Washington - The Olympic Loop (#25)

A free ticket that needed to be used by March 1, 2008...where do I go? To visit one of my closest friends who moved last summer to Bainbridge Island (across the Sound from Seattle) . I was fortunate to have spent some time in the beautiful Northwest years ago so I was not expecting sunshiny days in the middle of February. What was most important was that I was going to relax and recharge with a dear friend for an extra long President's Day weekend. In an unexpected twist I spent five glorious sunny days with my dear friend Hope, circling the Olympic Peninsula.

I arrived at SeaTac on Friday morning and was greeted with overcast sky and fine misty rain...yep this is just how I remembered it...good thing I packed my trusty raingear. I spent this first afternoon letterboxing in the amazing Fauntleroy Park and took a drive through downtown to admire the architecture before catching the ferry across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. But I needed a little lunch, so a stop a the Pyramid Microbrewery for a beer sampler and chili was the perfect stop for this beer snob wannabe. After purchasing a couple of souvenirs it was time to head to the Seattle Ferry Terminal and voyage across the sound to meet my friends on the other side. As the ferry pulled away from the terminal the sky west turned blue and that would be the last rain I would experience till my last day (sans the one place you cannot and did not want to avoid it!).

My first night was spent with old friends and new, partaking in some local brew. I was ever so pleasantly pleased at the Hood Canal Brewery in Kingston. This little microbrewery is tucked into an industrial complex and has a nice little tasting room. We sampled a beer or two and bought a growler to go. Then it was on to Silver City Brewery in Poulsbo for filet mignon and Scotch Ale...yum!

Leaving early the next morning, Hope and I planned to circle the peninsula clockwise starting from Bainbridge Island. We made our first stop in Ocean Shores to drive on the Pacific Ocean beach. People here scour the beach for dinner, fly kites, and just plain relax. People here also turn beach trash into art sculptures to mark paths from beach to home to.

The road on west side of the peninsula snakes back and forth alternating between the ocean shore and the woods. In the interior it becomes clear that this area is all about the bounty the woods has to offer...LUMBER. We stopped in the Stepford Community of Seabrooke for a $10 glass of wine and continued on our way.

Next stop was one of the major highlight of this wonderful trip...a hike in the Quinalt Rainforest. ..the only rain forest in the contiguous US. Here is where trees commonly tower more than 100 feet. This area is appropriately nicknamed "The Valley of the Giants" and is home to the largest evergreens in the US and the world. I felt like an enchanted ant scampering along the soft forest floor, and moss dripped from nearly every tree. The day was slipping away and we wanted to see the sun fall into the Pacific Ocean...time to find our way to our evenings stay at the Kalaloch Lodge.

The Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park was probably the greatest disappointment (and thankfully the only) of the entire trip. We were shocked to find that our $150 a night (low season price) Seacrest room had an ALMOST completely obstructed view of the ocean, a musty smell and super parse furnishings, beyond the beds there was one uncomfortable chair, and a $25 Walmart bench on the porch. The bathroom offered hard towels that didn't dry your body and dispenser soap, shampoo, and conditioner in the tiny plastic shower stall. Old moldy linoleum floors and chipped veneer finished off the sparse bathroom, and the huge dressing area attached to the bathroom didn't even offer a bench. I have stayed at several other national park lodges and was appalled at the lack of amenities for the price we paid for this room. The service in the dining room was little better. Trust me folks, plan accordingly and don't waste your money here.

First thing the next morning we made our in-room pot of coffee, used every environmentally unfriendly dry creamer packet in the joint and hightailed it to Forks. There we found a much needed tasty breakfast complete with real cream for our coffee all served by a teenage girl who could have given the dining room staff at Kalaloch a lesson or two. This was just what we needed and returned us to...glorious day two.

Just north of Forks proper we turned west towards LaPush and took the upper road to the beautiful Rialto Beach. The beach here is a great place to hike and if you are up for it try the one and a half mile hike to Hole in the Wall. The air was filled with the wonderful sound of waves crashing the beach and driftwood logs lined the beach like a gigantic game of pick up sticks.

Next stop, the Makah Indian reservation to hike the Cape Flattery Trail to the northwesternmost point of the contiguous US. The road out to the reservation hugs the edge of the water. Huge pines dot the landscape and provide a small but false sense of security. We rounded curve after curve and were delighted when one of those beautiful pines sitting next to the road served as a perch for five bald eagles...incredible. The annual entrance fee of $10 was a bargain, and I was grateful to see that the Makah Nation had not caved to putting in a casino. The trail to the Cape was truly one of those memorable strolls through the woods and up and over several boardwalks. The biggest thrill however came at the end of the trail, where on a clear day you have a great view of Cape Flattery Lighthouse out on Tatoosh Island.

We took the recommendation of turning right at Clallam Bay and traveling WA 101 instead of the coast hugging WA 112. We understood why when we arrived at the breathtaking Crescent Lake were simple clouds bumped into the mountains and eagles fished (and caught) their dinner with the sun setting into the west end of the lake...life doesn't get much better than this!

Monday morning was another super letterboxing opportunity with stops at the historic Port Gimble, the Hood Canal Floating Bridge and Ludlow Falls...every one a winner. Than on to Port Townsend for lunch, lighthouse and brew. Before leaving we had time for a little beer sampler at the Port Townsend Brewing Company and on our way back to Hope's house we stopped at the Kingston dock to see Mt. Rainier in all its glory across the Puget Sound. Tomorrow it was time to head south for ATX.

The next morning Hope and I had coffee and big hugs. Instead of taking the ferry back across the Sound to SeaTac, I opted for driving around and over the beautiful Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Two more letterboxes before I have to get the car back to the rental place. I was amazed by the beautiful architecture of the old Union station in Tacoma, now the History Museum and the Chiluly Bridge and Glass Museum nearby. I looks like I will have to return to Tacoma and Hope's house...and next time needs to be soon!