[35-Days Trip 2010] Day 03 _ Mt. Rainer National Park

I was supposed to spend 23 hours on the famous CoastStar Line, a classical European style train, from Seattle to San Francisco. But one month before departure, the price for coach seat had already raised from $96 to $150, almost double the air ticket, which only takes 2 hours. Therefore, I decided to give the nature a big hug instead of just say hello from the train.

This is my first time to a "National" park. It's not a very popular concept in China years ago, especially around metropolitain area. The closest as I know from Shanghai is DongPing National Forest Park opened after I came to New York, which according to my dad, has potential, but needs several more years for the man-planted forest to grow up.
While on the other hand, I did explore some State Parks in northeast area, thank the hiking club I joined in 2008 (the idea of making a "wandering in wild" map just pop up, maybe later). But still, the great time I spent there can't satisfy my curiosity about a real national park, a dream-like world only in Discovery Channel.
So, in my first trip going west, where national parks are just one nearby another, I must grab any possible chance to go wild . Due to my tight schedule, the plan was to shoot two birds in one stone by taking CoastStar Line and enjoying the view on the way. Now, God closed this door while left all the windows open.

It's not typical nice weather, sun barely showed up ; it's not exactly going wild, I was with one-day tour, most of the time.
But...

(For moments, sun lightened the original color of nature.)

 ...I was like this little girl, totally totally relaxed in "Paradise".
(Paradise Visitor Center at 5897 feet above sea level according to my mobile GPS)

For many years, every Mid-Autumn Festival, I stared at the sky, eating moon cake, trying to picture Chang'e and Jade rabbit's life up there.
For a second, I kind of felt the same way when Mt.Rainer standing in the background of downtown Seattle. Only this time, I was in the picture.