jet Air Force One used by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Hanging in the World War I Gallery is a replica of a Fokker triplane used by the legendary “Red Baron.” The Space Gallery showcases mock-ups of the Apollo 17 Lunar Module and a Boeing Lunar Roving Vehicle, to name just a few. My thrill for the day was is not over yet. From a window in the museum, Mount Rainier finally made an appearance—only slightly cloaked in the distant mist but still majestic and beautiful. “The mountain is out and the mountain is calling!” I recall Garfield asserting. “Seattleites look to Mount Rainier for inspiration.”
Inside the massive plane hangars at the Museum of Flight near the Seattle Airport
FOR MORE INFORMATION • visitseattle.org • wnpf.org/mount-rainier-national-park • capitol.wa.gov
To hopefully get a close-up view of the mountain, I join a colleague as we take to the road for the two- hour drive to Mount Rainier National Park. My visit is a bit of a disappointment as I can only see a small area of the mountain as the rest is shrouded in mist and clouds. The 14,410-foot peak is the Cascade Mountain Range’s tallest volcano with its glistening glaciers when the sun peeks through. We take winding roads to the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center in the Paradise area of the park, one of four main visitor centers leading to strings of hiking trails crisscrossing and ascending sloping terrain. Before returning to Seattle, we also visit Olympia and tour the Washington State Capitol. Completed in 1928, the building’s 287-foot-high dome is the fifth tallest self-supporting dome in the world following such iconic landmarks as Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica and London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Highlighting that Washington became the 42nd state to join the union in 1889, 42 steps ascend the north entrance. On display inside is an American flag with 42 stars, which never became official as Idaho joined the union as the 43rd state just eight months later in 1890. What catches my eye in the rotunda is the giant brass bust of George Washington with a shiny nose, as visitors rub it for good luck. Driving north on Interstate 5 before reaching Seattle, I stop at one of the region’s must-see attractions, the Museum of Flight, located near the city’s international airport. Aircraft both hang and sit within four of the museum’s five expansive galleries, one with World War I and World War II planes, and another the three- acre Aviation Pavilion with a Concorde and the first
Waterfall in Mount Rainier National Park
SEATTLE
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 26
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