Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks in the fall
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After we found out that there are some flights from Willard (a regional airport in Champaign) that are inexpensive, we started flying out from here instaead of Chicago. We got a really good price of plane tickets to Seattle, so we decided to go to more national parks! The two parks that we visited were Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks. We thought about going to North Cascade as well, but the time was limited so we planned to visit there next time. Visiting these two popular national parks in the fall was such a good choice–less crowd, nice weather, and fall foliage!
We began our trip on September 28, although we flew out of Champaign the evening before, on the 27th, and spent most of that night traveling to Seattle. Our first adventure was a visit to Olympic National Park, which spans a vast portion of Washington. The first stop within the park was Hurricane Ridge. My fiancé hadn’t quite prepared me for the length of the hike—I initially thought it would be a short walk. Instead, it took all my strength to reach the top. Despite the challenge, the view from the summit was absolutely breathtaking, and I couldn’t help but forgive him.
Our next stop was Port Angeles, where we enjoyed a poke bowl and some ice cream. Although I didn’t include a picture here, the ocean was a strikingly vivid blue.
From there, we drove to the Hoh Rainforest, another part of Olympic National Park. The rainforest was lush and incredibly mossy. Every tree was draped in moss and ferns, transporting us back to what felt like the age of dinosaurs. (And yes, my fiancé couldn’t resist channeling his inner child by role-playing as a T-rex.)
Just before sunset, we arrived at our final stop of the day: Ruby Beach. Although there are many beaches along the Pacific coast, we chose this one because it was the most well-known (as indicated on Google Maps).
We instantly fell in love with the beach. The sunset painted beautiful silhouettes across the landscape, and the mist added an ethereal quality to the scene. After soaking in the magical atmosphere, we left the beach once the sun had set and headed to a supermarket to pick up some sushi and noodles, bringing a perfect day to a close.
The next day, we began our adventure at the Paradise corridor in Mount Rainier National Park. The name couldn’t have been more fitting—it truly felt like paradise on Earth.
We spent time walking around, taking in the breathtaking views of the mountains and lush surroundings. One particularly adorable moment was spotting a groundhog gazing intently at the mountain, as if it, too, was marveling at the beauty of the landscape.
Next, we visited Reflection Lake (pictured below), but the water was not completely still, so the reflection wasn’t as clear as we had hoped. We also explored the Grove of the Patriarchs, a peaceful walk along a shallow creek. The atmosphere was incredible, and we were fortunate to have the area all to ourselves at that time.
Before wrapping up the day, we decided to visit the Sunrise Corridor. While it wasn’t as striking as the Paradise Corridor, it felt quieter and brought us closer to Mount Rainier, offering a different perspective.
We then returned to Seattle, enjoyed some amazing ramen, and endured a red-eye flight back to Champaign, marking the end of our trip.
There are not many national parks that are ideal to visit in winter, except for those in the desert. For this Christmas trip, we chose three desert national parks, namely, Petrified Forest, Saguaro, and Joshua Tree. In addition to these, we also stopped by some of the most iconic landmarks in Arizona’s desert landscape, including Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley. It was a dry, sandy, and breathtaking Christmas. One that turned out to be truly memorable for both of us.
Despite the polar vortex that swept through Illinois, we decided to visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, driving from our home in Champaign. Along the way, we got to meet some friends in Cincinnati and Akron. In fact, we didn’t stop only at Cuyahoga Valley; we also continued on to see a much bigger set of falls in upstate New York—Niagara Falls. Everything was freezing cold, but the fresh snow somehow gave the entire trip a magical atmosphere.
Foliage season feels so fleeting to me, so Poy and I never really planned to chase fall colors anywhere beyond our university campus. But there are a few national parks that are especially beautiful in autumn, and we wanted to try visiting them at their peak. We followed the fall–color predictions closely and booked our flights well in advance to keep costs down. On this trip, we were lucky enough to catch vibrant red and yellow leaves in Shenandoah, New River Gorge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. We also had the chance to explore the beautiful wetlands of Congaree National Park before flying back home!
At the end of Summer 2025, we embarked on a grand tour of the northern United States. Our goal was to explore a mix of popular national parks and hidden gems across Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. The journey took us through breathtaking mountain ranges and bountiful wilderness teeming with wildlife. Thanks to booking our flights more than six months in advance, we were lucky enough to fly directly out of Champaign, a perfect start to our adventure!