Thursday, July 17, 2008

My Paradise

I have been fortunate to have visited many beautiful places in my now 64 years; the grandeur of our canyons and sandstone formations in the Southwest US, the countryside and stately homes and gardens of England, Germany's Black forest region, the Alps of Germany, Austria and northern Switzerland, and the fiords of Norway come to mind. But there is no more wonderful place for me than Paradise on the southern flanks of the mountain, on a sunny July day, in Mt. Rainier National Park, here in Washington.
I took these photos three years ago today on my 61st birthday. I am revisiting my favorite place today through my photos. Next year I plan to be back there in person. Reflection Lake, just up the road from Paradise, was the site of our daughter's wedding in 2001.The wedding dinner was held in Paradise Inn, the old national park lodge. We all stayed overnight then, and Tom and I stayed there for my birthday three years ago. The lodge has just reopened after being refurbished. I plan to be on the guest list this time next year. Anyone care to join me?

11 comments:

  1. Wow! Your photo tour is enough to make me want to go!

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  2. Count me IN!!! Good Golly. Are you sure that isn't Heaven? It certainly is the way I'd invision it. You captured it PERFECTLY!
    Those are stunning photos!

    I'm thinking I could make that an anniversary tradition and never tire of it.

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  3. Omaheck... I got so caught up in the grandeur of your pictures, I forgot to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to youuuuuuu... and many moooooore... at Paradise at Ranier. hummmmmm

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  4. happy birthday, gorgeous photos-perfect each one, you could win an award for any of them. it is beautiful up there when it's sunny but i have a hard time enjoying rain, cause i was raised in the desert of utah.

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  5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! What a place to have a wedding. I have never been to anyplace that looks like your photos. It's just stunning..sigh..

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  6. Happy Birthday, Linda! Wow! What gorgeous photos! Thanks for letting us share in your memories. Those photos are like my happy place dreams. Ahhhhh!

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  7. These are beautiful! You just can't beat Mt. Rainier for wonderful pictures.

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  8. Beautiful place! I love Seattle so much, and now have to make plans to come back that way to stay there1

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  9. WOW... love this series of pictures.

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  10. Rainier is such a beauty. I love it--I can see her from my deck all the way up here.
    BTW where did you retire from teaching? I went to Seattle schools most of my school years. (St. Benedicts and Holy Angels) MB

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  11. I can well understand your love for such a beautiful place... these pictures are delightful... each one as good as the one before and all have a 'wow' in them.. ;O)

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