Baker Lake - part one

This summer we took a day trip to Baker Lake , near Cascades National Park.

The day was bright and sunny as we set out on our drive . . .

Puffy clouds everywhere . . .

I love this little hill in a field . . .

Sometimes we would stop for a picture - but many times I got these shots out the window - at 50 mph - love the technology these days!!!

Arriving at Sedro Woolley - we didn't stop - but just long enough at a stop light for this sign - with clouds . . .

The trees along the way were gorgeous - we enjoyed the nice summer weather . . .

Next we came to a town named Concrete - yes - Concrete, WA. The town had several names, but in 1908 when work was being done on the dams in the area, they changed the name to Concrete - because the Superior Portland Cement Company had built their plant there - to supply concrete for the dams.

Today it is a tiny town, with a scanty business district. This fabulous sign points to many businesses, but when we went looking for them, found most had closed. I asked one resident where we could get a sandwich in town and he said that we would have to go to the next town, back down the way we had come to Concrete.

The carvings on the sign are fabulous !

I'm not sure what this building is now - it says Police Department over the door - but the signs show that a thrift store had recently been here. The painting is wonderful of the valley and river.

An old log planter on the sidewalk outside two closed businesses. . .

I was excited to find a quilt shop - until I got to the door - and it said
"Open by appointment" and didn't give a phone number for calling the owner.
I guess everyone in town knows who to call. . .

At last - Baker Lake. We had driven up in sunshine, but as we got farther
into the mountains it got colder and cloudier.

This was the view from our picnic shelter. It was beginning to rain . . .

Grampa Bear was excited, waiting for his food. . .

He finally got Dons sandwich - bears get very hungry this time of year . . .

Two very nice ladies drove up and came to share our picnic shelter,
so Grampa Bear had to show off a little bit . . .

Mt. Baker is behind those clouds - they were moving fast!

You see a little of the snowy mountain peeking through . . .

A little more . . .

This was the best shot all day - through the rain and clouds - Mt. Baker is one of the most impressive mountains I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot of mountains.

Driving back down from the lake the moss on the trees was incredible . . .

A little house that used to be home to a Park Ranger. . .

Elk herds are often seen here - but not today . . .

The road home - it was getting warmer and sunnier as we drove south - to be continued . . .