Last updated on .
Tiny Ashford, Washington, is just west of the main entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. It makes a great base for visiting the park if you don’t plan to stay within its boundaries.
We stayed in Ashford for one night to spend the next day visiting the park. Much of the park was closed due to heavy snowfall, otherwise we would have stayed longer.
Whittaker’s Motel
We chose to stay at Whittaker’s Motel and Historic Bunkhouse, opened by world-renowned mountain climber Lou Whittaker. Because we arrived after hours, our room key was in an envelope on the door.
Our room was a cozy triple room with three beds. The room was excellent but there was a problem with the shower because none of us could figure out how to turn on the water. The staff member on duty the next morning was a bit rude when we asked how to turn it on.
We were also upset about being overcharged for the room and weren’t happy with the way it was handled. The room was quoted at US$98 and we were charged US$115. Booking.com ended up taking care of it and we were refunded US$15. Overall, as long as they train the staff with some customer service basics, we would be happy to stay there again. They also have a good café in the reception area serving cheap breakfasts.
Highlander (Permanently Closed)
For dinner, we ate Highlander. It’s a local bar with a restaurant on one side. We weren’t sure what to expect but the meal was excellent and we loved our server.
I had a delicious roast beef with mashed potatoes, Marisol had soup and salad, and Tim had chicken fried steak. It really hit the spot.
Copper Creek Inn
The next day, after leaving the park, we stopped at Copper Creek Inn, which is both a restaurant and lodge. Tim, who worked at Mount Rainier for a year, told us they have the best blackberry shakes around. He was right!
