Millersylvania State Park Olympia, Washington

Mileage:  50,163

We decided to travel to Olympia so that we could get our errands done and so we wouldn’t be too far from SEA-TAC International Airport.  We were settled in by noon.  I worked on cleaning out the Jeep and Tim worked on the windows and wheels.

We took a break to walk in the woods.  We did the 3.8 mile perimeter trail.  The weather was mild and the trail was pretty flat.  It was a nice walk.

We saw this woodpecker.  He doesn’t look like any we have at home.  His head was a burgundy color.  I think maybe a red-breasted sapsucker!?!  I just learned that sapsuckers drill evenly spaced rows of holes in trees and then use the sap in the holes to attract insects.

It was nice to stroll along and really look at the details.  This leaf is bigger than Tim’s foot.  It comes from a bigleaf maple tree.  The leaves can be as large as a foot across.  The trees can grow 100 feet tall and the trunks can be 5 feet in diameter.

There were other large firs trees as well.  This tree was broken at the top but it was well over 120 feet tall.

 

We saw two of these garter snakes.

This squirrel likes pine cones.

Three kinds of tiny mushrooms.

Berries.

The rest of the day was spent getting groceries and cooking for company!!

Lake Sylvia State Park Montesano, Washington

Mileage:  50,114

Today started with a terrible grinding noise that turned out to be the motor to the steps.  Tim worked on trying to fix them while I did lots of laundry at the Speedy Wash Laundromat in Hoquiam.  The steps were not repairable.  We found a way for them to stop ejecting and headed to the Walmart for a new stepping stool.

After the Walmart, we headed for Lake Sylvia State Park.  Tim didn’t feel well so he rested this afternoon.  Later, he went for a walk around the lake and had to double back when the trail was flooded by a beaver dam.

While Tim was walking, I was cleaning.  We are having Kyle and Allison here on Saturday and I have lots to do to get ready.

While we were having dinner, I noticed big ripples in the water and I could hear noises coming from behind the bushes.  It was a river otter crunching on some shellfish.  We had fun watching him fish and eat.  He was the highlight of the day!

Our view from our campsite.

Our campfire.

 

Pacific Beach State Park Pacific Beach, Washington Day 2

We started our day with a nice walk on the beach.

High tide at 10:02 am.  The incoming tide swirling and mixing with the water from the river.

Beach creatures.  Razor Clams that can be collected with a permit.

Dungeness crab bigger than my outstretched hand.

Gull in the surf.

The gulls don’t like crab legs.

We walked a couple of miles and then rested for awhile before taking a drive to Ocean City, Washington.  There are black-tailed deer all over town.  We saw more than 20.

We walked out onto this spit that is famous for petrified wood, agates, and jade.  It started to rain before we got very far so we headed back to the car.

We watched brown pelicans flying over the rocks and then diving into the water for fish.

We had lunch at Oyhut Bay Bistro.

We spent a lazy afternoon in the RV and in the meantime, the sun came out again.  We drove to Seabrook for dinner at Mill 109.

The waiter there talked to us about the weather here on the coast of Washington.  He said they basically live at a fairly constant 55 degrees year round….with lots of rain.

A great Oregon Pinot Nior.

We made it to the beach for the end of the sunset.

4 or 5 years ago while we were in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we met a couple of bike tourers, Linda and Mike.  They had sold all of their belongings and they spend their lives biking from one place to another.  They have a blog that we have followed for all these years.  They have been an inspiration to us.  They have biked across the United States and through South America to Patagonia.  This week they are in Idaho.  They stayed with a guy who is a school teacher.  He wanted Mike and Linda to go to his class and talk to the kids about their life on the road.  They found this poem on the teacher’s blackboard.  It spoke to me.  The teacher wrote it for his students.

 

 

Pacific Beach State Park Pacific Beach, Washington

Mileage:  50,067

We drove past lots of fields of stumps today.  We are still in timber country.

We arrived at Pacific Beach State Park at lunchtime.  We went for a drive this afternoon and we could see cars out on the beach.  We found the beach access road and took a ride in the hardpacked sand.

We decided to return to the beach with our dinner.  We packed the grill and some chairs and stuff for a campfire.

We had some uninvited guests.

There are few things better than cooking dinner and watching the sunset on the beach.  This is our first time grilling dinner on the Pacific Ocean.

Sunset.

Kalaloch Campground Olympic National Park Forks, Washington Day 2

We stayed another day in this beautiful place so that we could walk the beach in the other direction.

We packed our backpacks with water and lunch and went on our way.

We saw a gorgeous starfish as big as a dinner plate.

We saw this baleen from a whale.  This jaw section was about 5 feet long.  I am wondering how big this whale was?!?

We saw jellyfish.

We took off our socks and shoes in order to get across this stream.

We walked barefoot in the sand…we haven’t been barefoot all summer.

We enjoyed our picnic sitting on some driftwood and watching the waves.

What is this many legged creature?

We walked six and a half miles and we were tired and lazy the rest of the afternoon.

Sunset.

