We’re on the road again, and this month we’re starting our drive across three states for the Avalara Sales Tax 'Trip' Tuesday series.. This mini-series begins with a scenic vacation starting with a two-hour drive, depending on the traffic and weather we encounter. We’re headed out of Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park, a 236,000-acre wilderness surrounding Washington's highest peak.
As I mentioned, we’re trying to make this a scenic trip, so even though the Interstate routes would be faster, we have chosen to avoid them as much as possible. That said, we head south on Interstate 5 to Auburn, where we will fill up with gasoline before getting on WA-164. We’ll get our gas and snacks at Safeway's fuel station on Auburn Way South. It’s convenient to our route and offers quick fueling, various snacks and drinks, and some groceries we intend to take for our stay near the park.
Gas was $3.599 per gallon, and we needed twenty-two gallons, so our fuel bill was $79.18. The Federal and State tax rate is $0.678 per gallon, so the fuel tax was $1.49 of the total. We also purchased two large coffees, a package of those little powdered sugar donuts, and a variety of breakfast items that we can cook in our kitchen-equipped room for a late supper or breakfast. (I like breakfast any time of the day!) We had $41.00 worth of groceries before tax. According to Avalara, the sales tax is 10.3%, which includes 6.5% state sales tax and 3.8% special district tax. There is no additional city or county tax. So, our total grocery bill was $45.23.
Source: Sweet Necessities, Enumclaw, Washington
We set off to the southeast with anticipation, looking forward to reaching Enumclaw in half an hour. Before heading to our resort, we stop at Sweet Necessities for scrumptious homemade salted caramels and candies. According to Avalara, the sales tax here is 8.8%, 8.5% state, and 2.3% county tax. That means our $32.70 of confections totals $35.58 with tax.
However, our plans took an unexpected turn when some visitors at Sweet Necessities informed us that one of our intended routes into Mt. Rainier was closed east of the Carbon River Ranger Station. The Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is presently closed to vehicles and pedestrians, so we had to bypass our trip to Mowich Lake.
Despite the trip-revision news and surrendering time to our sweet tooth, we returned to the car and followed WA-410 for about another half-hour to NF Road 7171. Identifying the various National Forest Service Roads is sometimes tricky, but this one is clearly marked. We no more than turn onto the road when we arrive at our destination: LOGE Alta Crystal, our base camp for our adventures at Mt. Rainier and the surrounding area.
This resort operates year-round with activities for every season. It offers transportation to Crystal Mountain's ski lifts for winter skiing and snowboarding and outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, and wildlife photography during the rest of the year. My friend Charlie Russell, who wrote about QuickBooks for the Sleeter Group for years, would love the wildflower meadows and glaciers easily photographed within this National Park.
Source: Mount Rainier National Park, National Park Service, Mt. Rainier, Washington
My imaginary companion and I have chosen the Hawthorn Cabin at the resort. It's a spacious private cabin with an open floor plan, a cozy fireplace, and a private hot tub overlooking the creek. The full kitchen lets us prepare some of our own meals while we are here. The resort also offers a range of dining options, a fitness center, and guided tours of the surrounding area.
For the rest of the day, we indulged in relaxation. While soaking in our hot tub, we were treated to the sight of several blacktail deer on the adjoining property. As nightfall approached, we even caught a glimpse of some snow, a common occurrence even as late as June. But rest assured, the ground is too warm, and any snow will disappear by sunrise.
Source: LOGE Alta Crystal, Enumclaw, Washington
Some restaurants are nearby, including the Summit House, which we’ll visit on our second night. Its cozy ambiance and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains make it a perfect spot for a relaxing evening.
After our self-made breakfast of sausage and biscuits, we head back up the road to Enumclaw to visit some of the area's history. One of our stops south of Buckley will be Wilkeson, a historic mining town where coal was discovered in the hills and canyons of the Carbon River Valley in the 1800s.
Source: Wilkeson, Pierce County, 1910 Postcard, Courtesy Washington State Historical Society
This town has two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: the Town Hall and the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Here, you can get a good feel for what mining camps that grew into mining towns were like. This was known as the roughest mining town west of Butte, Montana. The Northern Pacific Railroad built a line into this town to convey coal, which might be considered the first form of “black gold.”
Since we can't access the park via the Carbon River route, we’ll turn north up WA-165 to make our way on WA-162, even though Carbonado, another mining town of equal prominence, is down the road toward our originally planned route. We just don't have time to visit the graves of the miners killed in a colossal explosion that wiped out most of the town's men.
Turning southwest, we head to Eatonville, a former logging community. Nestled within the foothills of Mt. Rainier, this little town is one of the biggest in the area and is home to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.
It's good that we arrived when we did because I'm starving. There is no better place to stop than at the Mill Haus Cider Company.
Source: Mill Haus Cider Company, Eatonville, Washington
We’ll share a flatbread pizza, some salads, and dessert. Have you known us to skip dessert anywhere we go in our imagination? The one great thing about an imaginary dessert is that it has absolutely no calories.
Source: Mill Haus Cider Company, Eatonville, Washington
We had better get our check figured out. $18.00 for the flatbread, $28.00 for the two salads, and another $14.00 for dessert. That's a total of $60.00. Avalara tells us the Sales Tax for the State of Washington is 6.5%, and for Eatonville, the tax is 1.6%, for a total of 8.1%. Our check totals out at $64.86.
Heading around the loop, we arrive in Elbe just in time for a few minutes of stretching before boarding the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad for an excursion to New Reliance. This round trip takes about 2-1/2 hours to complete, with only about 30 minutes between boardings.
Source: Mr. Rainier Scenic Railroad, Elbe, Washington
It's an excellent opportunity to see not only the foothills without having to drive them, but also the majesty of Rainier in the distance. The Lounge Car makes it easy to unwind and relax with beverages and snacks. You don't want to miss your chance to step back aboard this steam train.
If you’re 21 or older, splurge on the lounge car at $52.00 per ticket with a $3.00 convenience fee. Avalara confirms that our sales tax is $9.77 per ticket: 6.5% for the state and 2.9% for the county. It's collected only on the ticket price, not the convenience fee.
Source: Mr. Rainier Scenic Railroad, Elbe, Washington
Following the train ride, we head back to base camp, but as I mentioned earlier, we’ll stop for supper at the Summit House.
Source: Summit House Restaurant, Enumclaw, Washington
This is an experience itself since it is perched at nearly 6,900 feet, just steps from the Mt. Rainier Gondola.
Source: Mt. Rainier Gondola
It's not so much the food, it's the experience of this place, nowhere else can you see the mountain like this.
Source: Summit House Restaurant, Enumclaw, Washington
In warmer months, you can sit out on the patio and enjoy the changing seasons while snow still caps the glorious view, but I was glad to be inside as the sky turned dark and the temperatures started to fall.
While tomorrow is golf with my imaginary companion, I won't bother you with how terrible a round I shot, even in my imagination. I should have dreamed up a much better scorecard.
After a good final night's rest and our morning breakfast, we are ready to snake our way to Spokane and then on to Coeur d'Alene. But that's for next month's installment of the Avalara Sales Tax Trip Tuesday features. Still the same, this has been a perfect start to a trip of a lifetime.
And speaking of experiences, have you experienced what it means to be an Avalara Accountant Partner? If you are looking to provide Sales Tax benefits for your clients who are repeatedly running into issues with the taxing authority saying they are out of compliance, you should introduce those clients to Avalara. But be sure to head to the Avalara Accountant Partner website for more information on partnering to benefit your clients and your practice. By the way, tell them, "Murph sent ya."
Till next month, safe travels, and keep paying that sales tax!
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