A Night at The National Park Inn at Mt. Rainier

We recently took a road trip starting in Tucson, Arizona and ending in Seattle, Washington. We endured every type of climate, from desert to snow to rain! We were constantly on the go which, sometimes caused us to be exhausted and longing for some relaxation! It was an amazing journey and we were able to see so much! However, it was one of those vacations that when all is said and done, you need a vacation FROM your vacation!! I will have to say, out of every place we laid our heads at night, from a motel in downtown San Francisco to car sleeping at a campground in the redwoods, The National Park Inn at Mt. Rainier National Park was by far my favorite!

We started our 8 hour journey from Redwoods National Park to The National Park Inn. When we had originally planned our trip, we had miscalculated and hadn’t realized we still had an 8 hour drive to get to Mt. Rainier! That was an unpleasant surprise but, thanks to my amazing husband/professional driver, we made it happen! We decided to leave the redwoods a night early instead of waiting until the morning to begin our drive! We drove a for a couple of hours then, ended up stopping at a little motel in Coos Bay, along the Oregon Coast. We didn’t want to miss the beautiful drive along highway 101!

We woke up the next morning and had a few setbacks! We tried to take our time along the coast! We enjoyed the beautiful drive and stopped a few times to walk around and take pictures! We ate dinner right outside of Portland and then headed towards Mt. Rainer just as it was just getting dark! Once we were into the Mountains we lost all cell service. We were close to where we needed to be but, not quite! We drove around aimlessly for a little while until, we finally came to the entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. The gates were open. We were a little unsure about driving in but, we grabbed a map and located the National Park Inn. We followed the dark, rainy, winding road into the park. After a little while, we arrived at our destination, National Park Inn.

We were so grateful that there was someone waiting for us when we got there. He was kind and efficient. We chatted with him for a few minutes and, the next thing we know we are asleep in our small but, quaint and cozy room!

The room had a sink with a mirror, a dresser, a coffeemaker, plenty of pillows and warm blankets, towels, two big, white, fluffy bathrobes and slippers to wear to and from the shower. The shower was located right across the hall from our room. There were men’s and women’s restrooms right around the corner as well. Everything was very clean and nice!

We slept in the next morning and took our time getting around. We took turns taking showers and enjoyed a slow, quiet morning. The National Park Inn does not have wifi, cell service or television so, it is a great time to unwind, relax and unplug! We dressed for the day and headed downstairs to eat breakfast! Again, they were waiting for us when we arrived downstairs! Since, we stayed during off season, there was only one other guest there besides us! We told the woman at the front desk that we had gotten in late and decided to sleep in. She was very understanding and accommodating and allowed us to have a late check-out.

The breakfast was amazing! We had the entire dining room to ourselves and one on one service! Our waitress was very personable and on top of everything! We were able to have some great conversations with her! The coffee was hot, fresh and delicious! I ordered the Garden Veggie Omelet and Mason ordered the Meat Lovers Omelet! The Eggs were cage free and fluffy as can be! Palace also got her own meal, which was great! She ate like a little queen!

After our bellies were full with some of the most delicious breakfast food I’d had in a while, we walked out the front door onto a big porch with lots of wooden rocking chairs (and warm, cozy blankets to cuddle with, upon request) and a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier! Then, we walked a few more steps to the gift shop. We had received a 10% off coupon with our stay so, we picked out a patch, some stickers, a walking stick tag, a few snacks and a new mug for a discounted price. We walked a few more steps until we arrived at a little museum where we talked with a Park Ranger and stamped our National Parks passport! From there, we were only a few feet away from the entrance to Wonderland Trail, a 93 mile trail that circles the base of Mt. Rainer. We hiked about two and half miles of the trail. I can see why it is called WONDERLAND Trail! It really is a wonderland! Its green and lush and healthy and beautiful!

Just as we had finished up our hike, it began to rain and then hail! We said goodbye and headed out! We were sad to leave and wished we could have stayed longer but, we were excited for our final stop, Seattle! We followed the winding road back out of the park but, not without a little stop along the way! We pulled over to what has to be, one of my favorite views from our entire trip!