One of these was Naches, a tiny Washington town (in 2000, its population was a whopping 643 people) known for its abundance of fresh fruit. Daen advised us to stop at the stands with the biggest signs, but we ended up stopping even at some the smaller stands just to peruse their selections.
The stand pictured below was deceivingly grandiose when seen from the road, considering that there were only 4 small tables of fruit inside. Despite this discrepancy of proportions, the old man who owned the stand was remarkably friendly, and the cherries he sold us were terrific. Like Hansel and Gretel at a gumdrop factory, we popped them in our mouths one after another, and we felt appropriately nauseated by the sweetness a couple hours later.
At the next stand, we picked up some peaches and plums that became sticky little waterfalls as soon as you bit into them. There was also a room in the back that provided a free wine tasting, but we were more interested in using its restroom to clean all the plum juice off our hands; unfortunately, we were trapped on the way back to the facilities. As the man poured a less-than-satisfactory cabernet sauvignon and presented the fudge pairing, my eyes kept wandering to the back of the store. Sure, free wine is okay, but I don't want to pay $35 for a bottle of this... We finally managed to escape and wash our hands, so the plums were worth it in the end.
Just northwest of Naches was the entry to Mt. Rainier National Park. The windy drive alongside clear blue rivers and gorgeous walls of pine and amber-colored rock was absolutely stunning. The shots below (in which I'm stupidly wearing sandals) were taken by a stranger who nearly slid down the mountain while trying to do so. This was just before we rounded the bend and saw the Mt. Rainier. Stupefied by the glorious sight of the cloud-veiled peak, we drove right past a small shoulder in the road and didn't get a picture, but an amateur photo wouldn't have done it justice anyway. Go to Google images to see it, or better yet, go to Mt. Rainier National Park.
To put the icing on the cake, we were able to see Mt. Rainier in the distance while enjoying a gorgeous Seattle sunset later that evening. Pretty awesome.
Driving Music:
Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Typhoon - Hunger and Thirst
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Unbunny - Black Strawberries
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
The Decemberists - The King is Dead
Elsinore - Remixes x 9
Delta Spirit - History from Below
The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises
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