I ended my last post saying, “The next installment will feature images from the Hoh Rain Forest and one of my absolute favorite stops, Rialto Beach.”
Signage
I lied. There were so many cool shots from Hoh (which is pronounced with the long O as in OH), that I’m saving Rialto Beach for next time. Sorry, Bob.
There’s a ton of pics in this post, so I want overburden you with words. The image captions say enough, I think.
Well, maybe this first image needs some explanation. To get to the Hoh Rain Forest, we had to drive through the town of Forks, Washington. That’s the actual town where author Stephenie Meyer based her Twilight book series. I haven’t seen the movie(s) or read the books, but enjoyed the Twilight theme in Forks. Especially this sign.
Do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do…
Banana Slug, which Yves declared “overripe.”
One of the main attractions in the Hoh Rain Forest is the Hall of Mosses trail. A really easy 0.8-mile trail that introduces visitors to the complex ecosystem and unique arboreal tapestry. The trail begins at the ranger station. Another trail, which we also followed for a bit, travels above and along the Hoh River.
Mossy Phone at Ranger Station
Do you see a dinosaur?
Creek
Hints of Fall Color
Moss and Ferns
Lovely, Peaceful Forest
Tourists
More Hints of Fall Color
Big Leaf Maple
Abundant Growth
Fungi
Sunlight Peeking Through
See why it’s called the “Hall of Moses”?
As Annelies said, “I’ve never seen so many different shades of green.”
Hints of Fall Color
Another Big Leaf Maple
Creek
Moss
Hikers
Ferns
Fungi
Black Slug
Still Hiking…
Every now and then, we would get to see the river.
Fern
Witch!
Trees growing on moss-covered log.
Sun-dappled ferns.
Big Stuff
Official Greeter?
See why it was so hard to choose? I hope y’all enjoyed the pics as much as I enjoyed the Hoh Rain Forest.
Next up, I promise, is Rialto Beach.
TRIP Re-cap
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
If you read Installment 7, you know we visited Hurrican Ridge at Olympic National Park (ONP) in the morning. Our plan was to head around to the Sol Duc area to see the hot springs. As we were on our way, we decided to stop at Lake Crescent, also within ONP, to see the lodge and grab lunch.
ONP Map
It’s hard to understand the sheer vastness of ONP. Looking at a map (click on the image at left) might help. But even then, until you are there and experience the size for yourself, it’s hard to imagine the scale. So I decided to copy some map images, one showing the area we covered in WA/OR and one showing the exact same area in the Eastern US, to help give you a better idea.
The park itself is about as big as Central Maryland. And there are no roads that go from one side to the other, because of the mountains, so you have to drive around the perimeter of the park and then into the park’s interior to reach specific points.
ONP is the green area (circled) of the left-most map.
We’d driven an hour, at least, to reach Hurricane Ridge. Then we had to exit the park and continue west for another hour to reach Lake Crescent. It would have been at least another 45 minutes to where we were headed in Sol Duc. Which then meant we’d have another two-hour and 45-minute drive to get back to Sequim, which is where we were staying.
We did make a stop to see Madison Creek Falls on the way to Lake Crescent.
Trail Sign
Large Decayed Stump
Trees
Fall Color
Waterfall
Silly Men
Growth Everywhere
Forest Walk
Making Art
Lovely area, eh? I’m glad we took our time there. But we still had things to see, so off we went to Lake Crescent.
Wow, this re-cap is taking a long time. It reminds me of just how much ground we covered and the wide variety of AMAZING stuff we got to see…
At the end of my last post, we’d just arrived in Sequim, Washington, which was to be our “base camp” while visiting Olympic National Park (ONP).
The cool thing about ONP is that it encompasses three distinct ecosystems: sub-alpine forest, temperate rainforest, and the rugged ocean coast. On the way to Sequim, we’d stopped and experienced a bit of rain forest AND rocky shore. On this day, it was up to Hurricane Ridge to see that sub-alpine forest and wildflower meadow for ourselves.
Visitor Center
Annelies checks out the map.
Looking like Fall in the Visitor Center parking lot.
After a quick stop at the Visitor Center just inside the park entrance (near sea level), we got back into the car. That’s when I heard Yves exclaim something like, “What? Look is that?”
He’d mis-read a sign outside of the center. Not because he can’t read English well, he absolutely can, but I guess because he’d read it too quickly.
Confusing instructions.
Those of you not used to visiting national parks in bear country may not realize that backpackers and campers are required to store all food in bear-proof canisters, aka “bear cans,” to keep the bears at bay.
About halfway up to Hurricane Ridge.
View from parking lot at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
ToadMama at Hurricane Ridge
Deer! (near clump of trees on left)
Glacier
On Top of the World
View toward Vancouver Island, Canada.
Fabulous path.
Closer look at the glacier.
Nice stroll.
I just loved the colors up there.
Evidence of previous fire.
Hanging Moss
Small Butterfly and Bee
Gnarled Pine (from the wind)
Itty Bitty Wildflower
Teeny Tiny Tree (about 4″ tall) with Fall Foliage
Encroaching Fog
Driving into the fog as we made our descent.
