Mount Rainier National Park

 After Olympic we started our long trip home with our first stop Mt Rainier National Park. The last time we were there was 15 years ago and we never saw anything. The entire mountain was covered with clouds and fog and you couldn't see across the parking lot, let alone the top of the mountain. This trip we left the hotel in rain and clouds and didn't have much hope for seeing the mountain but the trip took longer than expected due to construction and by the time we got there, it was sunny.

 

Sunrise Visitor Center.

Sunrise Point. The road around the east side of the park started a months long construction closure the day we were there so we took the road up to Sunrise Point since the last time we were in the park we came in from the west entrance.

Our last view of the mountain before heading east to home, 3 days away.

After the Rainier the next 3 days were long driving from the west coast all the way to Michigan. Since it was right on the way we stopped at Indiana Dunes National Park. We didn't much of the park, we were only 4 hours from home and had been on the road 3 weeks so it was stop, take a few photos, then head home.

 

The Chicago skyline looking from one of the Indiana Dunes beaches across the southern tip of Lake Michigan.

And.... 4 hours later we were home and thus ends phase II of our national park trips. Phase I was Florida up the east coast to Maine, every park and state east of the Mississippi (except we missed a couple). Phase II was Michigan west to the Pacific Ocean and every park and state north of I-80 (we missed 1 because of weather, we'll get that next summer).

Total was 21 National Parks, 2 state parks, 30ish states, a national shoreline, 6 weeks, and 14,000 miles. Now I'm ready to head to Florida for the winter and relax and go back to riding my bike everyday. Almost, still have our Fall Dragon Run S2000 trip.