Pretty Snoqualmie Falls! (2017 Summer Vacation Part 2)

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Part 1 – Part 2

Snoqualmie falls is one of the post popular scenic views in Washington. There are decks to observe and of course, a waterfall that is 270 foot!

So our very first destination on our vacation, which was right after the graduation ended, was to visit a big waterfall. Abby was super excited. Wesley was “Meh.” I was tired. Brandi was tired. Recipe for disaster? Well, the weather was perfect and the sun was not shining. It was lightly showering, but my friends ensured that it never really rains that hard. In hindsight? They were right. It rained a few days, but never so much that it was miserable.

We visited the Snoqualmie Falls park. It had free parking and nice views. It was a little bit of a drive to get to, but not as far as some of our later drives (Port Angeles, Mount Rainier). We traveled to the site with quite the great big convoy. We had our bunch, Mike’s Bunch, and Mindy’s bunch. Now, I know you do not know these people, so I will just assure you, without introductions, that it was a great number of people.

Anyhow, from here on out will be photographs of our visit. Enjoy!

This is a shot from the first observation deck. It was rather high up. This waterfall, while probably a fifth of the size of Niagara falls, was still an impressive sight. My kids were awed by the view, and by the cold. It was definitely below 60 degrees here. I was happy for it! History: Several thousand years ago, when the glaciers receded, they left a fertile plain near Snoqualmie Falls. When Native Americans arrived, they found a bounty of edible bulbs, roots and berries on the prairie. Deer and mountain goats were plentiful. (source)

From left to right you have: Jestin, Abigail, Josie, Arya, Hailey, Chloe, Wesley. I really like that we managed to get all of our babies in there without them screaming.

Do you like green? I mean, really green? This place is for you! The park is well kept and beautiful. Paved walkways take you to different spots to see the falls from different angles. The little area in the picture here is where we hung out for a moment while we figured out just what we were going to do.

So prior to the falls is a dam. It sends water through pipes for washing elephants and airplanes with. (Okay, I think it’s electricity stuff). The pipes are large enough for people to walk through. I know this because I walked through a model of the pipes. Blam!

Now, what you may notice is the cruel slavedriving Wesley demanding his Uncle Mike carry him to new destinations. This photo, however, is to show you the big ass pipes that run from up a mountain, downward.

So the river that flows after the fall is not only awesome to be near, it’s pretty to look at. This water was clean and crisp. It sounded calming and relaxing. I wanted to swim in the river. But I would have probably drowned. It happens.

I don’t mean to brag, but I was at this awesome place and you were not. Also, I took this awesome photograph. With an iPhone 5. BE JEALOUS! History: Though there were no salmon above the falls, the upper Snoqualmie River became a seasonal rendezvous and meeting place as trade among native peoples increased. The Snoqualmie Tribe (a subgroup of the Coast Salish) established a camp at the base of Mount Si. They also established villages at Fall City and Tolt (Carnation). (source)

So this video was taken from a deck at the “bottom” of the falls. I wish I could have gotten closer, and I could have if I were geared for walking over rocks and whatnot (Croc wearers know what’s up). History: Snoqualmie is the English pronunciation of “sah-KOH-koh” or “Sdob-dwahibbluh,” a Salish word meaning moon. As a spiritual place, it gave birth to many legends. One tells of “S’Beow” (the beaver), who climbed into the sky to bring trees and fire down to earth. The Native Americans who roamed the valley were known as people of the moon. (source)

So, there is a nice little spot on the bank with some rocks for restful sitting or great photos. The hill going down to them is kind of steep and I did not go down them. Again, Crocs. The kids were doing a bit of goofing around down here and giving the women folk panic attacks because they were foot level with pretty swift water. History: In 1889, the town of Snoqualmie was platted by Charles Baker, a civil engineer. He also constructed an underground power plant at the falls in the 1890s (those original generators are still functioning today). The power plant resulted in electricity and jobs for locals, and soon a small company town was established at the falls. In 1911, a second powerhouse was constructed. (source)

That about wraps up our visit to the Snoqualmie Falls. If you ever find your way up in Washington State, make arrangements, no matter the distance, to visit this park. Also, we learned that there is a train that goes around the park that runs on the weekends. Our schedule did not allow for this, which is a loss for us, because my kids love trains and I love trains and Brandi loves trains. WE LOVE TRAINS OKAY?!

Also, the city of Snowqualmie seems to be a pretty chill place to hang out. I would have loved to explored more of it to see what they do, but we had other plans. Like visiting a particularly awesome zoo!

BONUS PHOTOS!