Cougar Rock Campground, Mt. Rainier Pt. 1

I just got home from a beautiful three-day camping adventure with some of my favorite ladies.  We booked two sites at Cougar Rock Campground within Mt. Rainier National Park, mostly just because it was a good "halfway point" between Portland and Seattle.  We didn't know anything about the area or how far into the park we would be.  It ended up being my absolute favorite campsite that I've been to in Washington.  I'm already plotting our next trip back.

Dinner both nights was wild sockeye salmon with herbs de provence, fire garlic, and butter with local rosemary bread.  The first night we grilled corn, and the second night we had potato salad with fresh herbs and green beans.  Take that, hot dogs.

The camp hosts were getting ready to leave when we showed up and gave us all of their leftover wood for free!  My car still smells like cedar.

We spent our second day checking out nearby towns Ashford and Elbe.

 

 

Yes!  That's a combined ASMI + Alaskan Brewing Company sign! 

  

 

We came across an estate sale- they had so many vintage glass blue Ball canning jars!  I only bought four and I've been full of regrets since we left.  As consolation- I did also pick up a gorgeous turquoise and pink wool blanket, and we got to play with the cutest crustiest little old pug named Annabell!

In Elbe we got a little silly over puppies, and the fact that the entire town was basically made up of train cars.  I shared an elk burger with Brittany and resisted the $1 jello shots (ew!)

I'll post the rest of the pictures from our second and last days later this week!  We went on a really nice hike, drank a Rainier tall boy in front of an epic waterfall, and picked up a huge beautiful blackberry pie from a local bakery.