DAY 15- Hurricane Ridge and Cape Flattery...

I woke up at 2AM to the sound of coyotes howling.  They sounded about ¼ mile off and I wasn’t too concerned because I was close to the bathrooms and other campers.  Besides, all my food supplies were in a plastic bin buried in my car.  Good luck to the coyote that could get to that!  I have enough time myself and I know which bin it is in.  Yes, I so need to figure out how to organize my car and I know I’ve got too much stuff.  Okay, it’s something I need to work on.  But  at least I survived the night and no Twilight vampires or Big foots ate me; so I’m still here and alive and relatively well.

I woke up again at 5:30AM; not because of a noise but due to cold.  I’m in a sleeping bag and I have almost every blanket in there with me.  I can see my breath.  MAN! It’s COLD!  And did I mention damp too.  There’s a layer of dew on everything and condensation inside my tent from my breathing all night.  I go to the KOA restroom and it’s warm in there.  It’s pretty sad when you go to the restroom to warm up.

So I decide I’m going to stay up and break camp early.  Now, to start a fire for breakfast; I have two logs left over from the bundle I bought last night.  BUT I have no kindling because I used it ALL last night to start the fire.  Oooopps!  So I wander around my campsite and am picking up leaves and what not that’s would be burnable.  I set it all up in the fire ring and start lighting matches.  Did I mention that it was damp?  Well, I got a great deal of smoke and more smoke.  It was perfect if I had smoke signals in mind but not one bit of flame. 

I finally remembered I had some paper bags in the car (another reason to ask for paper at your grocery store) and got those and then lite a match.  Go figure it worked!  It only took me a chilly 15 minutes to figure that one out.  Aww… life’s lessons aren’t they grand.  Thanks for the doritas tip mom!  Now, I know I can use those for kindling too.  I now know how to light a spicy fire!

Photo- Big boats at Port Angeles.

After I got packed and what not, I was on the road to Port Angeles, WA.  Some of you may remember that this town was in a few scenes of the Twilight vampire books and movies.  I went down to the coastline and took a couple of photos of big boats and then I went by the restaurant where Bella and Edward had their first date.  But overall, there wasn’t much scenic town area other than the port that I could find.

Photo- At top of Hurricane Ridge, a sea of endless mountains in one direction.

Photo- At top of Hurricane Ridge, the deeper blue areas just above mountain tops
that's Canada.  Yes, that's snow that will never melt in foreground. 

Photo- Me near the visitors center at top of Hurricane ridge.
Yep. there's snow and I'm running around in a skort!

Next, I headed up to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. OMG!  It was AMAZING!  It was like I was driving up to the nose bleed section of the mountains in the area to get the ridge.  But the 17 mile drive was VERY worth the views.  It was like seeing forever mountains one way and you could literally see all the way to Canada the other way. Wow!  I would highly recommend putting this on your list of things to see.  There is a fee to get into the National Park but it's well worth the price.  I decided to get an annual pass, since I'll be seeing more National Parks this year.

Photo- The "Indy 500" Shelby that I followed on a gravel road.

Then, I headed back to Port Angeles, and headed west on Hwy 101.  I took the turn off of Hwy 112 to go to Neah Bay.  This has got to be the most winding highway ever!  The speed limit was supposed to be 50mph but they kept throwing these 20mph and 15mph curves at you about every 5 miles; if not more.  Then, they of course had road construction going on.  Go figure!  There was this pattern of 10 miles of curve, 15 minutes of waiting and 5 miles of construction.  Then, I turned onto Hwy 113 as I got closer to Neah Bay.  It was the same thing.

I had to laugh because there was this guy from South Carolina in a brand new Shelby all muscled out that was in front of me.  He was racing around the curves like he was at the Indy 500, and I was always catching up with him at the construction zones.  He would be careful of every little bump in the construction zones but would pour on the speed as soon as we cleared the zones.  Then, we had a long part that was nothing but gravel roads.  I imagine that was not making him happy at all.

Photo- The trail at Cape Flattery is made of boardwalks and tree stumps.

I finally made it to Neah Bay after the three hour drive that should have been an hour and a half tops.  It was pretty but it wasn’t what it had been built up to be. I thought that the John Wayne Marina was more scenic.  Next, I went on to Cape Flattery which is the most northwestern point of the 48 US states.  It was about another 25 to 30 minutes to the parking lot to the trail head for it.  The trail is about half a mile long and is put together of boarded walk ways, tree stumps and winds through a forested area.  It’s a fun trail to go on.  I grabbed my camera and headed in. 

Photos- Scenes from Cape Flattery.

Photo- Tatoosh Island off Cape Flattery that has a light house on it.

Later, as I get down to the bottom they have a warning that there had been cougar sightings.  I thought that it was interesting that they put that information at the bottom of the path way.  But the look outs and the views were beautiful.  It was very worth the ½ mile hike.  I will say that it can be a bit of a climb back up for those that are out of shape.  I saw several older people pausing quite often on the way up.  Meanwhile, I was almost running back up to the parking lot.  I needed to use the restroom facilities and didn’t want to go off to the side of the trail.  A picture of me having my pants around my ankles and being stared down by a cougar flashed through my mind.  

Photo- A thick fog coming into near Hobuck Beach Area.
Pretty to look at but I didn't like the idea of camping in it.

