First of all, ANOTHER Happy Birthday to Kyanne.
I feel bad that we don't get to celebrate because she's already started school and is too busy to get together. I say, next year, we start celebrating her half-birthday in February!
So's you don't have to look at all the vacation pictures, I'll post more at the bottom of the blog. That way you can look at 'em or leave 'em!
We decided to vacation this year in our older, newly-wrapped teardrop. We got out the maps and started shopping for areas that we could drive to. One-by-one, as we chose our destinations, they caught on fire and we had to change our plans.
By the time vacation arrived a smoke map of the western United States showed only one area that was not totally engulfed in smoke: the Olympic Peninsula. So off to the Olympic Peninsula we went.
The smoke was really thick in Port Townsend and Port Angeles. You couldn't see boats once they left shore. Somewhere out there behind the Blackball Ferry in all that muck is Canada but it's gone right now. After all, it is their smoke.
The next day we found Port Angeles to be much clearer although there was still a haze and the very strong smell of smoke.
This is our first camping spot in Sequim Bay State Park. I don't think I've stayed in a state park since before we had the girls. It's a sweet deal at half-price for Bob's Golden Eagle pass at $10 a night. That also means you have the privilege of listening to kids scream, radios playing, and other noise that travels so well in the peace and quiet of the forest. We also got to watch live TV, sometimes several channels at once, watching folks set up new tents, chase their tents in the wind, and other assorted camp activities that went on around us.
A giant root system on Dungeness Spit. The size of the logs that are tossed up on the spit are amazingly huge.
This is the part of Dungeness Spit that you can see through the smoke. The Spit is actually 6.8 miles long and grows by 13 feet each year. It protects the coastline and makes for a protected bird habitat.
This is John Wayne Marina which is a favorite location of John Wayne and is still run by his decedents.
It's actually a pretty cool marina if you could actually see it through the smoke.
Before we left for our trip, I made a bunch of foil packet meals up so we didn't have to fix dinner each night. We had pasta, steak and potatoes and green beans, fajitas and more. For 5 nights it was just heat our meals while we watched others cook over a campfire,
and dinner was served with zero fuss...Until my meals ran out. Now it's back to regular camp food fare.
They make them big here. Bob is trying to show the immense size the this tree but, as JoAnn says, he looks like a comical splat. That made me think he looks like one of those Halloween decoration witches that runs into trees and poles.
Otherwise unwelcome Devil's Club weed looks pretty in the evening sun.
This giant rock appears to be resting on two trees above a camp site. That rock is about 10 feet tall. Not my choice for a campsite, that's for sure.
Hurricane Ridge was actually pretty clear the morning we went. The ranger said this was the first time the smoke was clear enough to see in over a week. It reminds me of the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee with that haze in the valleys.
Look how blue and clear it was on Hurricane! It felt good to breathe good clean air for a change.
We hiked a few miles up to some beautiful view points. You can see the visitor center way at the end of the road and down quite a ways.
This is how a true Northwesterner hikes at 5,700 feet, coffee in tow.
Next we buzzed through Sol Duc Hot Springs. It truly was like the 50's summer camps I've seen on movies. But, soaking in the pools is about all there is to do here so we moved on.
All the park restrooms have this sign above the toilets, but having an abundance of Asian tourists, I did a fair amount of wiping footprints off of the seats anyway. I think these signs need to be larger with little flashing LEDs around the edges.
More creepy nature things in the Hoh Rainforest which has, apparently had no rain all summer until we camped there. This is some sort of creepy moss hanging off the trees giving them a creepy gonna grab you appearance.
One of the other things the Hoh Rainforest prides themselves in is creepy roots from trees that grew off of nurse logs.
The streams are crystal clear with no gunk at all and you can see all of the water plants, rocks and fish in the water.
Another giant root. This time Bob looks like he's being thrown back into the log.
The Hoh River.
Ruby Beach.
A dead whale on Ruby Beach.
It was really smokey again and this time it was really smelly.
This is the Lake Quinault Lodge built in 1926. It has beautiful giant timbers and native art on the pillars. We got our lunch at the deli across the street and ate it in the lobby. Since it was raining, there were a lot of folks camping out in the lodge.
Thank you, Scott and JoAnn for your generous hospitality.
Of course there are pictures of Reagan. She loves space, planets, astronauts, and science so, of course, she loves her NASA helmet.
"Just strollin' down the streets of Poulsbo a-wearin' my NASA helmet with a zebra tucked into the waistband of my tutu."
Carissa's best college friend, Dan, came to town and Reagan is showing Dan's little boy the sights.
Dungeness Spit.
Out on the smokey Dungeness Spit. This is one of the rare times Bob remembered to bring our walking sticks. We never had them when we needed them for the rest of the hike.
A large cedar tree.
A tall large tree.
These trees get bigger and bigger.
Creepy tree fungas.
Creepy Devil's Club
Look at these little alpine flowers being protected from the wind by the bench leg.
Hoh rainforest
Hoh
Moss on trees in Hoh Rainforest
Trees growing on a fallen nurse log.
Trees on a nurse log hanging snag.
Some creepy nasty fungus of some sort.
A fern field.
Ruby Beach on the coast/
You guys certainly cover a lot of territory when you vacation!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you stopped at the lake to visit even if it was brief. Always welcome here at the lake!