Enumclaw and Mt. Rainier

We stopped in Enumclaw, beautiful horse country about an hour southeast of Seattle, to visit Anita's ex-husband Steve and his wife Nina.

The animal greeters included Domino, a sweet elderly black lab ...

and Hugo, who was, well, HUGE! A German Shepard/Rottweiler mix, sweet, smart and about 150 lbs.  In order to keep the fur from flying over territory issues we kept our boys separated from Hugo. 

Steve and Nina live in a rambling country home filled with light and views of the land.

The inside activities were carefully monitor by a pair of Jack Russell Terriers, Sophina and Max.

 
We had a nice time reconnecting, and relaxing and even had a campfire in the cool evening.

We spent the afternoon driving to Chinook Pass to see Mt. Rainier close up.

We stopped for lunch and a walk around Tipsoo Lake, a lovely sub alpine lake reflecting Mt. Rainier and the fall colors.

This is a photo of picnickers in 1927 in the meadow where we had lunch at Tipsoo Lake. 

Minter Gardens

Harrison Hot Springs is located at the end of the Fraser Valley, fertile with lush agriculture, dairy farming, and Hazelnut orchards. We stopped to sample the local nuts.

A short distance over the Fraser River is Minter Gardens. Smaller than Buchart Gardens on Vancouver Island it is a sensual delight.  A series of ponds connected with streams of water cascading in and out of fantastic floral displays. 

This was a lovely pavilion to view the sweeping landscape through a wall of water. 

Alexandra Bridge and Othello Tunnels

Ernie and Irene took us to the Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park. There is a beautiful foot bridge over the Fraser River. 

We stopped for lunch in the small town of Hope. A short drive brought us to the Othello Tunnels, a series of old railway tunnels and bridges that go through the Coquihalla Gorge. This is a truly awe inspiring sight. As you enter the enormous tunnels the darkness swallows you and just as you begin to feel a loss of equilibrium the light appears in the distance.  The tunnels open onto wooden bridges where you see the river below rushing through the canyon creating beautiful pools and sculpting rocks.   

We stopped on the way back to Harrison Hot Springs at this small jewel of a lake.

Ernie's Forest Faces

Ernie is a multi-talented artist whose latest medium is clay. He has festooned the Hundred Acre Woods with tree faces. There is a magical path through deep, dark woods filled with spirits. Around every corner is a surprise.