WOW When James Longmire’s  daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed,”Oh, what a paradise!”  This quote pretty much sums up most people’s reaction to this spot on Mt. Rainier. A trip to Paradise was my second trip up the mountain a couple weeks ago. It was planned as part of a family reunion outing. This part of the mountain is very accessible for people of most skill levels. The paths are mostly paved and not too steep or long yet the vistas are incredible.

Cirsium edule – Edible Thistle Nothing beats getting out into the mountains and seeing plants in the wild. Try as you might, you can never really reproduce what Mother Nature does so effortlessly. That is provided man stays out of the way and doesn’t disturb what happens naturally. Mt. Rainier Having Mount Rainier in our backyard provides an easy escape to witness the wild flowers happening this time of year. I had the opportunity this past week to get up into the mountain tw