott Bay, and Puget Sound.

There’s also much more to the Seattle Center than just the Space Needle. The Pacific Science Center has two IMAX theaters, a laser planetarium (the Laser Dome), and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits for kids, families, and school groups. Chihuly Garden and Glass features hundreds of glass art sculptures by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP Museum and, before that, the Experience Music Project) has a variety of exhibits featuring music, film and video, gaming, and science fiction and fantasy themes. The Seattle Opera and the Seattle Repertory Theater are also located at the Seattle Center, as are the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Seattle Children’s Theater.

Space Needle viewed from the International Fountain Gallery

The Space Needle is open daily from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. Adult ticket prices are $37.50, with discounts for early entry (before 11:00 am), seniors, and children.

Chihuly Garden and Glass is is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday. Adult admission is $35, with discounts for seniors, children, King County residents, and early entry (before 11:00 am).

The Museum of Pop Culture is open daily (10:00-6:00 weekdays and 9:00-6:00 weekends). Adult admission ranges from $27.00 to $32.50 depending on day of week and time of day.

A combination ticket for both the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass is available for $62.50 (adult admission). And the Seattle CityPass Card includes admission to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Chihuly Garden and Glass, as well as several other attractions ($109 adults, $85 youths).

Unfortunately, the Pacific Science Center is currently closed for renovation, and the Seattle Children’s Museum is closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both are scheduled to reopen in 2022.

When it’s time to grab something to eat, you have your choice of any number of restaurants and cafes in the area surrounding the Center. My wife and I usually gravitate to McMennamin’s Queen Anne Pub just to the north, but there are many other options. Toulouse Petit, just northwest of the Center at the corner of Queen Anne and Mercer, brings a bit of the Big Easy to Seattle with their Cajun and Creole menu. A block south on Queen Anne, Dick’s Drive-In is a classic 1950s style drive-in (currently open for take out or delivery only). Just southeast of the Center on Cedar St, the 5 Point Cafe and Bar is a classic American diner that has been in operation since 1929. Across the street, Wa’z Seattle serves modern Japanese cuisine. And next door, Tillicum Place Cafe is a popular and highly rated Euro-style bistro. They’re currently (as of August 2021) operating on limited hours for dine in, so check their website. Many more restaurants, cafes, and pubs dot the areas around the Center. You can probably find whatever cuisine you’re looking for somewhere not too far away.

Downtown Seattle viewed from the Space Needle

If you’re planning to stay in the area, the Maxwell Hotel, Mediterranean Inn, and Hotel Five all get very good reviews. Kimpton Palladian Hotel, Ace Hotel Seattle, Pan Pacific Seattle, and Fairfield Inn and Suites also get good reviews.

Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union

It would not be hard to spend a whole day at the Seattle Center. Or you can make a weekend of it and spend another day at other downtown Seattle attractions. The Olympic Sculpture Garden and Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay are a short walk to the west of the Center. It’s not much farther to the Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union Park to the east. (Timed entry tickets are available online and are recommended, but not required). And Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Seattle Great Wheel are all about a mile to the south, along the Elliot Bay waterfront.

There’s far more to do in downtown Seattle than I can list here, so go explore. Seattle’s a great place to visit and you’ll have a great time. Or ride the ferry across the Sound and explore Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, the Kids Discovery Museum, Steven Fey Photography Gallery, Mora Iced Creamery, Eleven Winery, Blackbird Bakery, Doc’s Marina Grill, and the Harbour Public House are all within walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Building Murals

My wife, Joan, and I are both art lovers as well as enthusiastic travelers. Finding local artworks is always on our agenda. We tour local museums, of course, but we also seek out street art wherever we go. Street art is alive, connected to the community, always interesting, and often surprising. The photos below are a sampling of the building murals that we’ve found on some of our more recent trips around the Pacific Northwest (and beyond), starting with Freak Alley in Boise, Idaho.

Another large collection of building murals can be found in the small town of Nelson, British Columbia, home of the Nelson International Mural Festival.

The town of Leavenworth, Washington offers a more traditional, sponsored set of building murals that highlight the Bavarian village theme of the town.

Other Northwest towns with significant collections of building murals include Chemainus, British Columbia (aka Muraltown), and Estacada, Oregon.

Farther afield, we recently traveled to Arizona where we spent an afternoon exploring the back streets and alleys of the former copper mining town of Bisbee.

Downtown Phoenix also offered up a large collection of building murals and other street art, as well as abundant sunshine and 85 degree October afternoons.

Art enriches everyone’s life. And public art does so in a much more direct and immediate way than art that is hidden away in a museum. And yes, art saves lives.

Posted by Alan K. Lee, November 11, 2019

All photos by the author