Marblemount, Washington –

As I headed back to civilization, after spending a day in North Cascades National Park, the first town that offered a bite to eat was Marblemount, on Washington Route 20. My nose knew I needed to stop here…

… at this red caboose, by the side of the road. It’s a fantastic barbeque restaurant, serving wonderfully messy sandwiches at reasonable prices. There’s also a gas station next-door, in case you need to refill your tank or your cooler, or simply wash up before (and after) your messy meal.

If you want to truly access North Cascades National Park, and not just the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, you’ll need to turn off the main road at Marblemount, and head towards Cascade Pass Trail. It’s the only road that actually takes you inside North Cascades NP — Washington 20 stays within the NRA the entire time.

Earlier in the day, I made another stop in the Marblemount area, to check out this tiny roadside chapel. It was built in 1977, by the owners of the resort across the street.

The Wildwood Chapel provides enough space for (maybe) a dozen tiny people, or a half-dozen regular-sized folks, to pause for a moment and give thanks for the natural wonders that surround the area. The door is unlocked. Behave yourself.

Drivelapse Video

Here’s the time-lapse, dash-cam video of the drive from the Ross Dam Trailhead (the eastern-most point of my drive into the Cascades) to Marblemount:

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