Mount Rainier

Eating your way around Washington's highest peak

Air travel is a hassle, how many times can you take the train to Vancouver, B.C. or to Portland, the day trip by boat to Victoria has been done. Still there are adventures at hand within an easy drive of Seattle that us natives simply forget about with or without out-of-towners.

Preparing for an easy get-a-way from town is as close as trekking to that snow covered dome that we Seattleites gaze at while careening down I-5 or admire as a backdrop to the city. Mount Rainier holds many pleasures within an easy three hour drive from town. Easy hiking trails through some old growth forests. Slightly more advanced, but paved, routes to stand nose-to-nose with a glacier. Visitor's centers fully describing the geology and wildlife of the original Washington icon. What worried me about our three days on the mountain was the food. What snack bar or country café awaited me?

Taking the clockwise route, as described in Sound RIDER! (www.soundrider.com) my culinary travels started in Buckley. I spied Wally's White River Drive In on the right side of Highway 410. The promise of car-side service lured me in. The menu of burgers, chicken, hot dogs, sandwiches and even kid combos ($3.99) made me stay. While I chowed down on a cheese charburger ($3.59) my husband selected a classic B.L.T. ($3.49) with a freshly made blackberry milkshake ($2.99). If you prefer, Wally's offers a great-looking breakfast sandwich and hash browns.

Fortified with a 1950s style lunch, we continued on Highway 410 through Enumclaw past the replanted forests and across a small bridge into Greenwater. Here is the home of the Greenwater Lodge an oasis alongside the White River. For travelers the Greenwater Lodge offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with all the usual combinations of eggs, sandwiches and grilled meats. Touring motorcyclers, town folk and kayakers off the river all converge at Greenwater Lodge. Where the difference lies is in the restaurant's incredible deck, within ear shot of the rushing water that sooths the jangled nerves from the traffic fight from Seattle while it prepares you for the peacefulness of The Mountain. Even while full from lunch, the pie and a steamy cup of coffee hit the spot. The dinner menu holds some surprises as well. Much more uptown than one would expect.

One note, here in Greenwater is perhaps the last gas station. Fill up your car with petrol and fill up the coolers with water and soft drinks before continuing your journey toward Mount Rainier.

Back on the road we entered the Mount Rainier National Park at the White River entrance, purchased a park pass, and went up to Sunrise. At this stop we shopped the gift shop, explored the visitor center, looked wistfully at The Mountain and had our first park service food service. Luckily we pledged to split the pre-wrapped, day-old ham and cheese sandwich and fought over the potato chips that came with it.

Back down the “hill” we took off to the south and kept in the left lane to Chinook Pass. Following the signs to Tipsoo Lake was recommended by Sound Rider. Good thing we followed that advice, getting out to take a few photos at the well-indicated views and vistas.

Off to Highway 410 we took the left at the junction and headed south on Highway 123 to Ohanapecosh, Highway 12. From here we were just 14 miles to the visitor center at Paradise as we backtracked to the Stevens Canyon entrance at Highway 706. Reentering the park we strolled the Grove of Patriarchs marveling at the old growth conifers.

With a full day behind us, the Mt. Rainier Paradise Inn (open mid-May through early October) was a welcome beacon. Being on of the historic hotels of America and in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, I anticipated thin walls, scratchy sheets and rough towels to await me. After all it is a National Park hotel. Those premonitions could not have been further from reality. Our room, while not posh, proved to be very comfortable. The hallway was quiet and our bath, while not offering a shower, presented a huge soaking tub in which to relax in while watching nighttime descend upon the forest. The comfortable bed, facing east, gave us a perfect view of Mars as it traveled across the early fall sky.

