Montana to Washington
Our year-long road trip continues! As you may have read, Montana exceeded our expectations, and we easily could have spent more time in Glacier National Park. So why didn’t we? Well, by the end of September, we were experiencing some cold nights dropping into the 30s, and while we do have a furnace in our travel trailer, our pipes and the trailer itself are not equipped for freezing temperatures. Plus, we still had some mountains and distance to traverse to head further west and we didn’t want to risk waiting any longer and possibly encountering snowy or icy road conditions. It’s already a challenge pulling a travel trailer in ideal conditions, (in case you missed it, Matt covered the challenges of towing here) so icy mountain roads were not on our adventure list.
It felt like Washington was welcoming us with open arms as we drove along a stretch of 90 called Mountains to Sound Greenway (East of Seattle). The mountains were foggy and rainy (but not snowy!) when we saw an enormous, full double rainbow. We pulled over with our huge rig like lunatics to gawk at it and snap some pictures. Honestly, it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
We continued onward, to the Pacific Northwest, to the Olympic Peninsula. There’s easily something exciting about going somewhere new, but there can be just as much anticipation in returning to someplace you’ve been before. Which is exactly how we were feeling about Olympic National Park. Now, shame on us for bypassing two parks (North Cascades & Mount Rainier) we’ve never been to. I’ll partially blame the weather, and partially blame our love for Olympic. Why do we love it so much? Well, I have wonderful memories visiting here with my aunt, uncle and cousin as part of a trip celebrating our high school graduation, and Matt and I had also been here before and can’t help but love the green, canopied, magical trails. And if you happen to be a Twilight fan (I plead the fifth) this is where it’s based! Forks, the Quileute Tribe, the Vampires and the love triangle. And more importantly, the rain forest and coastline.
Our first stop and home base while we explore? Olympic National Park’s Hoh Rain Forest. Didn’t know there were rain forests in the US? I didn’t either before I came here for the first time.
The best way to describe it? GREEN. And if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, our pictures do not do it justice! But you get the idea…lush green trees, green ferns, green moss, green lichens…and slugs. Huge slugs. Banana slugs to be specific. And while I wouldn’t consider myself a “slug person”, if there is such a thing, you can’t resist being intrigued by the Pacific Banana Slug, the second largest slug in the world. Pretty fancy title.
Big Tree This Way
We did lots of hiking as usual, and like a couple of chumps, we can’t resist a sign that says “Big Tree This Way!” Ok, that’s not actually what the sign said, but we did follow the two track trail (grateful for 4×4) to visit a pretty huge, Western Red Cedar. Pictures give it a little perspective, but I couldn’t even fit the entire tree in one frame. And the diameter? Well, it is almost three times Matt’s height!
Beaches, Driftwood & Coastline
In addition to an awesome rain forest, the other huge draw of Olympic National Park is the coast. This is what you envision when you think of the Pacific Northwest coastline. Not just driftwood. Driftwood TREES. Cliffs. Tide pools. Sea stacks. Rugged, iconic and absolutely breathtaking. We never get tired of walking the beaches, climbing over driftwood, exploring at low tide, picnic-ing seaside and feeling gratitude watching a glorious sunset.
We’ve been calling our travels, a “cross-country” adventure. So, after visiting the easternmost point in West Quoddy Head, Maine just a few weeks earlier, we HAD to also visit Cape Flattery, WA the north-westernmost point in the United States. That officially made it a coast to coast road trip. And the icing on the cake? We saw a whale! And not just a whale miles off shore. Literally, a whale at the base of the cliff we were standing on. It is quite honestly, an astonishing and humbling creature to witness in person.
Destination Tree Channels Destination Truth (Relevant to any Sci-Fi Channel / Joshua Gates Fans)
Anyone who knows Matt well also knows that he loves the mystery of the unexplained and supernatural. Ghosts, aliens, Bigfoot, you name it. I’ll admit to the possibility as well, but mostly he talks me into things I would never do on my own and I let him scare the crap out of me. So, we did a little ghost hunting at dusk at Battery Kinzie in Fort Worden State Park and also some Bigfoot speculating on our hike up to Wynoochee Falls.
“Let Me Sum Up” (Quote, Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride)
This rounds out the highlights of our Olympic Peninsula 10-day tour. And only constitutes a sampling of all the sights in the area. If you plan a visit here, a few must-see beach recommendations: Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, First Beach & Second Beach. If you’re an avid hiker, the hike to Shishi beach is terrific and you’ll likely have the unspoiled beach completely to yourself. Warning: Don’t plan a trip here with this limited overview! Be sure to also check out Lake Quinault, Sol Duc Hot Springs, Lake Crescent and Hurricane Ridge Road and like a billion (I never exaggerate) other must-see sights.
Where to next? Heading a little further south. Check out the next leg of our route here.
Paul Rogers says
Awesome adventure!