Paradise

We've been talking about going up to Paradise on Mt. Rainier since spring, when Kayda got her fourth grade national park pass.  Daddy decided this weekend was the time to do it.  It was still pretty hazy up there from the smoke but you could see the mountain.  Dillon got carsick on the way up which makes for a long drive.  I remember getting carsick for most every trip as a kid.  I always feel so badly for him since I spent so much time that way (as did Daddy).  I'm usually pretty good about getting him Dramamine, which helps a lot... But of course, on one of the worst possible trips, I forgot.

We looked at the possible trails and saw the Alta Vista loop, it's supposed to have gorgeous wildflowers and it's only 1.5 miles long.  We figured it wouldn't be a big deal.... We were wrong. We ended up going practically straight up a good 1/2 to 3/4 miles.  By the time we got to the first plateau we were beat and Kayda and Dillon were starting to get headaches and dizziness.

These were Kayda and Carson's favorite of the wild flowers.

These were Dillon's favorite.

We decided to cut over and try an easier trail.  We didn't make it.  Kayda and Dillon just started to feel worse.  The altitude was more than their little bodies could handle.  We slowly made our way back to the parking lot and headed home.

Kayda had read about Narada falls and really wanted to see it.  It was on the way down from the mountain with a really short hike to the viewing area.  It's 241ft high.  The kids thought it was pretty great!

By the time we got home we were all pretty beat.  Dillon and Kayda were especially worn out from getting sick. I don't think it's a place we'll visit again simply because it's overcrowded and most of the hikes are insanely steep.