Road Trip Daily

We chose to drive the long, scenic route back to Seattle instead of driving back the way we came: this way we would circle the whole Olympic Penninsula.  Our first destination was the picturesque Ruby Beach. On the Pacific Ocean and having many tide pools, this beach was a special treat to see.  The morning fog gave the beach  a very Twilight feel.  We continued south past more beaches but stopped next at a big cedar tree. The tree was dying and was actually five trees in one. Still impressive.  We eventually turned east and drove to Lake Quinault, site of a pretty lake and the worlds largest Sitka Spruce tree.  We arrived at our luxurious hotel (thanks Bill!) near the airport by late afternoon. We enjoyed a very delicious meal, free ice cream and a comfy night's sleep. 

After enjoying a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and pizza-sized hot cakes, we drove along the coastal roads to Cape Flattery, the northwest-most point in the lower 48 states.  The weather was rainy and overcast but the rain stopped when we hit the north coast. The road hugged the shoreline as we enjoyed pretty harbor and misty rock views. We often stopped to ponder at beauty.  The rain began again just as we passed into the rundown Neah Bay in the Makah Indian Reservation. A half dozen tribes have reservations along this Pacific corner.  Despite the rain, we hiked out to Cape Flattery.. and boy, were we glad we did. The Cape was magnificent with countless caves, islands, birds and vistas.  We skipped another costal hike to Shi Shi beach as the rain was pouring and the hike long, instead returning to the cabins. After a rice and beans lunch at the cabins, we rallied and drove to the Sol Duc valley for the afternoon. This valley had a crystal clear river, an...

The Hoh Rainforest is one of the only rainforests in America. We hiked six miles along the Hoh River to the Five Mile Island campground and back, giving us a total of twelve glorious miles in the Hoh.  Along the way, we thought up countless puns using the word Hoh, like Hoh No!, Bow and Err-Hoh, I love Hoh and O Hoh-Ly Night. We kept our eyes out for Roosevelt Elk but were unable to see them through the dense forest. This rainforest was unusually dry-- a result of a hopefully-temporary draught that has already caused a wildfire closeby. We were constantly amazed by the moss- covered trees, some towering like sentinels toward the sky.  We took a quick Zen nap at the five mile island, our turnaround point, and then hiked back. Roman was eager to hike fast and add on steps to his step count, so he hiked ahead most of the return.  Pics.  After the hike, we checked into our Cabins at Beaver Creek, new cabins with three beds, two up narrow and steep Italian stairs. We then...

Day 2 in Olympic started out with a drive to the Elwha valley to see the remains of a dam removed last year in order to restore the Elwha River and its Salmon run. A recent movie Damnation highlighted this dam removal as a start to a larger trend in waterway restoration. Bill and Roman encouraged me to consider dam removal as a potential career option:) Here's a pic of the remaining spillway and dam removed to the left.  Out next stop was an overlook of the deep and clear Lake Crescent. This peaceful lake is over 350 feet deep in parts.  The Marymere Falls hike at Lake Crescent climbed gently through a dense forest and ended at a tranquil falls. The symmetry of this falls was especially impressive.  We continued west toward tonight's lodging near the Quilliyute River and the city of Forks, a town made famous as the setting for the Twilight series. A drive to the Pacific Coast made us understand why this area was chosen. Smooth rocks lined the misty seashore, along with st...

After eating a delicious but long two course breakfast at Collette's, Roman, Bill and I drove to Hurricane Ridge for our first taste of Olympic Park. Smoke from wildfires in British Columbia blanketed the area with a white smoke which limited the visibility but we hoped skies would clear a bit for our mountain ridge hike.  We drove up the Hurricane Ridge Road to its very end and hiked out to Hurricane Hill. The skies cleared just enough for a view of Mount Olympus in the distance.  Roman showed off his Whip dance moves while Bill expertly pointed out wildflowers and other natural sights. The mountains in the smoke reminded me of the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  We had lunch at the visitor center, highlighted by very hot hotdogs, and proceeded down a narrow, winding dirt road to the Grand Valley. This two lane road seemed very one lane most of the way but we survived the journey. We proceeded a half mile to the Deer Valley area and were amazed by the green, deep val...

Uncle Bill and Cousin Roman came in today!!  I picked them up at the airport at noon and we drove to downtown Seattle. We were going to take the scenic route to the Olympic Penninsula by way of the ferry to lovely Bainbridge island, but had a few stops in between.  After a nice lunch at a trendy and cool brewery, we stopped at the Pike Place Market for some fish tossing entertainment at the fish market and a almost-artistic, used gum-filled alleyway.  We walked fifteen blocks to the ferry but couldn't buy tickets without the van, so Roman and I speed-walked back to the van, picked up waiting Bill and reached the ferry entrance just in time for the 3pm ferry. We enjoyed the cool breeze, great views of Seattle and the luminous Mount Rainier.  We avoided some serious traffic on Bainbridge Island by taking side roads by luxurious houses and quiet waterway views, before finally crossing over the the Olympic Penninsula. We arrived at the surpassingly exceptional Collette's...