Entries Tagged as 'washington'

Orcas Island, Day 1

August 17th, 2003 · 3 Comments


Waiting for the next Ferry in Anacortes.


Eating clam chowder for lunch while waiting for the Ferry.


Finally getting on the ferry.


Here’s a ferry coming in. You can see all of the cars parked on it.


The Outlook Inn, East Sound, Orcas Island


Outlook Inn


Out look Inn & the Main Street of East Sound


View from across the street from the Outlook Inn. Little did I know at the time that this would also be the view from our hotel room balcony.


Our room had 3 beds and shared a bathroom. It was quaint and not very inconvenient for just one night.


Our room was the only one on our floor in the main building with a balcony.


Rachelle on the balcony.


Cascade Falls, Moran State Park


Cascade Falls


View from Mount Constitution, Moran State Park


View from Mount Constitution


View from Mount Constitution


View from Mount Constitution


View from the tower on Mount Constitution


View from the tower on Mount Constitution


Compass on the tower


Graffiti carved into the tower


Deer on the way out of Moran State Park


More deer


Hiking a mile down to the cove at Obstruction Park


At the cove




Getting our dinner out to eat at the cove


Yummy sandwiches



Kelly & Jeff at the cove





Jeff & Kelly in our hotel room

On August 7 we visited Orcas Island, a part of the San Juan Islands. From Seattle, you drive north to Anacortes and take the Ferry. Unfortunately, we arrived at Anacortes at a little after 12 p.m., missing the 11:50 ferry. The next ferry out wasn’t until 2:30. The cars were already lining up, so we parked our car on line, got out and explored what little there was to see in the area. We decided that since we wouldn’t be getting to Orcas until about 3:30 that we should stay overnight if we could get a decent rate on a room. So we started calling hotels and totally lucked out when found a room with a bay view from a private balcony The Outlook Inn for only $94/night. We also made reservations to go sea kayaking the following day.

Once on Orcas Island, we went to East Sound, the small town where our hotel was. We checked in, explored the neighborhood, and bought some sandwiches and snacks for dinner at a supermarket. We then drove to Moran State Park and did a short hike to Cascade Falls. Also at Moran State Park we drove to Mount Constitution. The view from there is amazing. There’s also a tower you can go up in on the top of the mountain to get an even better view. Next we drove down to Obstruction Pass Park. We hiked a mile to a secluded cove where we ate the dinner we purchased earlier. We stayed a little too long in the cove admiring the sunset and the moon, for when we hiked back the mile to our car it was pitch black and we were stumbling all over roots and rocks on the path. Once back in the car and back in East Sound, (we got lost in the dark.. and man, there sure are a lot of deer out there that you have to try not to hit) we stopped at a little grocer and got a few drinks to enjoy on our balcony. After that: lights out.

See also:
- Map of Orcas Island
- Map of San Juan Islands, of which Orcas is a part
- Map of San Juan Island in relationship to Seattle

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Ferry to Brainbridge Island

August 13th, 2003 · No Comments


Seattle Pier


Seattle skyline from the ferry



Skyline from the back of the ferry



Jeff & Kelly


Brainbridge Island


Brainbridge Island


Long shadows on the ferry

Took the ferry just to take it and see Brainbridge Island. We didn’t even get off the ferry, though. Just there for the ride.

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Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park

August 13th, 2003 · 4 Comments


On the road up to the Hoh Rainforest there was a huge Spruce Tree featured.


In the rainforest there were a lot of berries.



Fungus growing on a tree.


Zoomed out shot of the fungus on the tree stump.





Moss grows all over the tree limbs.


Rachelle on the Spruce Nature Trail.





Jeff & Kelly & I each wandered off the trail at different points and had quiet time by the Hoh River. If you look really close you should be able to see them in this photo.



I rested for a bit in the sun on this log and listed to the river run by.



Reunited with Kelly & Jeff and back on the trail.




Kelly posing as we leave the Spruce Nature Trail.


This is a creek at the beginning of the Hall of Mosses trail.



Moss growing on a tree.


Jeff standing at about the halfway point of a fallen tree measuring 92 feet tall.


Kelly & Jeff


Rachelle


To my left, the roots of a fallen tree. To the right, the broken stump left from where it fell over.


Jeff


Kelly making a call at the moss covered phone booth.


Leaving the park we came accross this heard of Roosevelt Elk crossing the river to go into the woods.