We spent a few hours exploring the Hurricane Ridge area. It was lovely. But we still had more to see. We’d also planned on seeing a couple other areas within ONP, which is HUGE. So off we went.
Pics from that afternoon will be in my next installment.
TRIP Re-cap
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
I spent the entire weekend doing yard work, running errands, and doing more yard work. Hard to get caught up on everything!
We left Ocean Shores (layover spot) early on the morning of Thursday, September 5. We were all anxious to get to Olympic National Park.
But first, I wanted to visit the beach. Unfortunately, reaching the sand would have required bushwhacking through that dense brush seen in the photo below.
Ocean Shores Beach (in the distance)
That’s why the desk clerk looked at me as if I had two heads when I asked her the previous night if I could get to the beach.
Kirkpatrick Road
She said, “It’s really dark. And you need to follow our beach path.” But I could tell she really wanted to say, “That’s a stupid idea.” I thought to myself, “Don’t Washingtonians like to walk on the beach at night?” I was forgetting that the Pacific Coast, at least in the Northwest, is MUCH wilder than the Atlantic Coast.
As Annelies and I discovered that morning, there was a path, but it wasn’t wide at all. And did require a bunch of ducking and stooping. We reached a little knoll after about 100 yards, saw how far we still had to go, and decided to turn around.
We really were looking forward to seeing Olympic National Park, too. So off we went.
For a change, we let the guys do the driving. Annelies and I rode in the backseat. I was navigating with my Google Maps app and couldn’t resist capturing a screen shot when I saw we were on Kirkpatrick Road.
It only took about an hour and a half to reach Lake Quinault from Ocean Shores.
Ranger Station
Lodge Sign
Rainy Weather
Fireplace at Lake Quinault Lodge
Smokey the Bear
We were undeterred by the rain. I mean, we were about to hike into the Quinault Rainforest, one of only three temperate rainforests in the Western hemisphere. And Annelies and I, being the excellent travel planners, had made sure everyone brought rain gear.
We’d only gone mere steps from the parking lot at the ranger station when we saw this…
Steps from the Parking Lot
Behind the Ranger Station
Wow, right?
I took a ton of pictures during our hike, but am only going to share a choice few here.
Trail Finding
Two Roads Diverged…
I couldn’t help but think of Robert Frost as soon as I saw that image, which I’m glad I captured. It’s one of my favorites from the trip.
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth…
Goofs
I did tell y’all we laugh a lot when we are together, right? We really do. We have the guys trained to ham it up for the cameras, too.
We were all completely awed and amazed by the rain forest.
Ferns
Berry Picking (blackberries)
Explorers
I look like such a dork with my crooked glasses. They’re newish, but have been stepped on and need to be replaced.
Nurse Log
Babbling Stream
Banana Slug
Dewy Spider Web
I’ll share more rain forest images on Flickr one day.
After we emerged from the rain forest trail, we ate lunch at the lodge. The next photo is another one of my favorites from the trip.
Lawn at Lake Quinault Lodge
I’d like to be on one of those chairs right now.
World’s Largest Sitka Spruce Tree
We stopped to visit this tree, which is near the lodge, then were on our way to Kalaloch (pronounced like “clay-lock”) Beach.
Kalaloch Beach (Beach #3)
Kalaloch Beach Reflections
Group Photo Op
Exploring the Tide Pools
Life in a Tide Pool
Exploring the Tide Pools at Kalaloch Beach
My First Rock Cairn
Hubby
Kalaloch Beach
We probably spent a good hour or more exploring. I love beaches! Although there was still one left to see nearby (Ruby Beach), the sun was setting, and we still had about a 2.5-hour drive to get to Sequim.
Simple Dinner
We actually got to Sequim just as the sun was setting. We were all so bushed, we opted to order pizza for dinner.
Yet another awesome rental property.
More on Olympic National Park in Installment 7…
TRIP Re-cap
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
Even if Portland wasn’t our favorite destination during this vacation, as you saw in the last few installments (see list at bottom of this post to go back), we still had a good time.
One thing we do a whole lot of when traveling with Annelies and Yves is laugh. We really have fun together. So even a bad day is a good day. Know what I’m saying? And so-so days are grand.
Anyway… I was very excited on the morning of September 4 because I knew we were headed for the coast. I LOVE the Oregon coast. Love, love, love it!
Our first stop of the day, though, was a place our Victorian’s owner told us about… the International Rose Test Garden. He emphasized that it was a great place to get a view of Mount Hood. It was sort of on our way anyway, and there was no admission fee, so we decided to stop for a visit.
Yves and Mike, Reading
Pink Rose
Unfortunately, as you’ll see in the image shown below, the cloud cover and/or fog was too thick to see the mountain.
Too Much Fog/Clouds
We did see lots of gorgeous roses, though. I took quite a few pictures. Sadly, I had a blonde moment in the car and deleted about two-thirds of the images I captured there.