Another surprise at Mt. Rainier Paradise Inn was the dining room featuring hearty mountain-size portions of flavorful American food plus a few special foreign influences. No reservations are required. While my husband contemplated the starters of Traditional Italian Bruschetta ($6.50) or Salmon Cakes ($9.25), I opted for one of the salads. Entrees presented pleasures ranging from the Chef's Paradise Pot Pie ($16.00) a well-seasoned nicely sauced collection of chicken chunks and vegetables served in a bowl and topped with flaky puff pastry; to Seared Salmon ($19.25) served with blackberry ginger compote and seasoned rice; to Sautéed Pork Tenderloin ($18) medallions presented with Granny Smith Apple sauces flavored with sage alongside mashed potatoes. Rosemary Prime Rib ($21.25 and $19.25), Oven Grilled London roil ($16.75) and Bourbon Buffalo Meatloaf ($15.50) stand on the menu to serve the beef-lovers.

The grandeur of the room itself, along with the attentive service style, transport you to a bygone era. And as our sleeping room and its appointments surprised me, the dining room surprised me with fresh and flavorful items served by a professional staff. This is not the camp dining hall. However, for breakfast service the crowd shifts from the khaki clad tourists to sure as shootin' mountain men. As I toyed with my steel cut oatmeal I watched several tables of young men visit the buffet more than twice to carbo load on pancakes, cereal, toast and then top it off with eggs and breakfast meats. Their footwear, along with climbing equipment, immediately gave them away as early risers who had scaled a nearby “face” returning famished to the Inn.

For the rest of us, one appetite builder is the Glacier Vista Trail which leads you up a paved trail to alpine meadows, finally putting you close to the Nisqually Glacier. We went up on The Mountain picnic-less so that our dinner at the Copper Creek Inn could be fully enjoyed.

Back in the car and down The Mountain we went; past the National Park Inn at Longmire where visitors were sitting on the porch facing The Mountain, rocking in Inn-supplied chairs and sipping wine as the sun shown pink on Ranier's white face. Out through the park gates and down Highway 706 to the Copper Creek Inn, a woodsy spot, where the parking lot was packed. Their motto “this will get you up the mountain and back,” says it all. This is feel-good, home-style cooking featuring soups, chowders, chili and stews. Mountain guides, men who know their food, recommended the spot and the Grilled Trout ($15.95) in particular. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Copper Creek Inn dishes up a few additional surprises that you can take home as a souvenir. We selected a bottle of blackberry vinaigrette ($8.95) along with a blackberry pie ($13.95) to remind us of this cozy café where day travelers and mountain men alike sit elbow to elbow quaffing a beer with a burger ($8.95-$9.95) or sipping wine with pasta primavera ($12.95). The Copper Creek Inn started as a service station with a lunch counter in the 1920s and has housed travelers since the 1950s in the Inn and in an adjacent log cabin now restored with modern creature comforts.

If you are feeling more in an alpine mood, the guides also recommend the Rainier Overland Café just a few miles down the road. Don't let the exterior fool you. The exterior log cabin feel with a number of playhouses, that look like outhouses without “seats,” give passersby something to question. But those who venture inside will be charmed with the long wood skis and the Washington State-shaped Rainier Beer sign decorating the dining room. Here home cookin' is king. The Country Fried Steak ($12.95) caught my eye while the Honey Roasted Chicken ($15.95) was selected by my husband. All dinners are served with salad or soup, vegetable and rolls. The hearty portions cemented why the guides led me here. Their favorite – the Bourbon Steak a center cut 10-oz. top sirloin marinated in booze, grilled and served with fresh sautéed mushrooms. Next time I'm going for the Monte Cristo sandwich ($9.25) so I can savor the ham, turkey, American and Swiss cheeses all layered between slices of bread then egg dipped and grilled to a golden brown.

All too soon our get-a-way to Mount Rainier was over and we were headed westbound on Highway 706 to northbound Sate Route 7 toward Puyallup. Nearing Highway 161 we stopped and looked back at The Mountain with full bellies and full souls. SD!

Mina Williams/Spring 2004

Mina Williams is a freelance writer and the publisher of Northwest Stir, an online magazine for the Northwest dining industry.