The Road to Paradise...

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:43:07 GMT

As I mentioned in my previous post, we wanted to take on something a bit more adventurous than just being downtown tourists. Since moving to Washington, I have really wanted to get up close and personal with Mt. Rainier at the National Park.

If you don't know much about Mt. Rainier, it is a 14,410 ft. active volcano that is one of the main geological fixtures of the Cascade mountain range. It is often considered a sister volcano to Mt. Fuji in Japan as they are very similar in size and composition. I have seen many a television show about the possibilities of Rainier erupting in the not so distant future, so I figured I better get down there and check him out before any cataclysmic events.

So, we took off for Mt. Rainier National Park and I sort of just decided on the fly that we would drive to Paradise, a lookout point in the South end of the park that is at approximately 5,400 ft. above sea level. First of all, the park is huge. If you have a fear of driving on the edge of mountains where the ledge to the left of your car is staring at a 2,000 ft. deep valley, then this might not be the trip for you. By comparison, it is far less scary than the Pike's peak road in Colorado which by the way goes all the way to the top at 14,000 + feet (did that a few years ago).

Overall, the park is gorgeous and I have to thank the politicians of yesteryear for having the foresight to make this into a park. This should never be disturbed unless mother nature decides to do it first. The trees, mountains, meadows, lakes, rivers, and springs are just magnificent. I have posted a bunch of photos in the latest album, but they don't do justice to what you experience when you are there. It was a pretty long day... lot of driving at pretty low speeds on winding roads... but totally worth the trip. My plan is to go back once per season to see what happens during winter, spring, and fall. I imagine next time Christa and Chris and I will take a picnic or something and enjoy just hanging out there. I am certainly glad we could show Mike this incredible work of nature.

Some esoteric history: Scientists believe that Rainier was formed by the underground lava flows in the Cascade Mountains about 500,000 years ago. By contrast, the surrounding mountains in the Cascades are believed to be approximately 12 million years old.

Talking about July 5, 2006 - Day One

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:23:34 GMT

So, I recently realized that my long time friend John has started a space where he will be cataloging his motorcycle adventures across North America. John is a cool guy that taught me a lot about programming until of course, he decided to leave the business and pursue more interesting things in life. This summer, he set about to drive from Colorado to Key West and back via a very scenic route. I think he is due back sometime in September/October and I hope he writes more about his adventure... pics would be nice too. So check out his space, and leave him some comments... Have a safe trip back Mack...

Quote

July 5, 2006 - Day One

The first day of my trip started around 10 in the morning. I headed south in Colorado along a straight 2 lane road number 71. A stretch of highway with nothing but a state prison at either end. There was a strong cross breeze which made my neck hurt as I struggled to keep my helmet facing in the right direction....

Welcome to Bruno's Space: Friends and Adventures

The Road to Paradise...

Talking about July 5, 2006 - Day One