Auburn, Washington

Good morning, my friends. Sheesh. We didn't travel very far yesterday, but it seemed as if everything took longer than expected. It was still a good day with some interesting things to see along the way. As we left Port Angeles, we noticed the spooks have arrived at this house.

Just down the road, we passed through Sequim (pronounced "Skwim").

We visited Sequim a few years back for their annual lavender festival. You can read my post about our visit right here.

There's more fall color appearing along the way.

The image below shows a couple of totem poles we saw as we passed through the Jamestown S'Klallam Reservation. (We saw many totem poles in Neah Bay and along the way from there too.)

I was curious about the "Jamestown" part of the name. The Google informed me that “S’Klallam” is a Salish term for “The Strong People.” It goes on, saying:

In 1855, the S’Klallam leaders signed a treaty with the Federal government with the understanding that they would always be able to hunt, fish and gather in their “usual and accustomed” grounds. As increasing numbers of non-Indian settlers began to arrive in the area desiring the same abundant lands and waters that were so important to the S’Klallam people, the S’Klallam people living in the Dungeness area decided that in order to survive, they had to adopt a new value system that included property ownership.

In 1874, under the leadership of Tribal citizen Lord James Balch, they pooled $500 in gold coins and purchased the 210-acres along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, now called Jamestown. This provided a geographical center for group identity and independence, and was the start of the Jamestown S’Klallam community.

On down the road, we crossed over the Hood Canal Bridge.

The Hood Canal bridge is a floating bridge that carries State Route 104 across Hood Canal in Puget Sound and connects the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. At 7,869 feet (1.490 mi; 2.398 km) in length (floating portion 6,521 feet (1.235 mi; 1.988 km)), it is the longest floating bridge in the world located in a saltwater tidal basin, and the third longest floating bridge overall.

And there's Hood Canal.

We had a couple of things on our agenda, including a visit to a chocolate shop in Bremerton. When we arrived at the chocolate shop, we found a parking lot that was, unfortunately, too small for us to be able to get turned around. Bagging that idea, we drove on to our second agenda stop. The Bremerton connection worked out because...like an oasis in the desert...we found our home-town grocery store there. 

We picked up a few grocery items and filled the fuel tanks on both our vehicles. I left the fuel prices in that image intentionally. Happily, we got a discount with our "valued customer" points. It's still too effing expensive, even with the discount. 

Okay, but we weren't finished crossing historic bridges yet. We still had to cross the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge. They nicked us $11 to cross. The usual toll is $5.50, but they must be counting axels. The toll both operator asked us if we were towing our Jeep. Yes. And that doubled the price. 

So here we go. It's a fancy bridge with an interesting and somewhat amusing history.

The original bridge collapsed only months after it opened when it got into an oscillation that tore it apart. You can see video and hear how it gained its nickname of "Galloping Gertie." If you can't see the video, click right here.

And here we go...crossing the Tacoma Narrows strait.

Below is the Tacoma Dome. We've attended a few events here.

The Google tells us that it stands at 530 feet (160 m) in diameter and 152 feet (46 m) in height, the arena seats 20,722 for basketball games, with a maximum capacity of 21,000. It was the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world by volume at the time of its opening. (The Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan, opened in 1991 with a larger-diameter geodesic dome at 536 feet (163 m), but is 143 feet (44 m) high and seats a maximum of 16,000.) The Tacoma dome's roof weighs 1.44 million pounds (650 t); some of the planks that form the roof were sourced from felled timber following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

And not long after that, we pulled into the municipal park where we'll spend two nights. It's a nice park here, and relatively inexpensive. There is a nearby riverwalk where we might walk today.

Beginning about bedtime last night, it started raining hard, and it rained a good part of the night. We're expecting rain off and on for most of the day today. Originally, we had a hike planned to the Franklin Ghost Town. After spending some time reading more about the trail, it sounds less appealing than when I first learned about it. For one thing...they had me at "ghost town." In my reading, I've determined it's really just an abandoned mine, and that the trail is overgrown with thorny blackberry vines. If the weather clears enough, we might still do it. And if it doesn't, a day of relaxation and perhaps a walk along the river sounds just fine to me.

