Olympic National Park, Washington
On The Road With The Adventurers
I’m a beach person. I’ve been to deserted beaches before, but this is the first time I’ve ever been to the wilderness coast. I’d never even heard the term before until we reached Olympic National Park in the northwestern corner of Washington State.
Its tidal pools, full of sea anemones, sea stars, and sea urchins, were fun to explore, and the dramatic landscape was indeed breathtaking. Our favorite was Ruby Beach.
It was an excellent place to be still and let it all soak in for a while. If I ever needed to go somewhere to make peace with the world, this is where it would be. Open stretches of beach for as far as your eye can see and very few people around. If you crave solitude, this is your game.
There are drawbacks. On the August day we were there, the temps were between 50–60 degrees, with a strong wind that made it feel much cooler. We ran through the sand to keep warm and took cover behind some driftwood so we could see this brilliant west coast sunset.
We camped at Kalaloch Campground, where you could hear the waves crashing at night, and a narrow path led you right from your campsite onto the beach.
As much as we loved it, we left a day early to seek warmer grounds. “This is drinking hot chocolate in the middle of summer kind of cold,” my son said. So as I lined up at the only store in town for coffee, they lined up behind me for warm cups of cocoa. It was a little sad to leave our cozy camp spot and the wild coast, but I missed the summer heat!
Before we left, we hiked the Hall of Mosses Trail through Olympic’s rainforest. The forest was dense with moss-lined trees, hanging vines, and enormous ferns. I’ve never seen so many different shades of green!
Here are some signs we don’t see out on the east coast. If trying to stay safe from coronavirus weren’t enough, we’re also looking out for runaway sea logs and tsunami warnings! The road trip is always an adventure. You never know what you are going to find.
This time what we found was the wilderness coast and the lush rainforests of Olympic National Park. There was much more to explore here that we didn’t get to, so I hope to come back someday. Next time, with a parka!
