Jeep Rubicon in Mount Rainier National Park

West Coast Road Trip Day Ten: Mount Rainier National Park and Downtown Seattle

Day Ten – June 5th, 2021 11:00 PM Pacific Time

Today was my last full day in Washington and it was peculiar and slightly disappointing. We started the day heading towards Mount Rainier National Park. We entered via the White River Entrance. The Sunrise Road was closed so we left to the Stevens Canyon entrance to sight-see there.

We stopped and took pictures of Falls Creek Falls as well as Ohanapecosh River from a bridge in the rain. The river was a pretty shade of light blue. We drove a little further into the park before deciding to call it quits and head out. The weather was very overcast and foggy, making it impossible to see Mount Rainier. The fog did make for cool photos of the coniferous trees.

Falls Creek Falls in Mount Rainier National Park
Jeep Rubicon in Mount Rainier National Park
Ohanapecosh River's Turquoise Water in Mount Rainier National Park

We stopped at a Safeway and got frozen food to eat in the room before heading into Seattle. I had high hopes for the city based on every internet article I read, but unfortunately I was let down. Many of the shops were boarded up or closed because of the riots in the city. The Arc’Teryx store had security and a busted glass front door. The North Face store had a cop next to the store greeter. Fjallraven had doors boarded that had shattered glass windows. The streets were quiet.

Seattle Space Needle on an overcast day

It had the potential to be an amazing city with its trees lining the streets, modern buildings, outdoor stores, and nearby attractions. Unfortunately, the city has gone by the wayside, at least for now. Pike Place Market near the piers was cool though. Alex and I had a vegan pizza at the Alibi Room in Gum Alley and I had a Pacifico. Tom ordered his own personal pizza and Pacifico as well.

After eating, we walked the pier, Alex and I got Starbucks coffee, and then we went back to the hotel. We had Sharp’s RoastHouse down the road in Sea-Tac for dinner. I ordered fries and a vegan burger.

We start heading back east tomorrow. The goal is to stay in Boise, Idaho another night. I really enjoyed that city the other day when we stayed there so I am looking forward to seeing it one more time. Downtown and Hyde Park had awesome bars and restaurants.

I’m going to lose an hour on the ride tomorrow. We’ll see what the drive brings. Maybe we will hit some new towns and stores along the way.

Stats for 6/5/2021

  • 14,289 total steps
  • 4 flights climbed
  • 7.1 miles total distance
  • 941 calories burned

RTW Note

Thanks for taking the time to check out this post Road Trip Warriors! Remember that when road tripping not every destination is going to live up to what you thought it would be like! Be sure to check out the prior post in the link above on the hike up Mount Storm King in Olympic National Park! Also, if you enjoyed this post or any on the website, be sure to share! Keep on adventuring!

-Ant

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