Trip date: May 29, 2019
Last Fall we visited Carla’s high school friends Kate, Don, Marie, and Brian. Both couples have places on the road to Yosemite and we got to stay with Kate and Don meaning we had a short trip to the National Park every day. This year we invited them up to the Northwest so we could show them around. Luckily, Kate and Don took us up on the offer. Carla planned a trip up to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. We spent a couple of nights in the Olympic Rain Forest and then went up to Victoria, British Columbia.
I admit to being anxious about the weather; the Olympic Rain Forest receives about 12 feet of rain per year on average. But we were very lucky: the weather report was for blue skies. We left early-ish on Wednesday, May 29 and got to the Lake Quinault Lodge in time for a hike.
The Lodge itself is spectacular with two big wings overlooking a large lawn and Lake Quinault.
We spent the afternoon hiking on the shoreline trail.
Our home town of Portland is a very green place. But this rain forest puts it to shame. Along the way I captured some pictures of vegetation along the trail.
Shooting pictures of flowers without a tripod is tricky at best. I thought I had focused on the berry here, but obviously zeroed in on the leaf behind the berry.
Twelve feet of water a year means lots of water and we passed quite a few waterfalls.
Every so often along the trail there is a break in the vegetation allowing a view of the lake.
After cleaning up a bit and cocktail hour in our rooms we went to dinner at the Lodge. We sat at a table that FDR (president in the late 1930’s and first half of the 1940’s) sat it on a trip out here. The lodge was built during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration.
Being so far north means the sun is up early and down late. Since the weather was marvelous we sat on deck chairs on the lawn and gazed at the lake and the mountains.
By 10:00 it was getting chilly and dark, so we headed back to our rooms. On the way I grabbed a quick picture of the lodge at night.
Beautiful photos Howard – it’s a magical place!