 

Kalaloch Campground Olympic National Park Forks, Washington

Mileage:  50,005

Still raining this morning…autumn in the northwest!

The town of Forks is the setting for the Twilight Series.  There are tours and posters and bookstores all devoted to the theme. We stopped there for coffee.  As I stood in line the sun shone between the clouds and I saw a double rainbow.  The picture captured only 1.  From that point on the day just got better and better!

It was a short distance to Kalaloch Beach.  We arrived early in the day, just as other campers were leaving.   It is a good thing too…this is one very busy and popular place.  Our campsite overlooks the ocean.

We packed a lunch and walked the beach.  What a pleasure to walk on this wide expanse of sand!

There were lots of pieces of sand dollars and then, a few whole ones.  Instead of collecting them and crushing them, I just took pictures and left them for someone else to enjoy.

We walked about a mile and a half to the north before the beach became impassable at these rocks.

This pile of shells was from a birdy crab feast!

A sea otter feeding in the surf.

All afternoon I sat with a book alternately reading and watching the waves roll in.

The sunset was glorious!

 

 

 

 

Mora Campground Olympic National Park Forks, Washington

Mileage:  49,958

It rained from dinnertime yesterday through the night and into the morning.  I wasn’t even sure I wanted to get out of bed…much less move the RV.  As we had our coffee the skies began to blue and we were on our way.

Mora Campground wasn’t a far drive.  This campground is a little older and not necessarily designed for RV’s of our size, but we found a nice site and settled in.

We went for a drive to Rialto Beach.  Some sand and lots of rocks.  There was a ridge that you could walk on to the sand spit.  The going was rocky and covered with very large driftwood.

Tim made his way right up.  I picked my way and navigated more slowly.  Suddenly I was at this impasse…all by myself.

I wasn’t sure that I should try it so I sat on a log and watched the ocean.

Tim is way out on the spit.

Tim up on the ridge.

Tim caught me running from a wave.  I had been looking for shiny pebbles…I did NOT get wet!

The town of La Push across the water.

We made our way back to the car and drove to La Push.  This little town sits on the mouth of the Sol Duc River.  There was a restaurant on the water and we stopped for lunch.  We watched the gulls and some seals cavorting and feeding.

The rest of the afternoon was damp and dark here in the big trees.  A good day to read and relax.

Van Riper Resort Sekiu, Washington Day 2

The ranger at the Olympic National Park Visitor’s Center on Tuesday told us about a hike at Ozette Lake.  The trail is called the Ozette Triangle.  Three miles on the Cape Alava Trail, three miles along the beach, and three miles back on the Sand Point Trail.  We packed a lunch this morning and headed out to do some hiking.

The 1st  three miles was mostly boardwalk with lots of steps up and down.  We walked at 2 miles an hour.

The trees are enormous!

We arrived at the beach.  At home the beach is white sand.  Here the beach was filled with all sorts of obstacles.  Rocks and more rocks large and small, logs to climb over and logs to crawl under, and lots of sea grass in great heaping piles.  Three miles of navigating over, under and in between.  The tide was low at 10:30.  High tide was at 4:30 pm.  At high tide the trail is impassable at huge rock outcroppings.  There are steep emergency trails in the woods…but the goal is NOT to be there at all when the tide is high.  We were able to complete the stretch in 2 hours finishing at 2:15 pm…the tide nipping at our heels.

The views of the water.

There are two seals out on the rocks.

The third side of the triangle.

The forest is filled with dampness, mosses, ferns, mushrooms, fungus, and slugs.

We were tired and ready to be done by the time we got back to the car.  I am very glad we decided to do the whole 9 mile hike.  It was a challenge for us but that is okay…that’s part of the adventure!

Van Riper Resort Sekiu, Washington

Mileage:  49,878

It was a chilly, foggy, misty morning.  We followed winding roads along the coast of the Strait of Juan de la Fuca.

The Olympic National Park protects old growth forests.  Some of the trees here are 200-1000 years old.

Some fall colors.

There are signs along the water warning not to harvest or consume shellfish from this area because they may contain biotoxins

The fog was gradually beginning to lift as we pulled into the campground.  The view of the harbor.

Seagulls waiting as this fisherman cleans his catch.

Our afternoon adventure took us to Cape Flattery.  The road follows the strait.

This is the most northwest point in the contiguous United States.  There is a hike through the rain forest to get out to the point.

The sea caves and the bluffs were amazing!  This is the Pacific Ocean.

And then a drive along Hobuck Beach.

Walmart Port Angeles, Washington

Mileage:  49,820

We left Dungeness and traveled to the Olympic National Park Visitor’s Center in Port Angeles.

The ranger there was very helpful, he told us all the places we should try to see while we are in the area.  We left with maps and pamphlets in hand.  The first drive was from the parking lot 17 miles to Hurricane Ridge.  We unhooked the Jeep and left the RV behind.

We didn’t have much view from the mountaintop because of clouds.

We did see olympic marmots and black tailed deer.

We went out to dinner at the Coyote BBQ Pub.  The food was delicious!

A walk along the water in Port Angeles.

Home for the night.