Olympic Peninsula Coast

We have been out of touch for a while because the coast of the Olympic Peninsula is so remote that cell phones don't usually work and Internet connections are hard to find.  As we traveled this area there were always phone booths in front of stores or gas stations in the remote areas -- sometimes two booths together.  We haven't seen that in a long time!

We first spent three nights in Victoria BC and had a really good time.  Susan replaced her silver ring that was taken in Chattanooga years ago and is very happy with the new one.  We had some really good sea food and enjoyed the museum in Victoria.  Weather was great and food was great.  Next time up there we will take the truck and go north on Vancouver Island and explore the wilder more remote areas of the island.  Saved for the next trip.

On the Olympic Peninsula we camped at Morah a few nights.  Morah is near Rialto Beach near Forks and La Push Washington.  It is in the Olympic National Park.  Weather was good and we were able to walk Rialto beach and up the headland at the end of the beach.  We also walked first beach in La Push.  The beaches with the huge weathered logs and the sea stacks were incredible.

We then moved to a cabin on first beach in La Push because we were told there would be a potlatch and a  drumming/dancing that night.  We took a contribution to the Potlatch - ice cream - and ate dinner there and met some of the people.  One group had come from an Indian community about 100 miles south of La Push and with them was the guy who would lead the drumming - singing - dancing event.  Marco Jacob Black.  He has been working for years to build and maintain the traditions among the Quileute people.

The Quileute creation story says that they were a wolf pack turned into humans thousands of years before.  Their sacred dance was the wolf dance with the traditional masks - no photos allowed - complete with howling from members of the Indian community.  As we walked back to our little cabin the wind was really blowing hard and it was raining.  There was something in the village that caught the wind and made a howling sound all night.  It rained so hard on our metal roof that Susan said she could hear barking sounds in the rain.  A wonderful and strange night all the way around.

Indians fishing at the mouth of the river in La Push.

Sea stacks off Rialto beach with a neat cloud pattern.  I think sailors say that salmon scales and pony tails foretell of bad weather coming.  I think this can be called pony tails.  It did storm a couple of days later.

This is the bottom of a huge tree on Rialto beach.  Beautiful and amazing.  In storms and high tide  the waves roll these logs around.  Warning signs say people are killed by rolling logs every year.

Cooking on the fire at Morah.  Corn on the cob, potatoes and fresh crab cakes - compliments of Carolyn and John.  Really good.  We're cooking over the fire because we couldn't get the propane stove to work and it was late so we just cooked the old fashioned way.  The next day I figured out the stove and fixed it -- all is well with the stove now.

Sea Stack at the end of Rialto Beach.  Always amazed to see trees coming out of these rocks.  

Waves coming through one of the sea stacks.

View from up on the headland at the end of Rialto Beach

I thought to take a photo of the camp site after the tent started coming down.  This is the Morah camp site.

Third Beach near La Push was incredible.  The storm was moving in and the waves were getting large.  What a place.

A Japanese bottle we found on the beach.  But there was no message in the bottle - darn.

A trail out to second beach.  

Second Beach slot in a headland that the waves would wash through crashing out this side of the hole.

Second Beach sea stacks a waves.

In a circle of rocks this was carefully placed.  Evidently Ben's coffee pot is buried here.  Sacred Grounds?  These beaches are available for backpacking camping in knock down beautiful settings.  Just stop at the ranger station and get a wilderness permit and go.  The next trip we will be sampling the beach camping.

A sort of shelter and fire ring on second beach 

Some of the Drummers and singers.

Dancers with the wolf symbol on their capes

Raven mask dancer - blurred because I was not using the flash.

Our little cabin at La Push.  We will go back there.

The community center where the drumming and dancing was held.

Wolves on the side of the community center.

The highway on the way out from the Olympic Coast.

San Juan Islands

We are in the San Juan Islands in Washington State.  To get here we caught the Washington State Ferry at Anacortes WA.  Almost as soon as the ferry left the dock the captain announced that there were Orcas out front.  The ferry slowed and eventually stopped for the pod of Orcas the swim by right in front of the ferry.  A good omen for the week in the islands!

We first went to an old favorite location to spend two nights - Mar Vista on San Juan Island.  The ferry stops at Friday Harbor and we drove to the other side of San Juan Island.  Mar Vista accommodations are basic small cabins in what may be called arrested decay.  So it is not for everyone.  The draw is the location.  Mar Vista looks across the Haro Straight to Victoria on Vancouver Island and across the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains.

The sunsets are absolutely the best and after sunset the lights of Victoria begin to come on and form a fine line of light along the ocean horizon all night.  This trip the moon was very close to full and we were lucky enough to wake up and see the big orange moon sliding toward the horizon.  I don't recall having ever seen an almost full moon set.  It was beautiful as it became a sliver on the horizon.  WOW -- we congratulated each other on our luck to see that.  Then we slipped below the horizon and got in a couple hours more Zzzzs.

Photos from San Juan Island:

The 'beach' at Mar Vista looking across at the Olympics.  There were always Seals right off the rocks looking at us as we were looking at them.

A ferry coming into Friday Harbor with the walkers and bikers on the front ready to disembark first.

Seals were usually right off the beach rocks.

View of the sunset from our cabin window.

Sunset over Vancouver Island.

Some nice Rays at Sunset.  This is right behind the cabins at Mar Vista.  The residents gather at the picnic table at sunset bringing snacks and wine to share and all enjoy the sunset.  Just a magic time.  The group we were down there with the most were from San Francisco and arrived on the Ferry on bicycles and rode across the island to Mar Vista.  They were great neighbors.
Just at sunset a large Bald Eagle flew low right past the cabin, so we had seen Orcas, seals, and a Bald Eagle on our first day.  Really good signs.

Our little cabin at Mar Vista.  If you go there try to get cabin number 8 or at least 7 since those two have the closest proximity to the best sunset views.

A taxi with sea kayak racks and a bumper bike rack  Hmm -- maybe the lifestyle here is different.

Mar Vista Cabin number 7 or 8 in the sunset.

At the lavender farm on San Juan Is.  They also make many lavender products from their farm.  We were able to smell lavender until we had our fill of that wonderful plant.

We were following this little car out to the lavender farm and couldn't figure out what it was.   The scooter folks rent these too -- seemed to be a double scooter.  We saw them all over the island.

One of the island taxis.  Neat old car.

old porsche in Friday Harbor.

We saw a beautiful yacht docked at Friday Harbor.  It was the Etheral.  Here's the link to that sailing Yacht:

http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=syethereal-1685




We then went to another island where our cousins live.  We took an early ferry and saw the sun rise over the North Cascades and the Islands.  The island is much less commercial and therefore much quieter than the busier San Juan or Orcas Islands.  We have had a really good visit and have eaten fresh dungeness crab every day since this is crabbing season and our cousins have a boat and crab pots.  All is how it should be!

Happy Ferry Passengers.  We have gotten along so well on this trip it is just wonderful being so compatible!

We were on the inter island ferry that does not do trips to the mainland, only between the San Juan Island group.  The local school children use the ferry to attend schools on different islands and of course the locals us it a lot.  We found quite a few jigsaw puzzles on the ferry tables on this 'local' ferry.  But it was just too early to sit and work on any part of it. 

The sunrise over Mount Baker in the North Cascades was a treat since we have backpacked Baker several times.

Our little truck by itself on the ferry deck on the early ferry.

Crab Dinner on the deck was just wonderful.

Good Crabs! Yum.