KOA, Seattle, WA:  Rained last night.  Rained really hard with lightning and thunder.  Locals are worried because of the fire danger.  Still cloudy and threatening this morning.  So, we signed up for a city tour for tomorrow morning.  Then we headed to a huge mall a couple of miles away and saw “Two Guns” with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlburg.  Very entertaining.  Emerged from the mall to sunny skies.  Back to our park and sat outside in shorts enjoying the warm breezes.  Hope it’s nice tomorrow for our tour.  Mid-80s today.  There’s a baby bunny hanging around the bushes behind us.  I haven’t seen him yet.  Mike has a couple of times.  It doesn’t take much to amuse us.

We can see Mt. Rainier again.

KOA, Port Angeles, WA, to KOA, Seattle, WA:  Left a little after 9:30 this morning.  Headed east on I101 which turned south and ran right along the Hood Canal.  A beautiful drive, but slow going because of the two-lane road winding up and down the mountains along the beautiful Hood Canal.  Finally picked up I5 and headed north toward Seattle.  A lot of traffic.  Especially slow going on the south-bound lanes.  But we made it here okay and were set up by 3:00.  When we pulled in, the RVs waiting to register were backed up to the main road.  We were just able to pull in.  Guess KOA’s computers were down.  We’re in a nice site that backs up to another field.  No horses though.  But blackberry bushes everywhere.  Mike picked a bunch.  And it’s like 85 here or something.  Back into shorts!

View out our back window.  No horses, but those bushy things are blackberry bushes.

KOA, Port Angeles, WA:  Did some cleaning and took care of the laundry this morning.  Then we kicked back outside reading and listening to the horses munching away contentedly in the pasture behind us.  Was wishing I had an apple or carrot or something.  They enjoy a huge pasture to roam around in, and they look freshly brushed every morning.  They’re definitely well cared for.  Dinner tonight at Dupuis Restaurant just down the road from us.  Tomorrow we leave for our last stop—Seattle—and get ready for our cruise.

Our site.

Horses munching away.

Mountains all around us.

 

Dinner at Dupuis tonight.  Thinking of you Darwin.

KOA, Port Angeles, WA:  Another nice, sunny day.  Drove east to Port Townsend today.  This cute and historic little town is where “An Officer and a Gentleman” was filmed.  Parked in the waterfront area and walked around.  Had lunch at one of the historic restaurants in town and then drove over to Fort Worden.  Checked out the museum there and then drove back to our park, stopping one last time at the casino.  I broke even.  Mike was up $20.  Not bad.  Did the grocery shopping after that.  65 today on the water at Port Townsend.

Mike window shopping in Port Townsend.

Some of the many historic Victorian buildings.

Point Wilson Lighthouse

This is the building where Lou Gossett gave Richard Gere his first salute as an officer--Fort Worden

KOA, Port Angeles, WA:  Decided to drive over to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery today.  This is the northwestern most point in the lower 48.  Took the Strait of Juan de Fuca scenic byway which is a beautiful drive that hugs the northern part of the peninsula on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The marine layer was an issue here and there, but pretty much nice and clear when it counted.  It took two hours to get over there because the road was twisty and turny which made the travel pretty slow.  Checked out Neah Bay and then continued west to Cape Flattery.  There’s a moderately strenuous but beautiful hiking trail to the cape but it’s well worth it for the stunning views. This area is part of the Makah Indian Reservation and is very well maintained.  After our hike we had a late lunch at the Warm House Restaurant in Neah Bay.  I drove back to give Mike a break.  60 today.  Now we’ve been to the northwestern most point in the US at Cape Flattery and Neah Bay; the eastern most point in Quoddy Head in Maine; and the southern most point in Key West, FL.  

Marine layer kept trying to creep in.

Neah Bay.  Marine layer in background partially obscuring the mountains on Vancouver Island.

Cape Flattery--beautiful trail which starts out easy.

Lots of these narrow wooden walkways on the trail.

Beautiful sea caves.

Tatoosh Island--just off Cape Flattery

Tatoosh Island Lighthouse

KOA, Port Angeles, WA:  Mike said there was a marine layer this morning, but by the time I showered, dressed, and ventured outside it had dissipated.  Another beautiful day!  So we drove back to Crescent Lake which we passed on our way to Port Angeles on Rt. 101.  What a beautiful lake!  It’s almost as blue as Crater lake.  And then in shallower areas it looks green or aqua.  Just beautiful!  And surrounded by lofty mountains covered in a lush conifer forest.  Checked out the lodge and decided to have lunch there.  After lunch we explored around the lodge grounds a little and then headed to the hot springs on a road which parallels the Sol Duc river.  Very pretty.  80 today.

Beautiful Crescent Lake

Very fjord-like

Crescent Lake Lodge

Fireplace at the lodge.  The elk was taken in 1902.

On the Sol Duc River.

KOA, Port Angeles, WA:  The sun was actually out pretty early this morning.  And with the absence of all the clouds we noticed we’re in the midst of some really beautiful mountains.  A pretty area with the mountains to the south and the Straits of Juan de Fuca to the north. And across the Straits of Juan de Fuca is beautiful Vancouver Island.  Such a beautiful day, we drove into Olympic National Park.  Much more beautiful than we thought.  Drove way up to the visitor’s center which sits in the rarefied air of an alpine meadow.  Beautiful vistas all around. And there were 3 or 4 deer roaming around trying to nap in the shade of some pines. 68 up on the mountain.  65 down here in the valley.  Came back to our site and sat outside watching the horses munching away in the pasture behind us. 

Had to wait until noon to enter the park because of a cycling event going on.  Got talking to these two guys.  Ralph, on the left, is local.  Per, on the right, is visiting from Sweeden.

The road up there was lined with beautiful wild flowers.

Beautiful vistas.

Deer trying to rest in the shade.