One of my favorite lodges in all of parkdom is the Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park. This stately patriarch, built in 1917, is nestled in a breathtaking setting on the flanks of Mount Rainier. Beyond the setting, the inn itself is an architectural wonder, having been built largely of silver fir and Alaska yellow cedar taken from within the park. Cedar-shake siding, massive exposed beams, cathedral ceilings, and over-sized rock fireplaces make this inn an idyllic mountain retreat.
    At the same time, the inn is showing its age. Cracks in the fireplaces let sun shine into the inn. Room floors slope a bit. The building itself is tilted in places.
    These and other problems will be solved during the next two years, as the inn will be shut down for long-overdue repairs. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer details this project here.