Port Angeles, WA

July 21, 2013
We had a spectacular drive through the rain forests of our Washington Coast to just east of Port Angeles. The weather was pretty sunny but there were clouds that are expected along the coast. It was about 150 miles through the forests and windy Hwy 212. We arrived unscathed at Elwha Dam RV Park, "best RV park by a dam site", just after noon. The park is very nice and a short walk to a view of where the Elwha Dam used to be. The dismantling of it began in 2011 and is already complete. Part of the deconstruction plan was to reintroduce the one time fantastic salmon spawning run. It was originally thought that it would take two years for this to happen. Within two weeks there was thousands of salmon coming up the Elwha River. This was a wonderful surprise but rains fell in the hills and washed a lot of silt down the river killing many of the fish. There is still some silt in the river but it is diminishing. We took a drive to Lake Crescent and visited the lodge. The lodge is a beautiful building built early in the 1900's. We sat on one of the sun porches enjoying drinks. Then back to camp for the evening.

July 22, 2013
After breakfast the sun came out so we took the drive to Hurricane Ridge. After stopping at the ranger station for info we drove the 17 miles to the top of the ridge. Spectacular! The observation point is at about 5700 feet so when we looked back toward Port Angeles we were looking down on the clouds and fog. It looked like there was a covering of cotton below us. We then took a couple of hikes to other observation points around the top of the ridge totaling about 1.5 miles. This photo is of what is called a cirque. It is what is left of a glacier when it recedes and leaves an amphitheater like setting.

This photo is looking from the ridge north at some of the Olympic Mountains.

On our way back we stopped and ate the lunch we brought overlooking a massive valley that thousands of years ago was a huge lake. Back to the park to enjoy the sunny day. At about 9 PM the clouds started coming in but not before we saw the full moon.

July 23, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day. After breakfast we drove to Madison Falls. The falls are about 60 ft high ending in a pool of crystal clear water. It was a hike we appreciated of about .1 mile. Nothing like a 5 minute walk to get energized.

On road near the entrance to the parking lot there is a Cedar tree that is probably 10 feet in diameter. This tree was probably over 500 years old because we saw a tree in a visitor's center that was about this size and began it's life in 1364. There are trees older than this still surviving in the Olympic National Forest. We were amazed how these ancient trees are still surviving.

Then we drove into the Elwha National Park to check it out. The park has quite a few camp sites, some along the Elwha River. In one area we found a 6/10 mile hike into the woods. Another nice walk in the forest.
We also drove to Freshwater Bay. This is a county park with beach combing and a boat launch. When we drove in we saw two trucks in the water near the launch. The tide was out so the boaters had to drive their vehicles into the bay so they could get them on their trailers. One boater waited for the tide to come in which made more sense to me.
Then back to the RV park for the rest of our last full day on the road.

July 24, 2013
Up at 7 and on the road home at 8:20. We made several stops on the way but were home by noon. We are only home for 4 days so we have to get everything washed and reloaded for our annual family trip to Cascade Peaks near Packwood.

Port Angeles, WA

July 21, 2013
We had a spectacular drive through the rain forests of our Washington Coast to just east of Port Angeles. The weather was pretty sunny but there were clouds that are expected along the coast. It was about 150 miles through the forests and windy Hwy 212. We arrived unscathed at Elwha Dam RV Park, "best RV park by a dam site", just after noon. The park is very nice and a short walk to a view of where the Elwha Dam used to be. The dismantling of it began in 2011 and is already complete. Part of the deconstruction plan was to reintroduce the one time fantastic salmon spawning run. It was originally thought that it would take two years for this to happen. Within two weeks there was thousands of salmon coming up the Elwha River. This was a wonderful surprise but rains fell in the hills and washed a lot of silt down the river killing many of the fish. There is still some silt in the river but it is diminishing. We took a drive to Lake Crescent and visited the lodge. The lodge is a beautiful building built early in the 1900's. We sat on one of the sun porches enjoying drinks. Then back to camp for the evening.

July 22, 2013
After breakfast the sun came out so we took the drive to Hurricane Ridge. After stopping at the ranger station for info we drove the 17 miles to the top of the ridge. Spectacular! The observation point is at about 5700 feet so when we looked back toward Port Angeles we were looking down on the clouds and fog. It looked like there was a covering of cotton below us. We then took a couple of hikes to other observation points around the top of the ridge totaling about 1.5 miles. This photo is of what is called a cirque. It is what is left of a glacier when it recedes and leaves an amphitheater like setting.

