Have we mentioned that we love coffee? Oh yeah, we have. But did we mention that we love Bigfoot? Well we do, so this first stop on our way out of Tacoma made perfect sense!
We headed north along the Olympic peninsula ready to see Olympic National Park. Serendipity struck shortly after starting the drive and we spotted our first bald eagle right as we passed a road called Eagle Nest or Eagle Crossing. No matter what it’s called, it was a pretty sweet situation.
Our next stop for the day was at our very own mountain. That’s right, we drove all the way to the top of Mount Walker to check out the tops of the clouds.
Next, we made our ascent to Hurricane Ridge. This section of the park is filled with wildflowers, snowy peaks, and wildlife. We hung out here for lunch and spent some time taking in the sites. If you haven’t visited here, pack your bags immediately. It’s been one of the most heavenly places we’ve been.
The deer agree. They were hanging out all over the place. Look at the view that this one scored for herself!
As we drove away from Hurricane Ridge we spotted this little guy running across the road. We call him Shadow Bear and he lives within our hearts.
We happened upon Lake Crescent, so we spent some time driving and hiking the area. It’s a crystal clear lake and its easy to get lost in the beauty of the surrounding lowland forests.
Later in the evening we made it into Forks, WA (vampire lovers, eat your hearts out!) where we quickly set up camp before heading to one more area, Rialto Beach. The temperature on the beach that night was around 50 degrees fahrenheit so we didn’t hop in the water.
Here’s Mark’s succinct review of Rialto Beach.
We spent the night there in a secluded little campground and had a rip-roaring fire to keep us warm. The large trees of the Pacific Northwest made for a peaceful haven to get some shuteye.
