On the road in the West
Uncategorized thoughts on travel from Leah EtlingArchive for Washington
Washington highlights
John Wayne's marina.
- Stairway to heaven.
A few from the archives. Washington was so much better than I expected it to be. I really loved it. After New Mexico, it is my second favorite state of the trip so far.
Birds surfing at Benson Beach.
North Head light from Benson Beach.
Lighthouse keeper's trail at North Head.
Tiny little house in Raymond, Washington.
Lovely little Ilwaco marina.
Lavender fields forever.
Eating fresh crabs and crab cakes.
Revisiting the rainforest at Hoh and Quinault.
North Head light
A very scenic lighthouse on the north side of Cape Disappointment, 111 years old, in need of a coat of paint.
Winds on this point reach 120 miles per hour.
Latitude and longitude.
Keepers quarters. You can rent these out and stay here on your next vacation. Not sure of the cost.
Reflection shot from Benson Beach.
Lewis and Clark were here
They encountered the Pacific around the area of present day Long Beach, WA in 1804. Inscribing his name on a tree, Clark added “by land” so all those wimps who came by ship would know what’s up.
Clark saw a big sturgeon on the beach. He also saw a halibut, but didn't know what it was.
The explorers also saw a whale skeleton, which is commemorated along the bike path.
Present-day Long Beach development.
The present-day dunes are the product of shifting sand deposits caused by man-made jetties along the coast.
Eating local fish
We bought smoked salmon and tuna from this local smokehouse between Long Beach and Ilwaco.
We got tuna fish and chips at this spot on the Ilwaco Marina, and also some delicious crab cakes that we made for dinner. $2.50 apiece. Yum!
Cape Disappointment
The Cape D lighthouse. It was raining yesterday.
Dead Man's Cove on the way up to the lighthouse.
North Pt. light from Benson Beach.
Best camping value
Add a new category to the “best of the west” competition: best camping value. And the winner is .. Olympic National Park.
With most campsites staying at an inflation-busting $12, it was easy for us to spend six nights in the park at 4 different campsites: Elwyha, Lake Crescent, Mora, Hoh Rain Forest, Kalaloch and Lake Quinault.
The view at Kalaloch.
Rainforest walk at Lake Quinault.
You can ride a bike to Rialto from the Mora campground.
Wandering around Westport
This is a real fishing town, with some tentative aspirations at building ritzy condos for vacationers. It doesn’t seem to be going too well — the timeshares looked mostly empty and the harbor view homes are all up for auction.
Unloading fish from the Tenacious.
Lots of pots.
The Grays Harbor Light is the tallest lighthouse in Washington.
Coastal trail along the Pacific.
Maritime Museum.
Buncha buoys.
The New Hope has seen better days.
Pirate flags. Arrr!
Quinault rain forest
It finally started to rain while we were in the rain forest. This adds a lot to the atmosphere.
Boardwalk.
Pretty, delicate, purple flower.
Now that's a nurse log!
Feeling a little sluggish.
These thin, black-stemmed ferns are my favorites.
Didn't see too many fungi.
Willaby creek.
Lake Quinault
Last night we camped at Lake Quinault. Despite a peaceful fog that drifted over the lake mid-afternoon, it was probably the most annoying campground ever. Small screaming children, loud motorboats, and our site was positioned so that all the through traffic came right by us.
Nevertheless, it was nice to hike to the lodge and through the rainforest.
Private lake dock.
The lodge. There was a wedding going on when I took this shot.
Canoes and kayaks.
Cabin on the lakeshore.
A more hidden cabin.
Old lodge rooms where I stayed with my parents more than 20 years ago.