This photo is looking from the ridge north at some of the Olympic Mountains.

On our way back we stopped and ate the lunch we brought overlooking a massive valley that thousands of years ago was a huge lake. Back to the park to enjoy the sunny day. At about 9 PM the clouds started coming in but not before we saw the full moon.

July 23, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day. After breakfast we drove to Madison Falls. The falls are about 60 ft high ending in a pool of crystal clear water. It was a hike we appreciated of about .1 mile. Nothing like a 5 minute walk to get energized.

On road near the entrance to the parking lot there is a Cedar tree that is probably 10 feet in diameter. This tree was probably over 500 years old because we saw a tree in a visitor's center that was about this size and began it's life in 1364. There are trees older than this still surviving in the Olympic National Forest. We were amazed how these ancient trees are still surviving.

Then we drove into the Elwha National Park to check it out. The park has quite a few camp sites, some along the Elwha River. In one area we found a 6/10 mile hike into the woods. Another nice walk in the forest.
We also drove to Freshwater Bay. This is a county park with beach combing and a boat launch. When we drove in we saw two trucks in the water near the launch. The tide was out so the boaters had to drive their vehicles into the bay so they could get them on their trailers. One boater waited for the tide to come in which made more sense to me.
Then back to the RV park for the rest of our last full day on the road.

July 24, 2013
Up at 7 and on the road home at 8:20. We made several stops on the way but were home by noon. We are only home for 4 days so we have to get everything washed and reloaded for our annual family trip to Cascade Peaks near Packwood.

Hoquiam, WA

July 19, 2013

We drove to Hoquiam, Wa, about 150 miles to spend the night before heading up the coast to explore the Olympic National Forest and the area. We stayed at Hoquiam River RV Park. It is a very nice newer park right on the Little Hoquiam River. The owners are very nice and take great care of the grounds and guests. We decided to drive to Copalis Beach. Then it was south on the beach to Ocean Shores. Since it was windy and marginally sunny there was quite a crowd on the beach enjoying walks, kiting and just having a good time. When we exited to Ocean Shores we were surprised to see that there are a couple of new hotels, even if only by name and the town was very busy. We realize the prosperity is only for about three months a year but it was good to see. We took a little walk along the river and came across an old set of pilings and posts where there used to be a rail siding where they would ship logs from the area. The spotted owl put a stop to that. Back then Greys Harbor County had zero unemployment, the lowest in the state. With logging disrupted over the years they have the highest unemployment. We got a pizza from Sasquatch Pizza for dinner. Pretty good if you are in the area.

Hoquiam, WA

July 19, 2013

We drove to Hoquiam, Wa, about 150 miles to spend the night before heading up the coast to explore the Olympic National Forest and the area. We stayed at Hoquiam River RV Park. It is a very nice newer park right on the Little Hoquiam River. The owners are very nice and take great care of the grounds and guests. We decided to drive to Copalis Beach. Then it was south on the beach to Ocean Shores. Since it was windy and marginally sunny there was quite a crowd on the beach enjoying walks, kiting and just having a good time. When we exited to Ocean Shores we were surprised to see that there are a couple of new hotels, even if only by name and the town was very busy. We realize the prosperity is only for about three months a year but it was good to see. We took a little walk along the river and came across an old set of pilings and posts where there used to be a rail siding where they would ship logs from the area. The spotted owl put a stop to that. Back then Greys Harbor County had zero unemployment, the lowest in the state. With logging disrupted over the years they have the highest unemployment. We got a pizza from Sasquatch Pizza for dinner. Pretty good if you are in the area.

Cannon Beach, OR

July 18, 2013

We drove to Cannon Beach but made a stop at Kelly's Brighten Marina about 15 miles from our destination. This was suggested by our neighbor Rob. He, his wife and daughter had been there earlier in the year.This place is a marina where you can rent boats to go crabbing and clamming or just order what you want fresh cooked and served. We had a hard shell Dungeness crab and a soft shell of the same and a pound of steamer clams. We have never tasted any seafood so fresh. The soft shell crab was amazing. The meat is sweeter than any crab I have tasted and there is natural butter in it. All of it was served in a large chef pan. We sat on the deck watching others crabbing in boats and from the docks. Gail went to the trailer and got butter and bread to have with the feast. After the gluttony we drove into Cannon Beach. It was sunny and very pleasant in the Cannon Beach RV Park. We had a nice evening sitting around the fire.

