Category: Western Washington
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Exploring the Skagit River; river of abundance
Below is a link to a Youtube video I put together on the Skagit River. A second link is to a Youtube video about migratory birds, most of which was videoed where the river divides north and south draining into the Salish Sea. The Skagit, I find out, is head watered up in the Canadian…
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Summer’s last road trip to Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands
For every day of rain there’s four following it that are hot. On Friday it poured more than the previous three months combined. We got over two inches, close to a record for an August 14 day. The rain was accompanied by lightening that sparked numerous fires in the eastern part of the state. As…
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The Hoh, Hoh, Hoh, Rain Forest
Everything we’ve done on this day is a run-up to the Hoh Rainforest. I believe we stopped here on our 1972 trip to Canada. We didn’t stay long as I remember, but long enough to get an eye full of the rainforest. They call this a temperate rainforest instead of a tropical one. Storms come…
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A Forks in the road
We’re making our way up the Olympic Peninsula, traveling on the western side with mountains on our right and the Pacific Ocean to our left. We’re returning to Highway 101 from a short visit up the Hoh River. Our next stop is the town called Forks. Those familiar with the Twilight novels and movies will…
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Day trip to the Hoh Rain Forest
The Hoh Rain Forest is reason enough to explore the western side of the Olympic Peninsula. The drive along Upper Hoh Road penetrates a good 18 miles up the Hoh River and deep into a primeval wilderness dominated by massive conifers. With annual rainfall reaching 170 inches, the forest is fertile and thriving. A couple…
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Lake Quinault and the Valley of the Rainforest Giants
We’re moving along Highway 101 from Ocean Shores to La Push. There’s a lot to see and more time is needed. With precision and quick execution, we just might manage some sightseeing along Lake Quinault. But once in the Quinault Valley, it’s inconceivable that we can just turn around and leave. Being the off-season, it’s…
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Ocean Shores on Washington’s west coast
Ocean Shores is ideally located, however, not because its easy to get to or convenient. Its peninsular location makes it perfectly isolated from the rest of the world. Getting here is not quick or simple, but worth it, especially in the off-season with barren streets, plenty of vacancies, and a beach almost exclusively your own.…
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NO TURNING BACK: RANDLE AND THE ROAD TO MT. ST. HELENS
No turning back. Though the thought crossed my mind between the snow and the noro virus sweeping through the family. On this trip we headed south to Mt. Rainier and then east to a small town called Randle, the gateway to Mt. St. Helens. When the mountain blew up on May 18, 1980, it was…