The weather is expected to return to sunshine and little chance of rain by tomorrow. By then, we'll be heading north to Granite Falls, and we have a couple of hikes planned for that area. For now, we'll probably sit tight, stay dry, pet kitties, read, and slow-stitch. Sounds like a good day, no?

So, I hope you have a relaxing day planned for yourself. The weekend is coming. Be like a boy scout and be prepared.

Marymere and Madison Falls

Good morning, my friends. We'll be moving on again today, and we've made the most of our stay here in Port Angeles. Yesterday's activity was to head down the road (backtracking the way we came in) to the Storm King Ranger Station for a hike on the Marymere Falls Trail. When we left the RV, Sadie was ensconced in her favorite quilt cocoon.

There was no parking at the ranger station, but not to worry. We found the parking lot nearly empty at the Lake Crescent Lodge just a short distance away. The hike could begin at either place, and so that's where we started. There weren't many rules at this location, but if you're packing heat, you'll need to leave it in the car.

It was mostly a nice stroll through awe-inspiring old growth forest.

We passed by Marymere Creek, responsible for the falls we would see.

We saw more immense trees. FYI, Mike is 6'1" with at least a six-foot wingspan.

Look up.

We were lucky enough to get another sunny day. I liked how the moss looked with the sun shining through.

We were treated to this view of a pileated woodpecker going to town on one of the trees.

Moving down the trail, we could see him from a little different angle.

We crossed over a bridge...

Looking east, we had a nice view of the creek.

And then we crossed another bridge created from a huge log hewn in half the long way.

Finally, these steps would take us up nearly 500 feet...

Where we could see the falls.

As we made our way back down, we came to another viewing platform where we could see it from a little different angle.

Then, we made our way back to the car. And when in Rome, right? It was lunch time, and so we had lunch at the Lake Crescent Lodge.

To my left were these cute little cabins.

This was the view of Lake Crescent from our table.

Also from our table, and looking in the other direction, it looked like this.

Lunch was good. I had a marionberry creme soda. Mmm, mmm, mmm. And after that hike I was thirsty.

I had the roasted vegetable hero sandwich. That "mush" on top is an artichoke tapenade, and it was delicious.

Mike had a burger.

Before leaving, I checked into the gift shop and scored my first shot glass of the trip.

We decided to walk out on the dock.

From there, we could see the lodge from a different angle.

Looking west, it looked like this.

Looking east, it looked like this.

You can rent a kayak here if you want to.

And then, my thanks go to my friend, LindaKay, who informed me about Madison Falls. It was on the way back to the RV, and a short hike at just .2 miles, and barely any elevation gain. We drove up the Elwha Valley, alongside the Elwha River. At a different time of the year, we're told the salmon run through here...a happy conclusion to the dam removal.

Looking to my right, it looked like this.

And here we go...just a short walk this time my friends. C'mon...you can do it.

There now. Madison Falls. Aren't you glad you came?

And that was our day. It was a good day all around. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store, which meant driving back into downtown Port Angeles, a distance of about 10 miles in both directions. We were tired by then, and so we stopped at a general store on our way. We were able to find some kitty treats there, and HALLELUJAH! Because we were tired, and we really just wanted to go back to the RV and take naps.

Today, we'll be moving on to Black Diamond, Washington. There, we're planning a hike out to a ghost town, and I love a good ghost town. It's a short drive. We're considering stopping at a quilt shop in Port Gamble (thanks, Darlene!), and a chocolate shop in Bremerton (thanks, Debi!). When we're towing, those sorts of things always depend on how difficult it is to get in and out and park with our extra length. So, anything could happen. And we could decide to drive straight there. Either way, we will make a stop at a grocery store, and we need to refuel the Jeep we've been driving around for our sight-seeing adventures. 

All right then. Pack up your gear. Time to be on our way.

Port Angeles, Washington

Good morning, my friends. It was a hectic day of driving yesterday, but we got some "life" things taken care of. The biggest task was to get our leaking tire fixed. We dropped the truck off, drove to the RV park, checked in, got some lunch, and by then, the truck was ready. It seems we’d picked up a 5mm nail somewhere along the way. So, I dropped Mike at the tire place, and then drove back to the RV park to start some laundry. By the time I had the laundry started, Mike was pulling into our assigned spot. All of that took about 3 hours. 