July 19, 2013
We awoke to clouds again. After breakfast we did some laundry and went into town. The place was teeming with tourists. We really enjoy people watching in crowds like this. The shops in town are very nice and pricey. We had a nice lunch at Bill's Tavern and went back to the park for the afternoon and evening. Up tomorrow to head to Hoquiam. Five more days on the road.

Cannon Beach, OR

July 18, 2013

We drove to Cannon Beach but made a stop at Kelly's Brighten Marina about 15 miles from our destination. This was suggested by our neighbor Rob. He, his wife and daughter had been there earlier in the year.This place is a marina where you can rent boats to go crabbing and clamming or just order what you want fresh cooked and served. We had a hard shell Dungeness crab and a soft shell of the same and a pound of steamer clams. We have never tasted any seafood so fresh. The soft shell crab was amazing. The meat is sweeter than any crab I have tasted and there is natural butter in it. All of it was served in a large chef pan. We sat on the deck watching others crabbing in boats and from the docks. Gail went to the trailer and got butter and bread to have with the feast. After the gluttony we drove into Cannon Beach. It was sunny and very pleasant in the Cannon Beach RV Park. We had a nice evening sitting around the fire.

July 19, 2013
We awoke to clouds again. After breakfast we did some laundry and went into town. The place was teeming with tourists. We really enjoy people watching in crowds like this. The shops in town are very nice and pricey. We had a nice lunch at Bill's Tavern and went back to the park for the afternoon and evening. Up tomorrow to head to Hoquiam. Five more days on the road.

Depoe Bay, OR

July 16, 2013
We drove about 120 miles to Sea and Sand RV Park just north of Depoe Bay today. This is Don's parents favorite RV park on the Coast. They went there on almost every trip they took either on the way or returning. Mom used to spend a lot of time on the beach looking for agates. When we arrived we noticed a Greyhawk motorhome just down the row from us. Mom and Dad's last rig was a Greyhawk. A little coincidental. It was kind of windy and cloudy but the forecast for tomorrow is better. On the coast you just have to wait and see. Our site is less than 100 feet from the beach. We took a walk on the beach when the tide was coming in. Pretty darn spectacular. We set up our gas fireplace between the trailer and the truck to buffer us from the wind and had a nice evening watching the surf. This is how close the beach is to our site.

July 17, 2013
Another cloudy morning. We walked the beach at low tide looking for agates and another stuff. We found a few agates. Mom would be proud. I walked right in the tidal surf line and ended up getting pretty wet but we had a great time. At abut 2:30 the sun broke through to give us a spectacular day and night. This was a day you dream about on the coast. It's wonderful how the sun brings out the people from their rigs. We leave tomorrow so it was good to have such a fantastic day at Sea and Sand.

Depoe Bay, OR

July 16, 2013
We drove about 120 miles to Sea and Sand RV Park just north of Depoe Bay today. This is Don's parents favorite RV park on the Coast. They went there on almost every trip they took either on the way or returning. Mom used to spend a lot of time on the beach looking for agates. When we arrived we noticed a Greyhawk motorhome just down the row from us. Mom and Dad's last rig was a Greyhawk. A little coincidental. It was kind of windy and cloudy but the forecast for tomorrow is better. On the coast you just have to wait and see. Our site is less than 100 feet from the beach. We took a walk on the beach when the tide was coming in. Pretty darn spectacular. We set up our gas fireplace between the trailer and the truck to buffer us from the wind and had a nice evening watching the surf. This is how close the beach is to our site.

July 17, 2013
Another cloudy morning. We walked the beach at low tide looking for agates and another stuff. We found a few agates. Mom would be proud. I walked right in the tidal surf line and ended up getting pretty wet but we had a great time. At abut 2:30 the sun broke through to give us a spectacular day and night. This was a day you dream about on the coast. It's wonderful how the sun brings out the people from their rigs. We leave tomorrow so it was good to have such a fantastic day at Sea and Sand.

