Olympia National Park, WA Kalaloch Campground 7/7 - 7/12 2019

From: casarollnotes.blogspot.com 

Tim and Linda Bunyan

We continue our 2019 North Pacific Travel Tour north of my cousin's beach house in Ocean Shores.  We also had a meet up with SYC Bruce and Susan Moneymaker and Jim & Kay Montgomery, and Sam & Kathy, and Monique & Matt, and Stacy, and Bob & Nancy, friends on the Puget Sound, Pennisula Key at Longbranch Marina.

We have arrived at Kalaloch Campground in the Olympic National Park located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"Looking Out Our Back Door"

 View of our Campground Beach!

 Unique, assorted means of travel vehicles 'in our 'Hood'.

 

We set off on the neighbor trail {Bear Country??: No, Campground...Dog.]  
We cross over Kalaloch River Bridge (constructed in 1930) to explore the Campground to find a 'mini-mart', restaurant, and the Kalaloch Lodge....for those utilizing another unique overnight accommodation travel option.

 Welcoming Entrance to Kalaloch Lodge.  

There are many Beach Access areas along this portion of the Pacific Ocean in Olympic National Park.  We choose two of the six beach access points to hiking the beaches, each with their own offering.
Beach 4 is Olympia's best locations for exploring tide pools.  A short trail and a bridge made from driftwood lead to this marine wildlife preserve part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Destruction Island Lighthouse built in 1889, now its Fresnel Lens is housed at the 

Westport Maritime Museum.

 We walked for miles in this sanctuary of sandy beach for as far as one can see.   

 A worthwhile and pleasant afternoon.

Next day we visited the famous Ruby Beach.  A favorite for those who come to observe.
The access is from a bluff with a trail that leads to driftwood that has been washed ashore at a high tide

I brought a Rock to Sandy Connelly from this famous Ruby Beach; look for it in her circular rock garden border (looks like a potato!)

Notice visitors get their feet wet at this beach.  

The tidepools call for those to remove their shoes to explore.   Hiking shoes removed, this is a place flip-flops are optional where water shoes or old tennis shoes that can get wet.

Although Ruby Beach is a rocky beach, we notice shoes an option exploring the shoreline.

 

Tim and I enjoy the tranquility of the beach walk.  We are destined for the mysterious, outcropping at the far end of the beach, where there is no one else.

As the fog blows in it adds a texture of a floating pathway along with the

 sound of the surf.

 We set out and make our own 'life circle' in the sand several miles to the rocky cliff.

 It is clear the rock stands to the pounding Pacific Ocean winter storms.

 We have met with great accomplishment; now head back several miles and several hours of being.

The Quinault Rain Forrest  Nature Trail: Road Trail Tour.
From the Ranger Station, we drove Northeast on South Shore Road to see the open view of Quinault River.

  We enjoyed this unique area driving the rainforest.  The Scenic Loop Drive provides excellent opportunities to see a wide variety of features within a short period of time through the temperate rain forest.

Western Red-cedar.  the bark is too acidic for lichen, fungi or moss growth.  Indigenous peoples referred to this as the "tree of life".  Lewis & Clark found the cedar canoes excellent crafts.

Quinault River

 Sunny and warm at Quinault River.  We drove down the dirt, sloped boat launch onto the gravel river bar.

Cedar Tree branches and foliage where the sword ferns are abundant on the nature trail here in Quinault.  Elk eat the tips of the fern leaves.

Sorrel

 Western Cedar alongside a Western Hemlock is a common understory tree. 

 The Hemlock is Washington's state tree.

Merriman Falls Creek.

Quinault Valley Homesteaders remain.

Red Alder, lichen grows on the bark.  Alder fixes nitrogen in its roots and adds nutrients to the poor soil it initially invades.

 S
Douglas Fir

Large Cedar Tree near our Kalaloch Campground. 

Drive back to Ranger Station in Quinault 

Fuel Station

Items we found most interesting (had to narrow) inside the Quinault Museum

 Sears Robuck Catalog (First Mail Order Retail)

 My grandma Alwood (Hilda, born in England, came to Canada and met my Grandpa Harry Alwood) wore an apron as this.....everyday around her house kitchen.

Grand Lodges of the National Parks

Grand and Rustic Quinault Lodge built in 1926.

 Cozy antique ambiance                                                  It is alright to play this upright piano in the alcove.

 

Home Away From Home Comfort.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt dined at the lodge in 1937 while touring the peninsula.

 Robert Reamer, Architect of Quinault Lodge; Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Frank McNeil dine at the Roosevelt Dining Room here at the Quinault Lodge built in 1926

The cozy charm of the 1920 era. 

Quinault Lodge Boathouse, handmade details.

Lakeside view

Quinault Lake

Lakeside view with lawn sports; croquet anyone??

Lake Quinault

 Patio at Quinault Lodge

 Front entrance from the road.

 At the front entrance, these trees are even more famous here than the Lodge: Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and the Western Cedar!

California Redwood Trees are grown in the front Valet Garden.

Time to rest.  We are moving on the north to the 'city' of Forks to provision prior to our travel out to the Northwesternmost Point in the contiguous U.S,: Cape Flattery.