Visit. Explore. Dream.

We have had a tremendously enjoyable time exploring the state of Washington, The past three weeks have been exclusively driving around the entire Olympic Peninsula (including a day trip over to Canada!). Diverse landscapes abound here:  magnificent snow-capped mountains, rugged coastlines, temperate rainforests, charming small towns, and ventures out on the water to whale watch. 

Bonus to have the opportunity to visit with our son Caleb several different locations!

I’ll be posting subsequent logs to share more detail about our adventures on each of these areas soon, to include full picture album links. Stay tuned!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• City of Auburn (near Tacoma)
  * Mt. Rainier, Wenatchee Forest
  * celebrated July 4th right on Puget Sound at Caleb’s 
• Snoqualmie Falls (TV show Twin Peaks made this popular)
• Gig Harbor
• Sequim (pronounced “Skwim”) – home to numerous Lavender Farms, and the awesome 5-mile long Dungeness Spit
• Neah Bay and Cape Flattery – the northwestern point of the contiguous US
• Olympic National Park – we made it to three different entrance gates, each unique in their own right. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
  * Hurricane Ridge – alpine region and got to spot a bear!
  * Sol Duc Hot Springs
  * Hoh Rainforest and the Quinault Rainforest
  * Beaches! Rialto Beach, Beach 4,3, and 1
• Port Townsend – took a Whale-watching cruise and were not disappointed with the Orca pods we spotted.
• Town of Forks – stayed at a campground that featured daily visits from a herd of Roosevelt Elk!
• Hoquiam/Aberdeen 
  * home of Nivana’s Kurt Cobain, and the sandier beaches of Ocean Shores