Charleston, OR

July 12, 2013

We drove about 50 miles after breakfast to Oceanside RV Park in Charleston, OR, a town just out of Coos Bay. We saw this park two years ago when we stayed at a park in Coos Bay. Oceanside is just what it says it is, right in the dunes. It is 70 paces to the beach on a path that starts at the end our site. Gail measured it. The weather was sunny, about 68 degrees and very little wind. Our site butts up to the dunes so we have a natural wind break. It is so much fun coming to a park on a Friday to watch the other campers come in for the weekend. We got settled in and went into town for lunch at the High Tide Cafe. We had some great clam chowder and shared a shrimp and cheese sandwich sitting outside with a view of Charleston Bay. Then back to the park for a beautiful day a spectacular sunset. Toward the ocean from our site there are some tent sites right in the sand dunes. We don't have anything like this in Washington. Here is a taste of the sunset.

July 13, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day on the Coast. After breakfast we went into Coos Bay for a few groceries and to gas up the truck. When we returned to the park we drove to the Bastendorf Beach area north of where we are staying. This is another real nice recreation area. There is a jetty here that we will return to explore later. When we got back to the park the surf was noisier than earlier so we walked to the beach. The tide was coming in so the surf was higher than it was when we earlier saw it.


The surf  looking over a tent camp.

July 14, 2013

The weather was cloudy today so we stayed pretty close to the camp. During the morning low tide we walked along the beach to an exposed rocky area to explore the life among the rocks and sand. We saw starfish, mussels, anemones, barnacles, skulpin/bullhead and other wildlife. The erosive affect of the wind and sea is amazing. There was a lot of sculpting and color changes in the shoreline. Then we drove to Cape Arago and Simpson Reef areas. At the reef there were Stellar Seals and Elephant Seals sunning on the rocks out in the ocean. A wildlife organization was there with telescopes for us to view the animals. We drove farther to Cape Arago and saw a grey whale swimming off shore. It was a wonderful site. At first I thought it was just waves breaking over partially submerged rocks but it raised its back and breached. We returned to camp for lunch and went to the Bastendorf Beach area to walk on the jetty. The jetty isn't very long so we walked along the beach, in SOFT sand. Overall a fun day. The clouds didn't leave us so we went in early.

July 15, 2013
We woke to another cloudy morning with promise to clear and be sunny. After breakfast we went for a long hike along paths skirting the shoreline. We did a similar hike two years ago but this time we included a little climb up a path. The "up" part wasn't what we planned on but just happened. Totally we went almost 6 miles. This is a huge old root ball from a tree blown years ago.

 

A shot looking north on the Cape Arago bluff

Back to camp for a relaxing afternoon. Gail was fixing dinner when the clouds/fog broke and the sun came out. It was a fantastic evening out by the fire enjoying our last day here.

Another great sunset.

Charleston, OR

July 12, 2013

We drove about 50 miles after breakfast to Oceanside RV Park in Charleston, OR, a town just out of Coos Bay. We saw this park two years ago when we stayed at a park in Coos Bay. Oceanside is just what it says it is, right in the dunes. It is 70 paces to the beach on a path that starts at the end our site. Gail measured it. The weather was sunny, about 68 degrees and very little wind. Our site butts up to the dunes so we have a natural wind break. It is so much fun coming to a park on a Friday to watch the other campers come in for the weekend. We got settled in and went into town for lunch at the High Tide Cafe. We had some great clam chowder and shared a shrimp and cheese sandwich sitting outside with a view of Charleston Bay. Then back to the park for a beautiful day a spectacular sunset. Toward the ocean from our site there are some tent sites right in the sand dunes. We don't have anything like this in Washington. Here is a taste of the sunset.

July 13, 2013
We woke to another beautiful day on the Coast. After breakfast we went into Coos Bay for a few groceries and to gas up the truck. When we returned to the park we drove to the Bastendorf Beach area north of where we are staying. This is another real nice recreation area. There is a jetty here that we will return to explore later. When we got back to the park the surf was noisier than earlier so we walked to the beach. The tide was coming in so the surf was higher than it was when we earlier saw it.


The surf  looking over a tent camp.

