Snoqualmie Falls

Tom and I bundled up on Saturday morning and headed toward Preston, Fall City and Snoqualmie Falls.  We were in search of cheese, beautiful scenery, some photos of Snoqualmie Falls and lunch out.

We drove through farm country as we traveled Pioneer Highway from Stanwood to I-5, which we don't do often enough.  I should have had my camera ready, because, as beautiful as the sights were that we saw later in the day, nothing compared to the barns and fields bathed in sunlight and backed by colored trees that we passed in the fresh mid-morning.

Going south on I-5, we turned off at I-405 and then east onto I-90.  The cheese we buy, Greenbank Cheese, is made in Preston, just 15 miles down the road.  According to the internet they have a store and we were looking forward to doing a little shopping.  Alas, no cheese company at the address we found online, and no sign of them anywhere we went in Preston.  Oh, well, the day is young.  Let's move on.

Snoqualmie Falls is another seven miles, and I watched as we climbed higher and higher above the river gorge.  The falls were beautiful!  Next time we'll go later in the day, when the sun is further to the south and not shining in our eyes as we try to photograph the falls.  Still it was a spectacular sight to view this 268 foot waterfall spilling over the rocks.  I've read that, next to Mount Rainier, this is Washington State's most popular tourist attraction.

With well-built walkways and lookout points and native Northwest landscaping, the two-acre park is inviting.  The hiking trails, as I understand, will be closed until 2013.

Our biggest disappointment was that both our cameras gave us some trouble.  My camera's battery went dead and I didn't have a recharged replacement for it, and Tom's photos turned out quite grainy.  Still we were able to capture a few good photos.

On our way home we stopped at the Fall City Roadhouse where they heat up their biscuits on the grill (yummy) and serve food that continues steaming long after they bring it to the table!  Tom enjoyed the Hangtown Fry, featuring oysters, eggs, bacon and hash browns, and my Country Scramble was loaded with vegetables, including Yukon Gold potatoes, and topped with goat cheese.  I recommend the food and the service.

Next time you have out-of-town company, or the next time you just want an enjoyable trip that's not too far from home, why not head to Snoqualmie Falls!