Adventures On the Road

There is just something exciting about packing a bag and leaving the house, not really knowing where you’re going or what you’re going to do.  This time, we packed a bag and knew that we were heading towards the Olympic National Park, but other than that?  Nothing.

So we found ourselves driving along a country road and came across the cutest fence post.  Little birdhouses on every fence post around the yard and up the drive way.  And the best part about that is that they were actually being used – little swallows were hanging around all over the place.

Down another detour, that turned into a road leading to nowhere but another dirt road leading to who knows because we were too chicken to see where it went.  Correction – I was too chicken, because we were in a rental car, had no cell reception and I had no idea if we were just driving further and further into the depths of the park with no guarantee that it came out the other side.

And we eventually made it to Hurricane Ridge.   I did my research, looked at the webcam and saw mountains and mountains of snow.  So I came prepared with jackets and snow boots and layers galore (similar to my trip to Big Bear Lake, CA).  Well it was 65 degrees at the top of the 5200+ ft elevation, and everyone was running around in flip flops amidst towering walls of snow.  Really a bizarre experience when you’re used to equating snow (especially that much of it) with cold weather.

After a little bit of calling around, we did end up finding a place to rest our head for the night.  Although spontaneous, I will admit that sometimes it is nice to know where you’re going, but at least we didn’t have to double back, much.

Day Two of our staycation found us jumping out to Ruby Beach that had dazzled us during sunset the night before.  It’s a whole different feel when it’s day time and the water is so still that it shows perfect reflections of the sea stacks, and, oh yes, it shows off the perfect ripples of a skipped stone.

A short drive from Ruby Beach and a short hike, and all of a sudden we’re in a dense forest with tons of greenery reaching for the sunlight.

And the reason why you go on a hike is to get to the pay off – to get to that final view that makes the huffing and puffing worthwhile.  Marymere Falls – where the waters of Falls Creek drop nearly 90 feet from a cliff into a small plunge pool near the trail below.

And after 45 hours, 450 miles, one suitcase, 2 pairs of wet shoes, an elevation of over 5200 feet, and many, many photos, we hopped on a ferry and headed home, needing a rest from our Staycation.   But what a great view on the way home.