For as long as I can remember, the Pacific Northwest had long intrigued me and has been near the top of my wish list. I’ve dreamt of experiencing the old growth forests and the white-tipped mountains of the Washington, with the massive trees reaching skyward, air plants hanging from every branch, and blankets of moss littered with mysterious fungi. Being that I’m from Ohio, we have some lovely forests and rolling Appalachian foothills, but they’re all young growth due to human’s clearcutting everything ages ago. I’ve long considered the trees in Ohio to be toddler trees, and I've yearned to see land undisturbed by human presence.
For the first six days of my trip, I focused on the Olympic peninsula, with thoroughly experiencing the national park and surrounding natural areas being my main objective. I hiked 25 miles and drove 1500 miles and was beginning to feel a little rundown. I knew staying in one area might get old, so for the back half of my excursion, I decided to spend 24 hours exploring Mt. Rainier before heading north to the lesser visited North Cascades. The drive took a little over three hours from Aberdeen to reach the gondola at Crystal Mountain.
I took a trip up the mountain to find stunning views of Mt Rainier, Mt Baker and the Cascade range, before driving south and far around the mountain due to certain roads being shutdown from still being covered by ten or more feet of snow. Another three hour drive brought me to the town of Ashford by way of brilliant views and a snapshot of the transition from fertile forests to desert. By then I was ready to take a long nap, but I ventured out for some dinner before heading back to my accommodation at the Huckleberry Cottage, owned and operated by Rainier Cottages at www.rainiercottages.com.
The cottage was tucked back in some trees off a dirt road, which didn’t yield many open sky views, but was a lovely comfort through and through. The wood of the cabin was beautiful, especially the way it’s built out inside. I’m a big fan of wood used in any finished carpentry aesthetic, and there’s nothing quite like it, and would cover every surface in my home in live edge wood with brilliant grains and a smooth finish if I could afford it. The Huckleberry Cottage offered a remodeled kitchen, open dining space, living room with wood burner, another living room with couches and a television, steps that go upstairs to two bedrooms, and a deck with hot tub.
Huckleberry Cottage also offers WIFI, Roku, full bath, campfire area, BBQ grill and with wood provided. The cabin was cozy indeed, and was a great place to catch some respite after a week of long drives and hikes. I made a meal in the kitchen, washed some clothes in the washer, and relaxed with the TV on for the first time in a week. Afterwards, I relaxed in the hot tub and listened to an audiobook while letting my sore muscles soak. I slept well upstairs in the loft and greeted the next day with the sun rising early before 4AM, and after a quick shower, bite to eat, and a pack up, I was back on the road to see more of the Northern Cascades. Overall, I found Huckleberry Cottage to be a wonderful landing spot to explore Mt Rainier, and would happily go back and stay there again.
I took a trip up the mountain to find stunning views of Mt Rainier, Mt Baker and the Cascade range, before driving south and far around the mountain due to certain roads being shutdown from still being covered by ten or more feet of snow. Another three hour drive brought me to the town of Ashford by way of brilliant views and a snapshot of the transition from fertile forests to desert. By then I was ready to take a long nap, but I ventured out for some dinner before heading back to my accommodation at the Huckleberry Cottage, owned and operated by Rainier Cottages at www.rainiercottages.com.
The cottage was tucked back in some trees off a dirt road, which didn’t yield many open sky views, but was a lovely comfort through and through. The wood of the cabin was beautiful, especially the way it’s built out inside. I’m a big fan of wood used in any finished carpentry aesthetic, and there’s nothing quite like it, and would cover every surface in my home in live edge wood with brilliant grains and a smooth finish if I could afford it. The Huckleberry Cottage offered a remodeled kitchen, open dining space, living room with wood burner, another living room with couches and a television, steps that go upstairs to two bedrooms, and a deck with hot tub.
Huckleberry Cottage also offers WIFI, Roku, full bath, campfire area, BBQ grill and with wood provided. The cabin was cozy indeed, and was a great place to catch some respite after a week of long drives and hikes. I made a meal in the kitchen, washed some clothes in the washer, and relaxed with the TV on for the first time in a week. Afterwards, I relaxed in the hot tub and listened to an audiobook while letting my sore muscles soak. I slept well upstairs in the loft and greeted the next day with the sun rising early before 4AM, and after a quick shower, bite to eat, and a pack up, I was back on the road to see more of the Northern Cascades. Overall, I found Huckleberry Cottage to be a wonderful landing spot to explore Mt Rainier, and would happily go back and stay there again.
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