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.
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