Hoh Rain Forest

Pictures can not do this place justice. Even the drive into the area is spectacular. It's only 15 miles or so from Highway 101 but due to the winding curves it took 30+ minutes and we really got some great looks at huge Western Cedar and Sitka Spruce trees. The girls were pooped after a couple of hours at the beach so Jennifer offered to keep them in the van while I went and did the Hall of Mosses loop. It's just under 1 mile and a really easy walk so I took off and did it in about 25 minutes. One could spend hours on that trail. I took probably 100 pictures but due to the weather, not very many were winners. It was raining something fierce and with all the moss and trees, I would have gotten soaked if I wasn't wearing a good rain jacket. There are a couple of other trails here as well including one that winds along the Hoh River up to the glaciers of Mt. Olympus.


There are fallen trees everywhere. At one point, there is a sign giving you details about the size and it tells you to count off your steps (assuming about 3 feet per stride) to the end of one that is laying along the path. It was easily 250 feet long.

Yeah, that's a ball cap hanging from the tree.
We're going back up there sometime this summer when the weather is a little warmer and hopefully a little more sunny.

"National parks are the best idea we ever had...."

"Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." - Wallace Stegner.

About 10 days ago I was reading online where someone was asking advice for where to stay near Olympic National Park. Suggestions were made for lodging along with activities. As a kid, I'd been up near the park but never in it. It has always been high on my list of National Parks to visit. After googling for a bit, I was sold on a quick weekend trip. Jennifer was in and we originally planned on going up for just one night. But after a day of planning, we decided to make it into a full weekend. And that was a fantastic idea.

The first night we stayed at the Lake Quinault Lodge. The Park Service owns quite a few lodges around the country. There are three in Olympic. This particular Lodge was built in 1926. FDR visited in 1937 on a fact finding mission before creating the National Park a few months later. They've added some additional buildings since then but the main lodge is still going strong. With the exception of not having a large ball room this place is right out of the Poconos and Dirty Dancing.



We got in a little early on Friday and the weather really cooperated. The girls loved running around the grounds. The grass expanse leads down to the lake. It was good for skipping rocks but a bit chilly for a swim. That is a giant rain gauge on the chimney. They get 100+ inches of rain per year. Yeah, 100 inches.


The lobby of the Lodge has plenty of room to sit and watch people, look out over the grounds, play chess on the giant board or sing along at the piano. While we explored the Lodge, there was an older couple sitting by the big fireplace. As Ellie started plinking away on the keys, I asked if it bothered them. The woman just beamed a smile and said "children should always make joyful noises." That piano survived a fire that burned the original Lodge in 1924.

Back outside, the girls found the croquet mallets. It was pretty funny watching them try and play. Ellie was obsessed with getting it right while Campbell was more interested in getting every ball out and rolling them around the grass.

On Saturday, we drove up the coast and the weather cooperated enough for us to hit Ruby Beach for a bit. The tide was in so we didn't get to check out any of the tidal pools but the girls were content to look for shells, explore the beach and search for agates among the rocks. But the real highlight of the day was driving into the Hoh Rain Forest...

Crash and Funky say "Hi!"

We've had some really weird weather here in the past few weeks. Decently heavy rain (instead of the typical western Washington 'drizzle') and some March snow. But temps have stayed north of 40 for the most part so we can live with that.

This weekend, we're heading north to the Olympic National Park. I have wanted to get up there my whole life and last week, I was talking to Jennifer about it and I just planned it. Originally, we thought we'd just go up for Saturday night. A few hours later and I realized that two nights was much more preferable. Even with late winter/early spring conditions, that is really pushing it. The Park has a huge array of beaches and hiking opportunities. I realized while looking at things to do that Campbell's "early to rise" mentality works in my favor. Ellie and mommy can sleep in while Campbell and I get out in the quiet morning hours to check out some things in advance of everyone else. I'll report back later with the results.