July 14, 2013

The weather was cloudy today so we stayed pretty close to the camp. During the morning low tide we walked along the beach to an exposed rocky area to explore the life among the rocks and sand. We saw starfish, mussels, anemones, barnacles, skulpin/bullhead and other wildlife. The erosive affect of the wind and sea is amazing. There was a lot of sculpting and color changes in the shoreline. Then we drove to Cape Arago and Simpson Reef areas. At the reef there were Stellar Seals and Elephant Seals sunning on the rocks out in the ocean. A wildlife organization was there with telescopes for us to view the animals. We drove farther to Cape Arago and saw a grey whale swimming off shore. It was a wonderful site. At first I thought it was just waves breaking over partially submerged rocks but it raised its back and breached. We returned to camp for lunch and went to the Bastendorf Beach area to walk on the jetty. The jetty isn't very long so we walked along the beach, in SOFT sand. Overall a fun day. The clouds didn't leave us so we went in early.

July 15, 2013
We woke to another cloudy morning with promise to clear and be sunny. After breakfast we went for a long hike along paths skirting the shoreline. We did a similar hike two years ago but this time we included a little climb up a path. The "up" part wasn't what we planned on but just happened. Totally we went almost 6 miles. This is a huge old root ball from a tree blown years ago.

 

A shot looking north on the Cape Arago bluff

Back to camp for a relaxing afternoon. Gail was fixing dinner when the clouds/fog broke and the sun came out. It was a fantastic evening out by the fire enjoying our last day here.

Another great sunset.

Port Orford, OR

July 10, 2013
We had about a 250 mile drive to the Port Orford RV Village. It is very windy here usually in the summer and today was no exception. The wind got up to about 60 mph on the coast. The park has a lot of long term and permanent tenants but the rigs are nice and the park isn't run down like others we have stayed in with this type of occupants. The owners, Tim and Cindy are real nice people who truly care about their property. We  took a drive to Port Orford Heads which is a coast guard Museum and display of a 36 foot motorized rescue ship used  in the coastal waters of the port from the 1930's til 1957. The men who worked these water were true heroes. Then we drove to the port. Since it is on the ocean there is no bar to cross and the tide effects the launching of private and commercial vessels. They have to use slings and cranes to store the boats on the dock, even the commercial fishing vessels. There is no moorage. Then back to the park for a windy evening. We went inside at about 7:45 when the sun went down behind the trees because it got chilly very fast.

July 11, 2013

We got up and had breakfast and went sightseeing. The wind wasn't real bad first thing but were told it would kick up later in the day. First to Cape Blanco Lighthouse. This is the most westerly point in the contiguous US. There are tours of the lighthouse but we opted to not go on one because we have been on others like it. Here is a pic of the lighthouse.

Then we went to Mt. Humbug for a hike. The sign said it was 3 miles. We weren't sure if that was to the top or round trip. It was 6 miles round trip. The path was narrow and steep in places with some stream crossing it and strewn with fallen branches. The gain in altitude was 1748 feet. It took us about 3.5 hours. Here are a couple of photos.

Port Orford from Humbug Mtn

10 ft tree root ball on the trail

Then off to lunch at 4PM for fish and chips at the Crazy Norwegian Restaurant. This place has been open for 27 years. Before it was an restaurant it was a gas station. The meal was very good. We are glad we went. Then back to camp, in the wind, to relax and do a little laundry. We sat out until about 7, then inside for some TV and a snack. We were both pooped from our outing today. Travel day tomorrow. Only about 50-60 miles.

Port Orford, OR

July 10, 2013
We had about a 250 mile drive to the Port Orford RV Village. It is very windy here usually in the summer and today was no exception. The wind got up to about 60 mph on the coast. The park has a lot of long term and permanent tenants but the rigs are nice and the park isn't run down like others we have stayed in with this type of occupants. The owners, Tim and Cindy are real nice people who truly care about their property. We  took a drive to Port Orford Heads which is a coast guard Museum and display of a 36 foot motorized rescue ship used  in the coastal waters of the port from the 1930's til 1957. The men who worked these water were true heroes. Then we drove to the port. Since it is on the ocean there is no bar to cross and the tide effects the launching of private and commercial vessels. They have to use slings and cranes to store the boats on the dock, even the commercial fishing vessels. There is no moorage. Then back to the park for a windy evening. We went inside at about 7:45 when the sun went down behind the trees because it got chilly very fast.

