Welcome back, friends! Want to know one of my most favorite things about Washington state? It is so diverse. The people, the food, climates…there is something for everyone. The eastern part of the state is desert, there are mountains all over, and the western part of the state has a literal rainforest and the Pacific Ocean. It is absolutely beautiful here.
At the end of October, we decided to take a weekend and travel to Port Angeles, Forks, and Olympic National Park. We hadn’t been to Olympic yet, and I wanted to cross it off our list! Our first stop was Port Angeles. We visited the park and were told that the road we wanted to drive on was closed due to snow and ice from the night before. We were pretty disappointed, but we drove around and explored at lower altitudes.
Fun facts: The language on the first part of the Welcome sign is that of the local indigenous people in the Olympic Peninsula, Klallam. It translates to “come inside.” The sign’s base is made with river rocks, and the logs are hand-peeled.
We also visited a local brewery and ate a delicious dinner at Downriggers on the Water and turned a disappointing day into a good one. If you ever go there, I highly recommend the hot crab dip. I could’ve eaten it with a spoon, but I am civilized (mostly) and ate it with the bread we were given. Also, holy mo, the crab and prawn fettuccini is an absolute delight. I didn’t get any photos because I was so excited to start eating!
The next day was my favorite. We got to visit a few places. Our first stop was coffee, naturally. And our second was Forks, WA, vampire capitol of the USA, thank you, Twilight. For those of you that have read the books, Forks really is tiny. There isn’t much there. But there is some fun Twilight stuff. Bella’s trucks are there–the one from the movie and the one from the books and yes, they’re different. There are a couple fun signs once you get onto the “Res” that warn vampires to keep out. I’m not really a Twi-hard, but I geeked out a little.
Our next stop was the Pacific Ocean. I have been talking about the ocean since before I even got out here. I’ve dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean so many times, but I had never been west enough to greet the Pacific and finally, I was there. Let me paint the picture for you. The day was sunny, but chilly. It was a little windy. I was wearing jeans and my puffy jacket. The beaches here aren’t sandy; they’re rocky. You could see huge rocks jutting out of the water like castles. And despite all this, I took off my shoes and socks, walked my feet to the edge of the water, and let it flow over my feet. So. Cold. So cold. But boy, did it feel good to have finally set foot in the Pacific Ocean!! Cody had no interest in taking off his shoes and socks and getting his feet wet. Haha!
First look 🙂 
Run awaaay 
Our next stop was the Hoh Rainforest! We got out of the car and stretched our legs a little on the Hall of Mosses trail, a short 0.8 mile trail that winds through gorgeous moss-covered trees and ferns. It was absolutely wild to me that a few thousand feet higher there were roads closed due to snow and ice.
After our hike, we made our way to Ruby Beach, stopping at a gift shop on the way. We got to see some wildlife in the field behind the gift shop!
Why does the wildlife insist on sticking their tongue out at me?!
We walked along Ruby Beach for awhile and enjoyed the setting sun. We saw two wedding parties (congrats to them!), and a couple taking Christmas photos. And then we headed home, a lovely weekend behind us and more adventures ahead!
Photo cred: Cody Feller
As of the publishing of this post, I only have three weeks left here! I am equal parts sad and excited to start my next adventure, which will be in Kingwood, Houston, TX!! If you have any suggestions for anything I should do before I leave here, or anything to do in Texas while I’m there (January to April), please comment and let me know!
Stay safe, stay healthy, and wash yo dang haaaands! 🙂
ShutterbugRN Travels 