Acting Like Tourists at Northwest Trek - Saturday Snapshots

Last week I posted photos of our day trip to Mount Rainier during a visit from out-of-state guests. While they were here, we went to several other nearby attractions, including Northwest Trek Animal Park near Eatonville, Washington, which I'm featuring today. 

I'd never been to an animal safari park and wasn't too sure what to expect, but this experience was delightful. Covered trams transported us through beautiful landscapes with a guide telling us about the animals and terrain, as well as the park's history. We also took advantage of walking paths that wind through the grounds, providing views of animals in naturalistic settings (including grizzly bears and wolves in huge areas surrounded by 12-foot fences.) Our group ranged in age from an 8-year-old to senior citizens, and we all had a good time.
(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

An example of the beautiful vistas within the 435-acre park.

A traffic tie-up!

Shedding his winter coat.

Our eight-year-old visitor on one of the walking trails.

This mountain goat waited by the tram, watching the human zoo pass by.

Senior members of our group, enjoying the cool June day, 
beautiful trees, and uncrowded pathways.

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Mount Rainier - Saturday Snapshots

It's always fun to host out-of-town guests, especially when we're having a stretch of mild, sunshiny weather like we had in late May. We get to act like tourists! So when our visitors from Alabama spent a week with us, we took the opportunity to gas up the car, slather on the sunscreen, and head out. Here's a sampling of the beauty we found at Mount Rainier National Park. I hope my husband and I are able to visit the park again in late summer when all the snow is gone and wildflowers cover the hillsides. That's something I haven't seen yet, and it's supposed to be amazing.
I'll post photos from our other adventures in the coming weeks.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

The area in the foreground is a gigantic slab of rock, covered in moss and lichen.
Mount Rainier is snowy white year round.

We took a short path through the woods to
get a look at the water roaring through Box Canyon.

Our young guest from Alabama was delighted by all the snow at Paradise.
So strange to be playing in snow in shirt-sleeve weather.

The Official Mount Rainier National Park Service website says: 

Paradise is famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. When James Longmire's daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed, "Oh, what a paradise!" The park's main visitor center, the new Paradise Jackson Visitor Center, is located in the upper parking area. Paradise is also the prime winter-use area in the park, receiving on average 641 inches (53.4 feet/16.3 meters) of snow a year.

The people on the right-hand side of the photo should give some
scale to the depth of this overlook above Narada Falls.

The Paradise Inn has been renovated, but
it still retains its historic beauty.

Link HERE for mountain webcams and more information.

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, 

click HERE or on the box below.