
To Paradise and Back
Think of famous tourist attractions in Seattle, and most likely Seattle Needle will be the first to come to mind. However, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, there stands Seattle’s real crowning glory — Mount Rainier. It is an active volcano surrounded by several square miles of snow, ice, and gorgeous old-growth forests. It is also a haven for fauna and wild flora.
Evergreen Escapes offered us a one-of-a kind opportunity to see Mount Rainier up close and personal, with a small group tour and a knowledgeable guide. I love Evergreen because they try their best to make everything easy for their customers. They even schedule a downtown complimentary pickup and drop-off: meaning you can go to Mount Rainier and back without any hassle.
Before we got to Mount Rainier itself, we were treated to the quaint little town of Enumclaw. There were antiques and sweets galore! It was awesome.
Once we got to the mountain itself, we were treated to a boatload of interesting facts about the area. Marty, our driver/tour-guide, said that we were lucky that day. Mount Rainier can be seen in its full glory. He said that even though Evergreen Escapes runs tours every summer (May-September), most of the time the mountain is covered by a layer of fog.
The group was relatively small — Evergreen only allows a maximum of ten, and we only had eight.
After the resort, we headed to a place called “Paradise” — perfectly named, in my opinion. Paradise is a famous hiking ground, offering a treasure-trove of wildflower meadows and hiking trails. There is also a visitor center, where we can feast on information about Mount Rainier.
Marty asked whether we would like to go on a big hike, or on a series of smaller hikes. Most of us decided we wanted to go on a big hike. He also created schedules so we know when we’ll be back. Marty is amazingly efficient in managing this tour. He said that there’s a wealth of activities we can do here — so much that they can even think of alternatives when it is raining.
We took note of our schedules, for those who want to make it to the falls and those who want to loop around the trails. The hike was heart-pumping, not only for the exercise but for the raw, natural view we took in along the way. We saw deer and other animals, and marveled at the emerald green of the trees and sapphire blue of the sky. While we were hiking, Marty was preparing a lunch for when we got back — kale, quinoa, and other organic food. It was amazingly tasty!
From there we headed back downtown, leaving Mount Rainier behind. We won’t really leave it, though — there’s a part of it that remains with every visitor. We just saw Paradise of Earth, and we are raring to come back.
Evergreen Escapes
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What a fun day trip. I am in awe that there is son in August on the mountains.
That place looks amazing! I really, really want to go there.
These pictures melted my heart! They’re all so beautiful, looks like you had lots of fun in there
It’s so beautiful around here! The tour is worth it especially the big hike. You get to immerse yourself in the environment. Everything about this place is wonderful.
Breathtaking view! There’s nothing like it! I would love to go here and just bask in the beauty of the place. The whole thing is definitely Paradise!
What a super amazing adventure. I love that they do these in small groups so you can really have a great experience.
This look like the perfect vacation.
You are born to be a traveler, Karla! I love your photos, I wish I can experience this too.
It looks like you had a great time. I love the photo of the waterfall and also of the fog around the mountain. I bet it is stunning to see in person.
Oh wow! That view looks breathtaking! I bet that is a very fun and beautiful place to visit.
The Northwest is so pretty!! What a fun national park to visit and to explore, I love the scenery!
I’ve seen Mt Ranier from afar when I was up in Seattle. I would love to visit.
This seems like an amazing trip. I would love to do this someday!
Now this is the definition of pure beauty and like you said it is raw. I can’t imagine how breathtaking mt rainier is.
funnily enough, i have a friend/mentor named rainer 🙂
The photos are absolutely se manifique! I would love to visit this place.
I love waterfalls, breathtaking! I love all your pictures, I need to get there to visit!
What a great inspiring place to unwind. Thank you for showing us this place. I like to go to one of this place someday.