National Park Service Week Starts Saturday, April 18 ~ Come Down for The Weekend!

John Muir-Library of Congress

Next week marks the 177th anniversary of the birth of John Muir, the famed naturalist and preservationist who is often referred to as the father of the national parks. If that name sounds familiar it's because he is also the founder of the Sierra Club. He climbed Mount Rainier in 1888 and was instrumental in the creation of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899. An ardent conservationist and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness, he famously walked a 1000 miles with no particular route in mind except to take the "wildest, leafiest, and least trodden way I could find." 

Maybe the Department of the Interior had John Muir in mind with its announcement of National Park Week. The weeklong celebration starts Saturday, April 18th.

Thanks to Nick Visser of the Huffington Post:

Now that spring has officially sprung, it's high time to go on an adventure. 

The Department of the Interior's rapidly growing Instagram account has been featuring stellar shots of sunrises and sunsets that showcase America's natural beauty. The National Park Service, a division of the DOI, oversees more than 400 sites and the DOI manages 500 million acres of public lands. 

The National Park Service is celebrating National Park Week starting Saturday, April 18.

All national parks ~ including heavyweights like Yosemite, Glacier, Acadia (and my personal favourite, our own Mount Rainier)~ are waiving entrance fees for the weekend to encourage everyone to get out there and find their park. 

FREE! has a real nice ring to it.

But, wait! You're going to need a place to stay!

I recommend the Muir Cabin at Mount Rainier. This cabin is an homage to John Muir and is reminiscent of the quiet, privacy, and serenity of the forest preserved in Muir Woods. To quote the National Park Service website: "When John Muir learned that William and Elizabeth Kent were naming a redwood forest near San Francisco in his honor, he declared, 'This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.' " 

This Muir Cabin is located in a setting so lush and verdant you feel like you are in the national park; a tree-lovers paradise!


Muir Cabin is the most secluded of all the cabins at Copper Creek. With over 750 feet of waterfront along Copper Creek, you can wander and relax in comfort and total privacy. 

There are no other buildings in sight; no road sounds, just the hypnotic sounds of the waters of Copper Creek.



After a walk around the acreage, enjoy the hot tub. Sit on the deck, put your feet up, and relax. End the evening with a shower for two. Snuggle under comforters filled with down. Rejuvenate!

In the morning, enjoy freshly made, freshly ground coffee ~ a Copper Creek Inn Special Blend. Enjoy!

So, come to Mount Rainier this weekend. And, if the "wildest, leafiest, least trodden way" appeals to you, you will find it during your stay at Muir Cabin. 

Reserve now!

Grateful every day for people working to protect the wild for generations to come!

Reserve Now! Muir Cabin at Mount Rainier

King 5 and Evening Magazine Best Cabins Two Years in a Row!

Mount Rainier National Park Website

Department of the Interior Instagram Account

Huffington Post ~ Nick Visser article with images

National Park Service

Catharine Gallagher's portrait of John Muir

See more of Catharine Gallagher's Studio and Artwork

Going for a Three-Peat! King 5 and Evening Magazine's Best Northwest Escapes Voting is Open! Please Cast Your Vote!

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Thank you in advance for helping Copper Creek Inn ~ going for a Three-Peat!

Catharine Gallagher | Your Host ~ In Her Own Words

Catharine is an artist. Everything she touches has artistic flourishes. Some small. Some large. Some subtle. Some bold. Often whimsical; even surprising. Always beautiful. 

Several years ago, I stayed for the weekend in her art studio before it was a "cabin". The first morning, I woke to that lovely weekend feeling of "I have no place I have to be." "I have nothing I have to do." 

I lay there contemplating the room. An art studio is a highly personal space. Whenever I have the opportunity to visit one, I am reminded art is the mind made manifest. 

Catharine's "Art by the Yard" studio was no different. From my bed, snuggled in its pleasantly disarrayed down comforter, I began my visual exploration. Her easel stood near a window. A canvas work in process, interrupted. The palette on a nearby stool. The room flooded with morning light. Tubes of paint filling a box. Paint brushes upturned in a jar, drying. A handmade bowl filled with pebbles. The feather of a bird tucked in a book marking the end of a read. A high-tech embroidery machine with large spools of thread in many colours. A stack of hoodies ready to be embroidered for the gift shop. A completed one folded and tagged. Sketches of preliminary designs for note cards. Several works in progress; a creative mind at work.

There is finished art on the walls; handmade tile on the floor under the Franklin stove; a small kitchen with a jar of whole bean coffee. The room is interesting and filled with personal elements. Wonderful!

Now, you can stay in the Art Studio. It's still as beautiful and interesting as it was when it was a working studio. Catharine’s art is on the walls. Her easel is standing in the corner waiting for you. 

As Catharine says: This charming one room cedar cabin is still full of creative energy; a place of much joy and happiness. Try your hand at the easel. Or, for your own art-filled stay, bring a project of your own to work on. Take your sketchbook outside to sit by the creek. Write in your journal. Work on your needlecraft. Relax. Refresh. Breathe in the fresh mountain air. Listen to the sound of Copper Creek as it tumbles over the rocks on its way to the sea. I hope the spirit of this creative little cabin inspires you as it has inspired me!

Grateful every day to have creative, artful people in my life.

King 5 and Evening Magazine ~ Voted Best Cabins 2 Years in a Row!

Reserve Now! Art Studio cabin at Mount Rainier

More about Catharine and her art

Phil Freeman ~ Your Host | In His Own Words . . .

Everything you are going to love about your stay in a Great Getaways cabin is because of Phil Freeman who is half of the duo of Catharine and Phil.

I've known them both for nearly twenty years. He's a man of many interests and talents. If you were to ask him, he would say he loves to travel. He loves photography and has a real eye for the final image. He bursts into song at the drop of a hat; composing on the fly or giving you a stirring rendition of a well-known 1970's folk song. This is a man who truly lives his values. He composts, recycles and writes compelling, persuasive articles about environmental issues affecting us all in the Pacific Northwest. And, most importantly, he loves art because he loves Catharine.

And, because they live in one of the most beautiful places on earth at the gateway to Mount Rainier, Phil would also say he's "working to preserve the beauty surrounding us."

If Phil were writing a blog, this would certainly be his first post:

 "Mountains & Sound Cabin Getaways . . . mile for mile, the best, most affordable way to see and visit Washington State!

Whether a romantic getaway or a family vacation, you’ll find our cabins are strategically located within a few hours of Seattle, Portland and the I-5 Corridor. Our cabins provide interesting day trips from one place to another. Explore snow-capped peaks, high mountain deserts and lakes. Rivers, creeks, waterfalls and Puget Sound are right out your cabin door.

It’s the best way to visit Washington, one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Our “Mountains & Sound Getaways” package gives you the weekly rate whether you are staying in one place or dividing your vacation among several cabins. 

There is nothing like a Great Getaway to rest, relax and rekindle your romance, oh, and see Washington state. 

Give us a call or reserve on line. We'll design a tour to maximize your experiences while minimizing your travel expense and time."

Voted the Best Cabins | Best Great Getaways two years in a row 

on KING5 - Evening Magazine's Best Northwest Escapes

And now a word from Catharine:

Phil tried to propose to me at the Keg.
I let him know I was looking for something more romantic.
 He booked a weekend on Orcas Island,
took me out on a row boat, and he got a big "YES".

Grateful every day to know people like Phil Freeman.

Reserve Now! Great Getaways and Copper Creek Inn Cabins