Seattle - Mt Rainier and Olympic National Park
Jun 28th, 2013, 10:12 AM
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Seattle - Mt Rainier and Olympic National Park
Hi All,
I need some help with my plan for Seattle. Its the first time we are visiting Seattle and we plan on visiting Mount Rainier, ONP and Seattle. We are a couple with a 4 year old kid and I am pregnant in my second trimester. Does the below plan look good? Any advice or suggestions?
Our plan:
July 5th - Reach midnight and stay close to SEATAC airport.
July 6th - Drive to Crystal Mountain Resort (1.5 hours) and take the Gondola ride. Stay overnight.
July 7th - Drive to Mt Rainier, via Sunrise entrance and hike Tipsoo Lake, Sunrise Nature Trail, Emmons Vista Overlooks. Drive to Paradise Inn and stay for 3 days. Booked Paradise Inn for 3 nights.already.
July 8th - Hike Myrtle Falls
July 9th - Easy nature trails around Paradise / Longmire .
ONP (Hotel reservations not made)
July 10th - Check out of Paradise Inn and drive to Port Angeles.
Check in. If possible drive towards Hurricane Ridge to see sunset.
July 11th - Go to Hurricane Ridge.1 trek to Cirque Rim and if possible Hurricane Hill. Drive to Granny's Motel (18 miles from Hurricane ridge) and check in for the night.
July 12th - Drive from Granny's cafe and Motel to Crescent Lake. 8 miles(10 mins)
Hike Marymere Falls.
Drive to Sol Duc (21 miles. 50 mins) - Hike Sol Duc waterfalls. Drive 1 hour to Forks,Huckleberry Lodge and stay.
July 13th - Drive from Huckleberry Lodge to HOH Rainforest. 32 miles.
Hall of Mosses. This short easy trail loops through the Hoh Rain Forest. .8 miles, easy.
Drive to Aberdeen and stay for the night. 2 hours 35 mins.
July 14th - Drive towards Seattle 2 hours . Seattle Tour.
July 15th - Tour Seattle and fly back.
I need some help with my plan for Seattle. Its the first time we are visiting Seattle and we plan on visiting Mount Rainier, ONP and Seattle. We are a couple with a 4 year old kid and I am pregnant in my second trimester. Does the below plan look good? Any advice or suggestions?
Our plan:
July 5th - Reach midnight and stay close to SEATAC airport.
July 6th - Drive to Crystal Mountain Resort (1.5 hours) and take the Gondola ride. Stay overnight.
July 7th - Drive to Mt Rainier, via Sunrise entrance and hike Tipsoo Lake, Sunrise Nature Trail, Emmons Vista Overlooks. Drive to Paradise Inn and stay for 3 days. Booked Paradise Inn for 3 nights.already.
July 8th - Hike Myrtle Falls
July 9th - Easy nature trails around Paradise / Longmire .
ONP (Hotel reservations not made)
July 10th - Check out of Paradise Inn and drive to Port Angeles.
Check in. If possible drive towards Hurricane Ridge to see sunset.
July 11th - Go to Hurricane Ridge.1 trek to Cirque Rim and if possible Hurricane Hill. Drive to Granny's Motel (18 miles from Hurricane ridge) and check in for the night.
July 12th - Drive from Granny's cafe and Motel to Crescent Lake. 8 miles(10 mins)
Hike Marymere Falls.
Drive to Sol Duc (21 miles. 50 mins) - Hike Sol Duc waterfalls. Drive 1 hour to Forks,Huckleberry Lodge and stay.
July 13th - Drive from Huckleberry Lodge to HOH Rainforest. 32 miles.
Hall of Mosses. This short easy trail loops through the Hoh Rain Forest. .8 miles, easy.
Drive to Aberdeen and stay for the night. 2 hours 35 mins.
July 14th - Drive towards Seattle 2 hours . Seattle Tour.
July 15th - Tour Seattle and fly back.
Jun 28th, 2013, 10:39 AM
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The main thing that jumps off the page at me is your choice of staying in Aberdeen for a night and booking a room at Granny's Motel (by which I assume you mean Indian Valley Motel). I am confident there are better options.
HTtY
HTtY
Jun 28th, 2013, 10:49 AM
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Aberdeen - since I can drive and reach that place in 2 hours and 35 mins. I just thought we should not drive for more than that, since we may get tired. Is there any other good place on the way back to Seattle where I can drive to and stay the night.
Jun 28th, 2013, 12:57 PM
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I think a better plan on the Olympic Peninsula would be to start at Lake Quinault.
Were I you, I would call two or three times a day until I got a room at Lake Quinault Lodge (or a cabin at Kalaloch) on the 10th. There are always cancellations. I would then pursue ONP clockwise--Ruby Beach, Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Crescent, Marymere Falls, etc.
In any event, the sooner you book rooms the better. In Port Angeles we like a room with a balcony on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Red Lion Inn or a room facing the golf course at Olympic Lodge.
HTtY
Were I you, I would call two or three times a day until I got a room at Lake Quinault Lodge (or a cabin at Kalaloch) on the 10th. There are always cancellations. I would then pursue ONP clockwise--Ruby Beach, Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Crescent, Marymere Falls, etc.
In any event, the sooner you book rooms the better. In Port Angeles we like a room with a balcony on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Red Lion Inn or a room facing the golf course at Olympic Lodge.
HTtY
Jul 1st, 2013, 10:29 AM
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we did a similar trip a few years ago, and did as happytrails suggested. From Mt Ranier you come at Olympic from the south, so we stayed at Kalaloch first, and then Lake Crescent, visiting Ruby beach the day we drove between them.
From Lake Crescent, it was an easy drive to the Bainbridge Ferry and into Seattle. No need for another day elsewhere.
Our complete itinerary, just FYI, was: 2 nights Paradise ldoge, 2 nights Kalaloch (in an ocean view cabin), 3 nights Lake Crescent Lodge, 3 nights Seattle. it was a fantastic trip. The only day with a fairly lengthy drive was Ranier to Kalaloch. And that wasn't too bad.
From Lake Crescent, it was an easy drive to the Bainbridge Ferry and into Seattle. No need for another day elsewhere.
Our complete itinerary, just FYI, was: 2 nights Paradise ldoge, 2 nights Kalaloch (in an ocean view cabin), 3 nights Lake Crescent Lodge, 3 nights Seattle. it was a fantastic trip. The only day with a fairly lengthy drive was Ranier to Kalaloch. And that wasn't too bad.
