One of my favorite places to eat breakfast is at Reflection Lake in Mount Rainier National Park.

On this particular morning, I had made the trip by myself in the middle of the week hoping to see some fall color and of course – Mount Rainier.  The skies were clear blue, and it was going to be a beautiful day.

I love early morning light on the mountain. That first hour or two following sunrise is my favorite. The lighting is beautiful, and really shows the mountain off in a very special way.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was out and the mountain was glorious with fresh snow against clear bule skies. What a great day for a hike at the mountain!

The first time I saw the alpine meadows in full bloom up at Mount Rainier was a complete accident. Scott and I decided to hike the skyline loop - a gorgeous 6-mile loop starting at Paradise. I couldn’t believe my eyes! You couldn’t design a garden more perfectly if you tried. It was just stunning!

So where are we going to go? It was 4:15PM, and time was running out. We needed to make a decision.