Spectacular Mt. Rainier

Hello everyone. I know it has been quite some time since we have posted. Even though our travels are over (for now), I thought I would check in and share some pics from last weekend when it was 85 in Seattle. We are breaking records for April!

On Sunday we decided to drive up to Crystal Mountain Ski Area. It was the last day of the ski season and a gorgeous sunny day. We both haven’t skied in quite some time, but a friend gave us a recommendation to take the gondola up to the top for amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades! The drive to Crystal was about 2 hours from Bellevue. We bought our $20 ticket and bundled up for the trip. While it was 85 at the bottom, the temps up top were around 50. The gondola climbed about 2,500 ft to an elevation of 6,800 ft at the Summit House Restaurant. The wind was howling at the top, so we were glad we packed the extra layers.   There was an outdoor bar made of ice with music cranking and plenty of chairs to kick back in and take in the views. We stayed up top for about an hour, then made our way back down to the deck at the base and enjoyed a beverage in the warmer temp.   The gondola is open in the summer months too with access to miles of hiking trails. Highly recommend!

Chillaxing with the view

Mt. Rainier in the background

Mt. Adams in the distance

Mt. St. Helens

Mt. Baker in the distance

Here is a quick update on our re-entry progress:

• Mike is now working for Bath Planet, a tub/shower remodeling company, doing in-home sales.
• My marketing contract at Savers ended in January, so I am back on the hunt for the next opportunity.
• Our lease at the townhouse is up at the end of June. Hard to believe we will have been home a year! We are pondering our next step, but will most likely be renting again (housing market is ridiculous).
• We are enjoying reconnecting with friends and family and taking in Sounders, Seahawks, Mariners and Husky (Mike) games.
• We are looking forward to a trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico in about 3 weeks!

We are going to try to post a little more regularly.  Hope everyone is well and happy!