July 11, 2013

We got up and had breakfast and went sightseeing. The wind wasn't real bad first thing but were told it would kick up later in the day. First to Cape Blanco Lighthouse. This is the most westerly point in the contiguous US. There are tours of the lighthouse but we opted to not go on one because we have been on others like it. Here is a pic of the lighthouse.

Then we went to Mt. Humbug for a hike. The sign said it was 3 miles. We weren't sure if that was to the top or round trip. It was 6 miles round trip. The path was narrow and steep in places with some stream crossing it and strewn with fallen branches. The gain in altitude was 1748 feet. It took us about 3.5 hours. Here are a couple of photos.

Port Orford from Humbug Mtn

10 ft tree root ball on the trail

Then off to lunch at 4PM for fish and chips at the Crazy Norwegian Restaurant. This place has been open for 27 years. Before it was an restaurant it was a gas station. The meal was very good. We are glad we went. Then back to camp, in the wind, to relax and do a little laundry. We sat out until about 7, then inside for some TV and a snack. We were both pooped from our outing today. Travel day tomorrow. Only about 50-60 miles.

Wilsonville, OR

July 8, 2013
We drove 180 miles to Pheasant Ridge RV Resort in Wilsonville, OR today. We stayed here before and were given a free night stay because on that visit our new trailer was exposed to its first rain. It didn't like it a bit and leaked. There was water on floor, the walls and windows. We had to leave early so the manager gave us a free night. We didn't have to worry about the rain this trip. It was in the upper 80's both days we were here. Today we went into town and had lunch at McMenamens Church Pub. It is a quaint place with good food. Then to Camping World for a couple things. Back at camp we made some friends, had a great dinner and sat out til about 10 enjoying the evening.

July 9, 2013
We had breakfast and took off for McMinnville for the day. Going through Newburg we stopped at a great little wine tasting room for Anam Cara Winery. They have some great wines. We especially like their Dry Riesling so we bought some. We don't usually go for whites but this was good stuff. Then off to the town of Dundee to Four Graces tasting room. More real good Oregon wine. We found a real tasty Pino Noir and Pinot Gris that we liked. We then went to Duck Pond Winery which we had visited years ago. No tasting, just visiting the gift shop. The same owners at Desert Wind in Prosser have this winery. Time for lunch. We were told about a great little market in Dundee so went there and shared a terrific roasted turkey, apple and arugula sandwich. We needed bread for french dips so we bought a small ciabatta loaf and some white cheddar cheese. Back to camp to enjoy the rest of the beautiful day. We met a nice couple, Mike and Jeannie, from San Diego that came over to our site after dinner. We stayed out till after 11. Tomorrow on the road to Port Orford on the coast.

Wilsonville, OR

July 8, 2013
We drove 180 miles to Pheasant Ridge RV Resort in Wilsonville, OR today. We stayed here before and were given a free night stay because on that visit our new trailer was exposed to its first rain. It didn't like it a bit and leaked. There was water on floor, the walls and windows. We had to leave early so the manager gave us a free night. We didn't have to worry about the rain this trip. It was in the upper 80's both days we were here. Today we went into town and had lunch at McMenamens Church Pub. It is a quaint place with good food. Then to Camping World for a couple things. Back at camp we made some friends, had a great dinner and sat out til about 10 enjoying the evening.

July 9, 2013
We had breakfast and took off for McMinnville for the day. Going through Newburg we stopped at a great little wine tasting room for Anam Cara Winery. They have some great wines. We especially like their Dry Riesling so we bought some. We don't usually go for whites but this was good stuff. Then off to the town of Dundee to Four Graces tasting room. More real good Oregon wine. We found a real tasty Pino Noir and Pinot Gris that we liked. We then went to Duck Pond Winery which we had visited years ago. No tasting, just visiting the gift shop. The same owners at Desert Wind in Prosser have this winery. Time for lunch. We were told about a great little market in Dundee so went there and shared a terrific roasted turkey, apple and arugula sandwich. We needed bread for french dips so we bought a small ciabatta loaf and some white cheddar cheese. Back to camp to enjoy the rest of the beautiful day. We met a nice couple, Mike and Jeannie, from San Diego that came over to our site after dinner. We stayed out till after 11. Tomorrow on the road to Port Orford on the coast.