Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

Preface to this travel account

This travel account is far more candid than many such travelogues. We are candid about the good, bad and the ugly aspects of our other adventures elsewhere on this site, but it may be particularly noticeable in this account because our experiences on this trip were especially mixed. We had high points of the trip which were wonderful experiences, but the trip had challenges and annoyances we could have done without. Instead of implying that "we had a great vacation" whether we did or didn't, we believe it's important to be candid so those considering a trip to the same area get accurate information.

Seattle

Since we were traveling by air, Seattle was the obvious first stop on our journey. We did the tourist thing and took the ride up the Space Needle which provides a grand 360 degree view of both the city and Puget Sound. From the top of the Space Needle, we could also see the glacier-capped mountains of the Olympic Peninsula beckoning us to the west--where we would be heading the next morning.

Heading out to the Olympic Peninsula

Watching the 2000 election returns had given me a glimmer that Washington State is strongly divided between Seattle and everything else. But I did not realize just how strong the divide was. Perhaps most surprising to the visitor is that the hospitality industry in Washington State is composed of rather inhospitable establishments.

Many areas of the state, including privately owned parts of the Olympic Peninsula, are heavily logged. The inhabitants are militant in their pro-logging stance even as it's quite apparent that most the logging towns are shrinking due to lack of work in the logging industry. Unlike Oregon to the south where a vanity strip of trees is left along the highway to hide the clearcuts, the clearcuts in Washington State come all the way to the road. There are a great many of them on the Olympic Peninsula. Adding to the shock factor for those of us unaccustomed to such sights, next to some of the clearcuts (the ones where the old growth trees have long since been clearcut) there are signs stating the year in which that area was last clearcut, and the year when it will be clearcut again.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is unusual among our national parks because no roads cross the interior. The interior is extremely mountainous which deters road building and kept the area safe from logging before National Park status was granted. If the Park's interior had not been so impassable, the campaign to create the park might have failed--as powerful local logging interests would certainly have vigorously opposed its creation.

Because there are no roads through the Park, it is a pristine wilderness. That means that to see the best the Park has to offer, visitors need to be prepared to hike. The Olympic National Park wilderness is of such unique environmental interest and significance that it was designated in 1981 by the United Nations.

Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge is the highest point accessible by car and the views are impressive from the parking lot at the Visitor's Center on the ridge. The ridge is high enough that on some days the rainy weather for which the Pacific Northwest is known is left behind on the ascent, and clear weather prevails at the top. On such a day, we made the drive which can get rather harrowing at times as the visibility sometimes drops to only a few feet in places. The scary drive to the top was well worth the challenge though: we were rewarded with amazing mountain and glacier vistas and clear skies at the top. We took the hike up Hurricane Hill which yields views even more striking than those available near the road.

One the best and most surprising aspects of the our time at Hurricane Ridge was how few people were there at the height of the tourist season. Several frequent visitors we met said it was unusually quiet for the 4th of July weekend. Some blamed the bad economy while others thought the fear of possible terrorist incidents timed to July 4th had kept people home. Whatever the reason, we were very glad to have uncrowded trails and no traffic jams.

Sunset from Hurricane Ridge

We were quite fortunate to catch a spectacular sunset from the ridge. The pictures on the right show the view across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

Port Angeles

We stayed in the town of Port Angeles for several days which is situated at the bottom of the Hurricane Ridge road. Port Angeles sees many visitors due both to the national park and also to having the shortest ferry crossing to Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada. Although in most parts of Washington State outside Seattle we struggled with what we came to dub Washington State's "hostile-tality" (as opposed to anything resembling any reasonable standard of true hospitality), our stay in Port Angeles was pleasant.

Olympic National Park

Port Angeles to Forks

The first part of the journey west from Port Angeles travels along the northern boundary of Olympic National Park, much of it traveling along Lake Crescent. This part of the journey is quite scenic with waterfalls a short hike from the road.

Once the road turns south, the scenery is marred by many clear cuts. This part of the peninsula is neither national park nor national forest and much of it has been and continues to be heavily logged. Forks is an unbashed lumber town and appears to have seen better days.