Next, I went over to Hobuck Beach area where I was thinking of camping for the night but there was quite a bit of fog and I really just felt like a night in motel with a shower sounded better.  So I drove back through some of the construction on Hwys 113 and over to Forks for the night.  Yes, another Twilight hot spot.

DAY 14- From Ferrying to Camping...

I tried to break myself of the Island lifestyle by trying to get up earlier.  I had reserved a spot on-line for the 10:15am Coupeville to Port Townsend Ferry.  To make sure I caught my first ever ferry (yes, another first), I managed to set my phone alarm for 6:30am.  I figured better early than late for my first ferry ride.  So, I’m putting my bags and what not by the front door getting ready to take them out to the car.  Next thing I know Mariah (the cat) is laying on my stuff and meowing at me.  It’s like she was saying “Take me too!”  It was too funny because the whole week, I’ve been staying with my hosts (Jean & Walt) this affectionate cat vied for my lap anytime I have sat down anywhere in the house.  Jean kept on teasing me about taking the cat with me when I leave.  So here is this cat rolling around in my gear as I’m trying to get ready.

Photo- The cat that wants to come along?

I said my goodbyes and headed from Oak Harbor to the ferry dock in Coupeville which is about a 15 mile drive.  I checked in for the ferry about 45 minutes earlier than the time.  I was the first car in the first line, and ended up being the third actual vehicle on the ferry.  I told the gal when I checked in that this was my first time and if there was anything I needed to know.  She said no; that I just needed to follow the directions of the ferry employees. 

Photo- I took as I was driving onto the ferry.

I pulled the car on; following the waves and hand signals of the ferry employees.  I turned off and locked my car; then, headed up to the upper deck with my camera.  It had been very foggy on Whigby Island earlier this morning but had been lifting pretty well at the dock.  Well, as we got further out on to the water the fog seemed to just sit there.  I never did really get to see much of anything while on the actual ferry ride. 

Photo- The only view from the ferry while crossing.

Photo- My first sighting of Port Townsend.

My first sight of the town of Port Townsend was through a mild low lying fog.  As we get closer, there’s an announcement about preparing to dock and look out!  It’s like a stampede down the stairs to the lower deck.  Oh, did I mention that there was a great deal of non-American tourists?  There were Oriental and German too that was spoken.  I heard quite a few others that I couldn’t figure out what language they were speaking.

Photo- Outside of wood boat building school.

Off the boat we all eventually went following the universal hand signal signs from the ferry employees.  I took a quick right into the center of Port Townsend and found a parking spot within a few blocks.  Then, I just jumped out of the car and explored.  Port Townsend is a port so there were an emphasis on the boats with a few marina areas, boat suppliers, and even wooden boat builder’s school; which unfortunately because it was Monday Memorial Day the shop was closed.  It looked like they had an area where you could watch them at work.

Photos- Of water front area of Port Townsend.

Their waterfront street is filled with cute shops, quite a few galleries and also eateries. The people seemed very friendly.  There was a cross section of bicyclists, variety of sailors, uptown chic, and hippies.  It was like anything goes and I didn’t seem to be out of place at all.  I stopped for lunch at this cute little restaurant that was French inspired that was tucked away about 2 blocks over from Waterfront Street.

Next, I was off in the car heading west on highway 20 trying to find where it hooked up with highway 101 that goes to Port Angeles.  I got a bit confused when I got in a turn lane and had to figure out my way back to where I should have been.  They seem to be fond of turn only lanes where you don’t really know that you are in a turn only lane until the last minute, and if you can’t get over… well, you figure out something else.

On the way to Port Angeles, there were many discoveries.  Among the first discovery was a community called Discovery Bay which was a picture perfect bay lined with picture perfect homes and businesses.  It was like looking at those realistate ads in real life; a little too perfect.  Next, I went through the town of Sequim which is an area that has a great deal of lavender farms; unfortunately I’m about 3 weeks too late to see them in their full glory.  Just outside of Sequim, I turned off to see the River Bridge trail/Dungeness area.  I guess that this a unique area because it has one of the wettest climates but within about 2 mile distance you go from extreme wet bridges to the driest spot in Washington state which is a mini desert.  There were people bird watching and bicycling throughout the area.  Also, the river trail that goes over the wooden bridge continues from Sequim to just outside of Port Angeles; a good 16 miles away.  I also got to see the John Wayne Marina along the way.  I had to stop there!  Because when you grow up in Iowa and find out John Wayne was born in Winterset, IA... well, let's just say, it's one of those claim to fame type local things.

Photo- River Bridge area with plenty of activity.

Photo- The John Wayne Marina.

Before I got to Port Angeles, I took a left to the KOA campsite; yes, another first!  It was my first time at a KOA campsite and also my first time with just me by myself camping.  There was no relying on someone else to set up the tent or start that campfire; it all fell to me.  And I’m happy to say that I managed it pretty darn well.

Photo- My dinner that I boiled water for.

For dinner, I managed to get a roaring fire enough to boil water (Yes, I can boil water!) to add to the pre-packaged camp meal of 3 bean chili and to put in my brand new never been used French coffee press.  I was getting some real strange looks from other campers with the French press or so it seemed but maybe they were just looking at me because I started a roaring fire to boil water?  For dessert, I had a snack pack butterscotch pudding.  I waited till the fire was almost out, douse it, and got in the tent.  Oh, did I mention that I reserved a campsite with electricity?  I then went into my tent and watched a movie on my computer until I was ready for bed.