But let's back up to yesterday morning when we drove out of the park at Neah Bay. Several times driving in and out, we found these two dogs lying in the road. We're assuming they're awaiting someone's return. They were friendly and approached our truck with wagging tails when we stopped to say hello. (Don't tell Smitty and Sadie, okay?)

Driving through the town of Neah Bay, I noticed one of these giant Adirondack chairs. We saw these all over, and on our hike. They were for folks to take selfies. We didn’t indulge.

After driving a distance, we passed by this private residence. There was a carport on the road side, and I noticed this quilt block. It isn’t painted. Instead, it’s created from blocks of wood put together to form the design.

And Happy Fall, my friends! We’re seeing that fall color. Washington is the "Evergreen State," and so we’re not seeing much fall color in the national forests.

Here, we were passing by Lake Crescent. Wikipedia tells us that

Lake Crescent is a deep lake located entirely within Olympic National Park. . . .With an official maximum depth of 624 feet (190 m), it is the second deepest lake in the state of Washington (after Lake Chelan). A lake-wide bathymetric survey . . . shows the maximum depth as being 596 feet (182 m). 

Continuing on, Wikipedia tells us

Lake Crescent is known for brilliant blue waters and exceptional clarity caused by low levels of nitrogen in the water that inhibit the growth of algae. The lake was formed when glaciers carved deep valleys during the last Ice Age. Initially, the Lake Crescent valley drained into the Indian Creek valley and then into Elwha River. Anadromous fish such as steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout migrated into the valley from lower waters.

Approximately 8,000 years ago, a great landslide from one of the Olympic Mountains dammed Indian Creek, and the deep valley filled with water. Many geologists believe that Lake Crescent and nearby Lake Sutherland formed at the same time, but became separated by the landslide. This theory is supported by Klallam tribe legend which tells a story of Mount Storm King being angered by warring tribes and throwing a boulder to cut Lake Sutherland in two, resulting in Lake Crescent. 

We’re in an RV park. It has a good vibe. It was good to find a nice laundry room for my first laundry day of the trip. We’re close to where the Elwha Dam once existed. It was breached in March of 2012 in order to restore salmon habitat. You can read more about it right here. Nevertheless, there is an "interpretive center" and a "viewing platform" nearby. One wonders what we might see there, and so our curiosity will force us to check it out.

There are some funny and inspirational signs posted around the park, giving the place a friendly feel.

There’s a “help yourself” vegetable garden. 

Things are pretty well picked over at this point, but it’s a nice idea.

There were flowers too.

The pocket angel below was tucked into the pot with the black-eyed Susans.

I've seen the next quote before, but I didn't know it was from Audrey Hepburn.

Okay, so on today’s agenda, we’re going to Hike the Marymere Falls Trail. It’s a 1.8 mile hike,. We’ll drive back to the Storm King Mountain visitor center in Olympic National Park. We should reach a big waterfall at the end, but there’s no telling how much water will be flowing so late in the year. It’ll be a good walk through old growth forest either way. Here's what our AllTrails app says about the trail:

The Marymere Falls Trail is a short hike through wonderful Pacific Northwest scenery from Lake Crescent, through large towering trees, and encompassing incredible river views. It is one of the most popular trails in Olympic National Park. The trail begins by the Storm King Ranger Station and features a nice gentle rise in elevation up to the falls and a pleasant descent. 

Lush greenery and beautiful waterways abound on this short trek. The waterfall is breathtaking. The beginning of the trail is relatively flat but eventually, it goes into well-maintained switchbacks. The switchbacks are nothing to fear, there are only 2 or 3 of them. 

We're also going to need to make a quick trip to a grocery store. We're nearly out of kitty treats, and so you can see it is an impending emergency. There are a couple of other items on our list too.

We'll probably wait until after lunch when the weather is supposed to be a little better. I believe I heard rain on our roof last night. There's a 20% chance of rain up until around the noon hour, but then little chance after that. So far, our rain gear has remained in the closet. 

All right then. Strap on your hiking boots if you're coming with us.