CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN & MT. RAINIER

ONE CLEAR, SUNNY, DAY WE DROVE OVER TO CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN TO RIDE THE GONDOLA TO THE TOP SO WE COULD HAVE A GOOD VIEW OF MT. RAINIER. WE NEVER GOT TO SEE MT. RAINIER IN 2013 WHEN WE WORKED IN WESTPORT FOR THE SUMMER. WE TRIED, BUT EVERY CHANCE WE GOT IT WAS EITHER  FOGGED IN OR CLOUDS WERE COVERING IT.  I WAS DETERMINED TO SEE IT THIS TIME!
IT WAS OVER A TWO HOUR DRIVE, WE TOOK M AND  M WITH US, THEY ALLOW PETS TO RIDE TO THE TOP.
WE DROVE THROUGH YAKIMA, OUR FRIENDS,  PAM AND RON'S HOME FOR MANY YEARS.  FRUIT/VEGETABLE STAND ON EVERY CORNER!

PAM AND RON NEVER SAID THEY LIVED IN THE PALM SPRINGS OF WASHINGTON!

THIS WAS OUR FIRST LOOK AT MT. RAINIER....BEAUTIFUL BEYOND WORDS.

WE GOT TO CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN AND WALKED AROUND THE GROUNDS. CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN IS A SKI RESORT IN THE WINTER.

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE  SKI RUNS!

DARRELL TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE GONDOLAS AND DECIDED HE WOULD STAY DOWN WITH THE DOGS.

I RODE TO THE TOP WITH TWO YOUNG MEN WHO WORK AT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN. THEY GAVE ME ALL THE "INSIDE INFORMATION".

AND ONE OF THEM WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TAKE MY PICTURE.

HE TOLD ME I WAS FOURTEEN MILES FROM MT. RAINIER, AS THE CROW FLIES. IT WAS A SPECTACULAR VIEW.

I WALKED AROUND THE TOP, WENT TO THE GIFT SHOP AND SAT DOWN IN ONE OF THESE CHAIRS FACING MT. RAINIER.

KIDS WERE FEEDING THE CHIPMUNKS RIGHT OUT OF THEIR HANDS.

I SAT THERE A LONG TIME JUST ENJOYING THE VIEW AND FOUND ALL KINDS OF FOLKS TO VISIT WITH. SITTING THERE YOU COULD SEE MT. ADAMS, MT. ST. HELEN'S AND MT. RAINIER.  I WALKED SOME MORE AND ANOTHER NICE MAN OFFERED TO TAKE MY PICTURE AND i TOOK HIS.

IT WAS TIME TO GO.....I HAD BEEN UP THERE FOR TWO HOURS! 

I WAS SO HAPPY I GOT TO SEE MT. RAINIER!! 

HERMISTON MELONS,

RIGHT AFTER WE ARRIVED HERE WE HEARD ABOUT THE  HERMISTON MELONS....SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST!  COMING FROM SOUTH DAKOTA AND ENJOYING THE  FORESTBURG AND  WOONSOCKET MELONS, WE WERE ANXIOUS TO COMPARE.  RIGHT AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY....THEY WERE READY!  WE DROVE OVER TO HERMISTON, WA., NOT TOO FAR FROM THE RV PARK.

WE WERE HEADED TO BELLINGER FARMS.

BEAUTIFUL MELONS!

AND LOTS OF THEM!

WE WENT A LITTLE CRAZY.......JUST LIKE THE CHERRIES!

EVEN FOUND YELLOW WATERMELON!!

WE GOT HOME AND CUT IT OPEN......IT WAS DELICIOUS!

THE MELONS WERE AS GOOD AS OR BETTER THAN THE SOUTH DAKOTA MELONS.

WE WILL ENJOY THESE THE REST OF THE TIME WE ARE HERE.

THE ONION FESTIVAL

WALLA WALLA WAS HAVING THEIR SWEET  ONION FESTIVAL.....WE WENT TO CHECK IT OUT!

WE  SAW ONIONS GROWING IN THE FIELDS ON THE WAY  OVER.

IT LOOKED LIKE MOST HAD BEEN HARVESTED.

THERE WERE FOOD DEMONSTRATIONS AND FOOD TASTINGS!

THEY MADE SWEET ONION ICE CREAM!

IT WAS VERY GOOD!

WE WERE DISAPPOINTED THERE WERE NO ONION RINGS AT ANY OF THE FOOD STANDS, SO WE BOUGHT A WALLA WALLA SWEET ONION AND CAME HOME AND MADE OUR OWN.

THEY WERE DELICIOUS!

THE PARK WAS DECKED OUT FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY...EVERY SITE HAD A FLAG......

THE PARK WAS FULL AGAIN!

THERE WAS A FIRE PRETTY CLOSE TO US CAUSED FROM FIREWORKS.