July 24 @ 10:23 pm
The kids and I are in the final throes of planning and preparation for this year’s camping trip. This week I’ll be dragging out the gear and picking up a few new pieces of kit. We’ve upgraded to a larger tent that we’ll be testing out in the yard before we leave and I’m still shopping for a new cooler. We car camp, so everything has to pack into the trunk and backseat with room for both kids and myself left over!
We’ll be staying at three campgrounds:
- Cougar Rock in Mount Rainer National Park
- Iron Creek in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- and Moss Creek which is also in Gifford Pinchot National Forest but much further south along the Oregon border
Our last day our we’ll dip across the border into Oregon and stay at my favorite place, Cousins Country Inn. This will be my third visit there this year! I’ve got a suite reserved by the pool. I suspect we’ll be ready for it after our time in the woods!
Our main purpose is a photo safari of course. I’ll be shooting my Olympus E-500, Matt has his own Olympus FE-120 and Lindsey now has her own Olympus FE-115. You noticing any trend here? 
Apart from the camping and scenery, we’re tentatively planning to visit the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad and the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. We’ll see how that goes!
We’ll be heading out this Friday and return sometime mid-week next week. Wish us luck!
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July 25 @ 4:21 am
I hope the weather cools off for y’all. I haven’t been camping in a few years…. I love camping!
Have a blast!
M~
July 25 @ 5:33 am
Have fun with all those camera…
July 25 @ 6:31 am
Good luck! Have a great time!
I am SO jealous…it’s been YEARS since I’ve been camping!
July 25 @ 6:39 am
Sounds like a well planned but exciting trip. Camping and swimming AND photos!!
What more could a person ask for.
Pam
July 25 @ 10:12 am
Oh I am so jealous! you guys are going to have a BLAST! Now…If I remember right (and i could easily be mistaken about this, but it sounds familiar) Cougar rock has some really really fascinating fossils in the rocks. Like trilobites. When I went to Edmonds Community College, my geology prof took us there to crack open rocks with hammers. Incredible neat stuff in those rocks…take a hammer…your son might think it’s lame (my oldest boy would now) but your daughter will probably think it’s cool. either way…would make some fascinating photos! Oh I am so jealous! I can’t wait to see pics! Stacie 0==(D)
July 25 @ 11:00 am
Sounds great
We’re also getting ready to go, new tent and all. We’ll be in St.Joe, Idaho.
July 31 @ 9:42 pm
Hey Michael,
From one middle aged motorcyclist to another, Hope the trip is fantastic. I just viewed Mt Rainier personally for the first time on my Harley last week. I took a two week trip to the coast, up the PCH and over to Ranier, up to Glacier and down to Yellowstone then back to Iowa. 6,000 miles. Only came up 50 miles short of a beautiful trip. Blew a head gasket in the heat as I neared home. So it goes. Have a great trip! Anxious to see your photos!