Pink Roses
Pink Rose
That’s why you only see pink roses here. Oh well…
Sure I was upset, but we were headed for the Oregon coast. The loss of images was completely offset by my joy knowing we’d be at the coast soon.
Our first order of business was to find a spot for lunch, which we did, just south of Cannon Beach along US 101.
Thrilled to be at the beach!
We were all starving, but visited the beach first.
Arcadia Beach, Oregon
Arcadia Beach, Oregon
Arcadia Beach, Oregon
Arcadia Beach, Oregon
Arcadia Beach, Oregon
Arcadia Beach Picnic
After a lovely bread, cheese, fruit, and wine picnic, we headed back north to see Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach is a cute beach town, but I remember it best for Haystack Rock, a sea stack that rises 235 feet out of the sand and the sea at the low tide line. Haystack Rock and the area around it are abundant with sea life in tide pools, which I also love.
Me in front of Haystack Rock.
Sea stacks are geological land forms consisting of a steep, often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed by time, wind, and water, which separate the stack from the headland.
Haystack Rock
That’s not a great picture, since I was shooting through fog into the sun, but it gives you a better idea of the scale of Haystack Rock.
Sea Stacks
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Reflection
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Buried Feet
Sea Stars (aka Starfish)
Cute Dog Cooling Off in a Tide Pool
Tide Pool
Annelies and Yves, enjoying their first tide pools.
I could spend DAYS exploring beaches, but we had places to go. We still had to get to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Our destination for the night was Ocean Shores, Washington. Just a stopover, really.
Speaking of stopovers… I had to pose for a photo op here after seeing Warrenton, Oregon on the map (I live in Warrenton, VA).
Warrenton, Oregon
After a very quick stop, we continued north. We crossed the Columbia River on a steel truss bridge that spans the river between Astoria, Oregon and Point Ellice near Megler, Washington. I didn’t know at the time that the bridge, which is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) long, was the last-completed segment of US-101 between Olympia, Washington, and Los Angeles, California, and is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.
Bridge Over the Columbia River
We were going to stop for pics of the bridge, but couldn’t find a convenient place. Knowing we still had a ways to go, we continued on our way.
We made one brief, but important stop in Long Beach, Washington for this photo op…
Annelies and I posing in front of the world’s largest frying pan.
…after Annelies told me she’d never seen or been photographed with anything labeled “world’s biggest.”
With another 2.5 hours of drive time between Long Beach and Ocean Shores, we didn’t reach our destination until after dark. So that’s the end of the images from September 4.
The next installment will introduce you to the amazing sights we saw in Olympic National Park. Y’all come back now, y’hear?
TRIP Re-cap
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
After lunch, we skedaddled out of the city and headed east into the Columbia River Gorge (CRG) National Scenic Area. According to the Forest Service’s CRG web site…
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area encompasses 292,500 acres, running from the mouth of the Sandy River to the mouth of the Deschutes and spanning southern Washington and northern Oregon. The Gorge is unique in its natural and cultural history, as well as its designation as a National Scenic Area.
That’s a pretty big area. We could easily spend a week exploring it all. We didn’t have that much time, of course. But Annelies and I both new we just HAD to see Multnomah Falls. The falls are 620 feet high, which makes it the highest waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge.
Multnomah Falls
The image posted above was take from the base. This place is pretty close to the road, which makes it very easy to get to and VERY popular. Even off-season, there are lots of people.
We did walk up to the bridge you see in the first shot to get a closer look at the upper falls…
Upper Cascade of Multnomah Falls
… and the gorge.
View of Gorge from Falls Bridge
The lighting was better on the bridge, so we got a few good people shots, too.
Yves and Annelies
Mike and Me
Yves loves reading informational signs.
Reading about the falls.
After coming down from the falls trail, we walked under the nearby Union Pacific train track. I’m glad no train passed while we were that close to the tracks. That would have been LOUD!
Low-clearance Train Bridge
Once we’d seen enough of the falls and gotten our fill of people-watching, we headed back toward Portland. There were a couple of stops planned from there. The first was the Vista House scenic overlook.
Must-see Scenic Overlook
Looking East
Looking North (that’s Washington across the river)
Looking West
Vista House (up close)
The second planned stop, still a bit further west, was the Portland Women’s Forum Stace Scenic Viewpoint. (If you must know about the odd name of that place, CLICK HERE.)
Vista House (from afar at Portland Women’s Forum)
While there, we had time for a group shot. To get the lighting right, we had to sit facing the sun (sort of), which is why we all look squinty.
Squinty Group Photo
From there, we went to Costco. We really know how to show people a good time!
I wanted to see if they sold Blue Crab meat. They didn’t. But we did buy some thick NY Strip steaks for dinner. And Annelies bought a new suitcase. Yves wanted to buy a new car. But we talked him out of it.
Annelies and Yves were excited to see the inside of a Costco store.
Then we went to a regular grocery store before heading back to the house where Yves cooked us dinner.
We love silly group photos.
That ended our last full day in Portland…
Next up, visiting the Oregon Coast!
🙂
TRIP Re-cap
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
