2010 Vacation, part one

Over the next few days, I’m going to post our vacation itinerary online. Pictures will be up toward the end of the week, and I’ll link each day as appropriate. 

Friday, August 13:

We took off today, for parts north. It was hot, we got the car packed and hoped we had everything. Picked up Dan, and headed north. Had dinner at Marinepolis Sushiland, picked up a few things at Whole Foods, and stopped for the night at the Quality Inn in the Longview area. 

You were looking for something exciting here?

Saturday, August 14:

No rushing today: Got up, had breakfast, reloaded the car, and headed toward Port Angeles. Stopped so I could stretch at Cabela’s, and enjoyed lunch at the Ram brewpub and restaurant. Got a recommendation on a place to eat in Port Angeles called the Okasan. Sounds intriguing. 

After a leisurely drive north--a drive where Deena drove and I napped--we arrive at the Port Angeles/Sequim KOA, unpacked a bit as we are here for a few days, then headed into town to get the lay of the land. Took some pictures from the port area, then headed back to camp to get dinner and s’mores going. We also enjoyed the ice cream social the camp put on.

Sunday, August 15:

Olympic National Park is a very pretty place, and not really for the weak of knees. You have to hike anyplace worth seeing...but that hike is worth every minute of the trip. I highly recommend if you come here with a full water bottle, a sturdy pair of hiking boots (preferably well broken in), and appropriate hiking socks. I don’t think waltzing around in your tennis shoes or flip-flops is a wise idea. I also recommend good hiking clothes, as there are a number of microclimates in the park.

Today we “conquered” Hurricane Hill and Sol Duc Falls. Sol Duc Falls is a relatively easy hike at .8 miles each way, and has some pretty scenery. It’s a bit out from Port Angeles--about half an hour--but really should not be missed.

Hurricane Hill is another story. 1.6 miles each way, and it’s a steep climb in parts. Don’t be in a hurry unless you are in prime shape...and on this hike, “round” does not qualify as a shape. We ran into an 89 year old woman, hiking and taking her time doing it. She made, I am sure. We did too. Allow 90 minutes each way; if you’re in a hurry this is not a hike you want to undertake. Also in summer, do it in the morning...less crowded, less bugs, and cooler temps work in your favor. We did Hurricane Hill first, had lunch, then went on to Sol Duc Falls. Lunch was out of the cooler, and dinner was at a place called the Bushwhacker. There’s a nice place to eat. We did the all you can eat salad bar--they had homemade chicken gumbo and clam chowder on the bar as well as homemade bread. 


Pictures: 
Hurricane Hill
Sol Duc Falls

Monday, August 16:

Today we went for a hike in the Hoh Rainforest. This is more like an hour or so out of Port Angeles. Got there, had lunch out of the cooler, and proceeded to hike 3.3 miles into the rainforest, along the Hoh River trail. 

Note: rainforest does not equal cool/damp. It was another hot day, and there are bugs here, too. Everything I have said about hiking gear goes double here. Don’t let the sign fool you: The elevation looks like it only rises about fifty feet over 3.3 miles. 

The sign lies. What it doesn’t tell you is that there is a lot of upping and downing, especially near the riverbank. You have been duly warned. 

We were in search of one square inch of silence. Rather than explaining it myself, I’ll simply link to it and let you read about it: http://onesquareinch.org/. We found the spot, and found the rock, but did not find the jar of thoughts. 

We made it back out, and went into town for dinner. We had dinner at Okasan. There is some really good food here, and the waitstaff is as honest as the day is long. Go there and eat, if you like good Asian cuisine. Don’t let the exterior fool you; it may look like a dump but it really isn’t. 

We returned to camp, and partook of the hot tub this evening. It was much needed!


Pictures:
Hoh Rainforest

Enough for now.