Rialto Beach

Just north of Forks is the road to one of the more accessible portions of the Olympic National Park Coastal strip. Most of the coastal strip is National Park, although parts of it are part of Native American lands. Rialto Beach is the most easily accessible beach on the coastal strip.

Quileute Nation

By far, the warmest welcome we received on the entire trip was from the people of the Quileute nation. They told us of their rich history on that land, showed us where we could see bald eagles, and honored us tremendously by inviting us to an inter-tribal gathering with the Quinault tribe. That gathering was enlightening, enriching and moving beyond words. The Quileute and Quinault tribes shared their spirits, treasured songs and traditions with us and embraced us in a way that endures in our hearts and memories. We plan to return to visit them again. The Bald Eagle shown below is a common sight on the Quileute lands.

Second Beach

Second Beach is part of the Quileute Nation, as well. Unlike Rialto Beach, reaching Second Beach requires a significant trek from the road. We were very fortunate to be visiting on two mornings during a substantial negative low tide which revealed many tidepool creatures, which normally would not be visible.

Olympic National Park

Hoh Rain Forest

The Hoh Rain Forest is on the western edge of Olympic National Park. It is one of the only virgin temparate rain forests remaining in the United States. We had to hike with minimal stopping on the trail through the rain forest, because even a 15 second break resulted in a swarm of hungry mosquitos descending on us.

Kalaloch Beach

Kalaloch Beach is on the southern part of the Olympic Coastal Strip where the beaches and road come together.

Mount Rainier

After finishing our tour of the Olympic Peninsula, we headed southwest to Mount Rainier National Park. There's no photo of the mountain itself as the day we were there was typical of Pacific Northwest weather and therefore it was too cloudy for us to get a good, clear shot of the mountain. Nevertheless, the views of Mount Rainier and its glaciers at the top of the road to Sunrise were lovely to our eyes--even if we weren't able to capture that loveliness on film. We were hoping after the Olympic Peninsula to escape clear cuts and less-than-friendly establishments. Unfortunately, we found both to be worse instead of better in the area around Mount Rainier National Park.

Vancouver

Vancouver was like a breath of the fresh air. Neither of us had been to Vancouver before and we were both pleasantly surprised at both how cosmopolitan and diverse a city it is. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful which was a great change of pace.

Steam Powered Clock in Gastown

VanDusen Botanic Garden

We spent a happy afternoon strolling and taking photos in Vancouver's VanDusen Botanic Garden which had many summer flowers in bloom.

Yosemite

Yosemite

Yosemite is one of America's best known national parks. Unfortunately, being so well-known causes hoards of tourists to descend on the impressive but rather small Yosemite Valley. Our trip to Yosemite was during the second week of May. We hoped that by going in May we would beat the crowds. Unfortunately, a large number of other people shared the same hope, that was destined to be unfulfilled. While the crowds are surely worse in the summer, there were already so many people in the Park that the valley lacked any sense of tranquility. The National Park Service's controversial plan to eliminate cars from Yosemite Valley would help restore a sense of peace, but that plan has yet to be implemented.

The conventional wisdom in Yosemite and most other national parks is that hiking will give you sanctuary from the crowds. Unfortunately, there is only one main trail out of Yosemite Valley, the John Muir Trail, and it is packed with other people trying to find tranquility. The John Muir Trail climbs out of the valley and is thus rather steep. If you are in great shape and do not mind hiking uphill for a few hours, I'm sure it's possible to get away from the crowds. In early May, Highway 120 through the upper elevations of the park is closed due to snow. In the summer, there are more options for hiking as Highway 120 allows you drive to the higher elevations.

Dogwoods in Bloom

The great delight of visiting in early May is that the Dogwood trees on the valley floor are in full bloom.

More Yosemite Photos

Visiting early also has the advantage that the falls, the springs, and rivers are all flowing swiftly.

Columbia State Historic Park

An unexpected pleasure was visiting Columbia state national park on our way back home. Columbia has the best preserved gold rush era street in California. Columbia is an example of a living history town with a hotel, saloon and shops all run in period style.