18 Aug. 2015: National Park #28: Olympic National Park, Washington
The remote and secluded Olympic National Park. It was so as we had been to Seattle a few times but not gone to these Westerly remote parts. It was almost so until we got to the Hurricane Ridge where we were almost suddenly confronted by a full parking lot. AT&T did not care. It started announcing that it will now charge us at international rates for calling to the US.
While not in Canada, the park boundaries are indeed rather interesting. 101 goes on three sides of it and you are in and out of the park several times. Besides the ridge, did the Hoh river trail. A rather dry summer has meant that the rainforest is not its usual majesty. But under the tall spruce trees and by the river it is still wondrously cool.
And then the fantastic Ruby beach. Water recedes at low tide on this flat beach allowing one access to areas normally under water. The ample drift wood on the shores is fun to jump around on, and the rocks jutting out of the ocean provide even more photo-targets.
Some of the Spruces at one point had tumors (galls) so huge that they warranted their own name: burls.
The town of Forks where we stayed has divided its 3500 residents into 3500 businesses all to do with twilight. Bella did this here, and Edward did that there and so on and on and on ... Fills one with pathos. Will juxtaposing the church with their celebrated high-school help?
So it's still beautiful! I had collected a piece of driftwood from there in 1965. Land was $1500 an acre there then . Better not to think about it!
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