For the fourth of July last year, we decided to go up to Crystal Mountain. My parents had done the trip a few years ago, and they had absolutely loved it. I had been looking forward to the day trip as I had been wanting to reconnect with Washington since I had moved back. We used to do a lot of these road trips when we were younger but every time I came home for a visit when living abroad, it would only be for 1-2 weeks and the whole time I would be working. I hadn’t had the chance to enjoy these Washington experiences in a long time and really enjoyed this short day trip.

Crystal mountain is about a 120 min drive from the Everett area and 105 min from Seattle and quite an easy one passing through towns like Enumclaw and Muckleshoot. The drive up was also great, being able to see signs and sights I hadn’t thought of in a long time and ones I hadn’t seen or heard of, even though I had grown up in the area.

In the winter, Crystal mountain is covered in snow and is a popular resort for winter spots. But in the summer,  the gondolas (costing $25 roundtrip) serve as a gateway to the Summit house – a restaurant with incredible views of Mt. Rainer, outside viewing areas and trail heads. There are plenty more activities such as horseback riding and disc golf. The fresh air is a really nice change and especially since it is close to the city, it’s nice to get away for a short while. Next time I want to try mountain yoga! 🙂

http://crystalmountainresort.com/summer-planning/helpful-hints-summer/