Just the girls and me this weekend…
First stop was desserts at the Ukrainian bakery in Ashford (cheesecake for Anya, tiramisu for Nadia, and a chocolate chip cookie for me).
Then we did the Panorama Point trail. It was our first time hiking in the snow. It took us five hours up and back (the altitude was challenging for us), but we made it!
That evening we relaxed and had a dip in the hot tub at the AirBnB.
The girls had a great time, and I was beat!
The following day was much more low key. Of course we had to stop by the Ukrainian bakery (again) – a few times: treats before the park, lunch after the park (crepes for the girls / borscht with perogies for me), and then one more time for carryout dinner (girls had the borscht and perogies this time, and I had lamb chops)! We also picked up their brownies (they look like chocolate covered brown logs) for dessert, and they were awesome! Seriously, you need to go there!
A few short hikes to see a couple of waterfalls and some random wandering on trails to take some more photos.
I couldn’t believe the crowds at the park when we left, parking was impossible, and went on and on down the road. When we exited the park at noon, the lines to get into Mt. Rainier National Park went on for miles! I can’t imagine how long the wait to get in must have been. Then to go hiking after driving another 45 minutes to the Paradise Inn – crazy!
That afternoon, we took a quick stop to Whittaker Mountaineering to find Anya an oversized hoodie (I don’t get the oversized thing). Followed up with a quiet afternoon at the AirBnB with the girls back in the hot tub that evening. Also, we were visited by many deer in the yard and neighborhood.
All in all, a great weekend!
We stopped by the Ukrainian bakery one last time for freshly made chocolate eclairs and a cream horn on the way home. That place has amazing food!
Photos were edited in Capture One Pro and shot with a Sony a7r IV, Zeiss Loxia 21mm, 52mm B+W polarizer, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max.