Before hearing about the The Hoh Rainforest I didn’t even know what a temperate rainforest was. When you said rainforest to me I automatically pictured the Amazon and tropical plants and animals. In actuality, what makes a rainforest a rainforest is the rain, whether it be South America or the Pacific Northwest. Because of the Hoh Rainforest’s close proximity to the ocean, because it is sheltered by the mountains and because it gets about 140 inches of rain per year, it is definately a rainforest. Proof is in the mosses and lichen, which grow all over everything, including the ground.

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Going Coastal on the Olympic Peninsula

August 13th, 2003 · 3 Comments


We left Ruby Beach to drive down the coast to our hotel. We kind of got lost .. we had a map that was lacking road names on it. When we finally got back on track we went through a small town called Pacific Beach. I took this photo because I used to live in Pacific Beach in San Diego, CA. Notice the Tsunami warning sign below the city sign.


Our room was like a condo. It had a gas fireplace, a dining area, living room, kitchen, balcony, bedroom with 2 beds and bathroom.


We were totally lucky to get this room. We had only called 1 day in advance. Too bad we got in too late to enjoy all of the amenities.




How stupid do you have to be to need Tsunami Evacuation Route signs that all point inland?


The beach at Ocean Shores.. you can drive on it.



A crab shell.. weird.


For your safety and enjoyment motorized vehicles are prohibited beyond this point. April 15 through the day after Labor Day. By order of: Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.



Barnacles on the sign post.


Crab shell explained. The crabs are washing up and the seagulls are ripping them to pieces.


This made me hungry in a weird way.


Rachelle & Kelly



I wanted to ride Sea Buscuit. Instead I got Sea Anne.



Jeff’s horse is Trigger. This is the first time Jeff went horseback riding.


Kelly’s horse is named Diamond.


Jeff’s horse was really slow.. always last in the pack.



Rachelle & Sea Anne, Jeff & Trigger, Kelly & Diamond.


The day was gray and slightly cool.. but was kind of a nice change.



The view from our table.. eating lunch at the Kalaloch Lodge.


Kalaloch Lodge


Kelly & Jeff at the Kalaloch Lodge

On August 4th we stayed overnight at Linde’s Landing in Ocean Shores, WA. The next morning was very gray as we headed over to explore the beach since we got in too late the night before to see anything. We discovered that the beach was very wide with densely packed sand. And that they allow you to drive cars, trucks, vans, mopeds, ATVs, almost anything on the beach. I was dying to have my Wrangler…. I always dreamed of driving on the beach when I lived in Southern California. On a whim we decided to go horseback riding on the beach.

After horseback riding we drove up to the Kalaloch Lodge and had lunch overlooking the beach. It was still very gray but thankfully it wasn’t raining. After lunch we drove north and inland to the Hoh Rainforest and the sun finally came out. At the rainforest we stopped to see a huge Spruce tree before continuing on to hike some trails. On the way out of the rainforest we saw an entire heard of Roosevelt Elk up close. That afternoon we had plans to go to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point in the contiguous U.S., but didn’t have time to drive up and get back in time for the last ferry from Kingston to Edmond. Instead we drove north of Lake Crescent in search of Clearwater Beach Park to watch the sunset by. It was a futile attempt full dumpy, tiny towns and one-laned, mountainous, windy roads that only lead us to the Clearwater Beach RV Park with a private beach. Damn WA maps! We tried to get a view anyway but ran to the car and sped off when the lady in the gigantic pickup truck pulled up.


Map of our driving route

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Ruby Beach at Sunset

August 12th, 2003 · 10 Comments


Forks, like many of the small towns in the peninsula is tiny. Many of the people living there are loggers or are working in shops and restaurants that serve the tourists. There’s not much money in these small towns.


Stopped to eat in Forks, WA.


Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach


Driftwood was piled up all over the shore – near the woods.


Jeff


Kelly & Jeff


The rocks on the beach were all rounded.


What makes Ruby Beach unique are the sea stacks.


This rock formation had a hole in the center.


Ruby Beach


This other formation had a hole also. It was much bigger than the hole in the other one. Probably about 8 feet tall.


Seagull tracks in the sand.


Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach


Kelly & Jeff spontaneously swing dance.


Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach

After hiking to Marymore Falls and enjoying the sun around Lake Crescent, we headed to the coast to see the ocean and to drive down to our hotel in Ocean Shores for the night. We stopped in Forks to eat at this restaurant.

Stumbling upon Ruby Beach on the Washington coast at sunset was one of the best parts of my entire vacation. It was one of the most beautiful and amazing things I’ve seen in my life.

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