Hi friends! I’m coming to you from my brother’s place in Tacoma this morning, but will be headed off to the airport and back to DC shortly! I had an amazing weekend here in Washington State for the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon with the Brooks team. I’m going to spend the plane ride organizing my photos and working on my race recap and Seattle/Brooks adventures recaps (a sneak preview is on Instagram), but as for now, I want to share some pictures from an amazing hike I did yesterday with my brother!
Steve picked me up in Seattle yesterday morning and our first stop was breakfast. On the recommendation of a couple of friends, we hit up Serious Pie & Biscuit. We showed up right when they opened at 9 and I was glad they did – by the time we left, it was packed!
I haven’t had a REALLY good biscuit since moving from North Carolina back to DC, and man, this hit the spot! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Seattle. I had a biscuit sandwich with a slice of truffled frittata, tomato jam, and arugula. Delicious!
Fueled up, it was time to head back to Tacoma quickly to grab some snacks and drop off Steve’s dog with a friend, and then head on farther south to the mountains!
Even though my legs were super sore from the half marathon, it was a gorgeous day and you guys know there’s no way I’ll ever pass up a chance to get in a pretty hike! Steve hadn’t had the chance to check out Mount Rainier National Park yet, so we decided that would be a good spot to hit. It was about 2 hours south of Tacoma.
We did some research on trails and decided to hit the Pinnacle Peak Trail, which apparently had lovely views of the Mount Rainier as well as other mountains. Sounded good to me!
We decided to hike to the “Pinnacle Saddle” and back, which is 2.6 miles round trip. There are some less hilly portions, but it’s more or less straight up on the way there, straight down on the way back. My quads were not thrilled with me, but it was totally worth it. 🙂 It took us about 2 hours.
We could not have had a more stunning day for a hike! Mid 70’s and sunny – be still my heart. Do I really have to go back to crazy hot and humid DC?!
I couldn’t get over how amazing the views were! It was a really clear day, and when we came out of the trees we were treated to views of a snowy Mount Rainier.
I think this ties with my hike at Rigi Mountain in Switzerland for most beautiful hike ever… although Colorado hiking is up there, too!
Made it to the saddle! From here, there are trails to continue on up (most are quite challenging), but we needed to get back, sadly. Another time! Instead, we enjoyed the views while having some snacks (trail mix/dried fruit – I also had a tuna wrap once we got back to the car) before heading back the way we came.
Hiking is my happy place. So nice to have some time to hang out with my brother, too! <3
We made it back to Tacoma quite exhausted last night and ready for food! After showering up, we walked over to Dirty Oscar’s Annex. Apparently this place has been on the Food Network! It has a cool dive bar/hipster feel. Loved it!
Steve and I both started with side salads to get in a little green, and as for my main course, I got the burger! I always crave burgers after a good hike and this one was delicious. Topped with cheese, bacon, grilled onions, and arugula. Plus sweet potato fries. YUM!
And now, I’d better finish packing up and head off to the airport! I’ll be back tomorrow with the first of my Seattle recaps. Have a great day, everyone!
What’s the most beautiful hike you’ve ever done?
