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Paradise ( see Kids' POV )

Paradise can be found on Mount Rainier. Well, it's actually one of the park's most-visited spots, a tiny little tourist town along the road that circles most of the mountain. It's got a lodge, information, a visitor center, food, and the beginning of several short trails. It makes a good place to stop and rest if you are driving all around. It's also the place many tourists stop to turn around and head back.

At the top of a long, spiraling ramp in the visitor center, you'll find the observation level. If the weather isn't great, the clouds can be not very high above you, in which case the mountain will be completely hidden. [We remember heading back to the parking lot and seeing clouds at about eye level further out from the mountain.]  If you look very carefully through the telescopes, you can just make out climbers attempting to scale the mountain.

Sunrise

The other tourist town is Sunrise, almost on the other side of the mountain from Paradise. We don't remember much about the place itself, except that it has some of the same amenities as Paradise. We've only been there once. We do remember very well the viewpoint not far from Sunrise, though. The road curves around in a U-shape, and there is parking between the two sides of the U. This viewpoint offers absolutely breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and many other peaks of the Cascade Range that surround the park.

We spent some time there just taking it all in. We noticed a gorgeous blue-green lake way down below, and we believe that if you've got the time and the energy (we had neither), you can hike down to it. You can see it in the photo below. This makes a wonderful place to stop and rest, maybe have a snack or picnic, and let the cool wind carry your worries away.

Narada Falls ( see Kids' POV )

Narada Falls can be found about halfway between the southwest entrance to the park and Paradise. There's a large parking lot and a sign before you reach it, so you should have plenty of time to slow down and pull into the lot. You can see the falls from there, but not very well. All you can really see is the rushing water plunging off the cliff. To see better, you'll need to take a short walk. There's a wide, clearly-marked trail you can follow to reach a viewing area. It goes steadily downhill (don't forget you'll have to go back up) and is pretty easy. Only at the very end does it get a bit wet, since the fall's spray regularly blows right there. You won't get soaked, but you'll definitely feel it.

Christine Falls

Not far from Narada Falls is this other well-known waterfall. While Narada is more of a "wild" waterfall, plunging over the rocks to smash down below, Christine is a bit different. For one thing, you can't quite see the whole thing. You will see most of it, though, framed by the graceful bridge you drove over to reach the parking spots. Christine Falls seems more gentle, somehow, and more scenic, though still with that soothing roar we all love.

A note: toward the end of the summer, a chunk of a glacier much farther up the mountain broke off and released a goodly amount of water, mud, and debris. The slide, called a lahar, ended up going through Christine Falls, so for a while the water was dirty and brown. This was only temporary, however, and as far as we know, the waterfall is now back to normal.

Reflection Lake

A bit to the east of Paradise, visitors can find Reflection Lake. Of course, countless photographs have been taken there, including many that you can find on souvenirs. When we went, the water was not still enough to make a good reflection. A park ranger happened to be there, and he said that the best time to try is in the morning, since that's when the water is most often calm. We'll have to try again another time.

 Paradise
The kids like the visitor center at Paradise.  It has a long spiral ramp to get to the observation area on top.  They look to look through the two scopes to check out the mountain, even though they need help to reach.  They also like to remember the time our little boy was sneaking some candy when he was only 3 years old.

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Narada Falls
Even if a trail is used only by tourists, and even if it's almost wide enough to fit a small car, our kids will love it because they'll be "hiking." The hike was fun for them, as always, and at the end, our kids laughed when the spray from the falls got blown right on them. If the sun is out, they'll get to see the rainbows formed in the mist, too.

 
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