With the girls getting their hands and feet scrubbed (read: manicures and pedicures), and just hanging out in general all day together, Roger and I were on our own so we struck out for one of the biggest attractions we could think of, Mount Saint Helens.

Rather than drive up to the main observatory, which would take a bit longer, we opted for the shorter less traveled east side route which takes you past some beautiful lakes and reservoirs and on up to the Climbers Bivouac.  The road was treacherous and the views rewarding. However; since we got so close to the mountain, rather than viewing from afar, our view of Mount Saint Helens was obstructed by pine trees with only one real good spot for viewing the mountain itself.  We had absolutely fantastic views of the mountains, valleys and lakes to the east and south though.

It was so impressive that I’ll be bringing Rachel back to explore the west side at some point during our adventure.