Western Washington

By far the more populated region of Washington, the western part of the state is also the area that feels the brunt of the near legendary rainy weather’ The I-5 Corridor stretches north-to-south and goes through communities like Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Vancouver on its way from Canada to Mexico’ In the north near the Canadian border and the city of Bellingham, the land is forested in most places right up to Puget Sound’ Winters are harshest here compared to the rest of Western Washington but are very bearable’ Bellingham is also home to one of the six state universities, Western Washington University’

The Seattle-Tacoma area is home to the largest concentration of people in the state of Washington’ Seattle is also the business and finance capital of the state and home to professional sports franchises as well as the University of Washington’ Seattle has a vibrant downtown area highlighted by the waterfront and world famous Pike Place Market’ Ferry service is essential to Seattle and the rest of Western Washington as so many population centers are located on and around Puget Sound’ Seattle sits right on Interstate 5 which runs north-to-south, and is also at western most end of the I-90 which is the longest Interstate freeway in the United States (the other end of I-90 is in Boston, Massachusetts)’ SeaTac Airport, serving the entire state and a major jump off point for flights to Alaska, Hawaii, and Asia is located between Seattle and Tacoma’

To the south, Olympia is the state capital and home to The Evergreen State College’ Olympia’s weather is similar to Seattle’s and it too sits on Puget Sound’ Olympia is a kind of hub for travelers as from there you can go west to the Pacific Ocean, northwest to the Olympic Peninsula, east to Mount Rainier, north to Seattle and further on to Canada, and south to the lower Cascade Mountains and Oregon’

The most northwestern portion of Washington State is known as the Olympic Peninsula’ The Olympic Peninsula is home to Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, Dungeness Spit, Neah Bay, the Hoh Rain Forest, and much more’ Popular with tourists, it is possible in one day on the Olympic Peninsula to go from the beaches of Puget Sound, to the old growth forest and mountain peaks of the Olympic National Park, to the one and only rain forest in the continental United States, and finally to the Pacific Ocean’

South of the Olympic Peninsula sit the coastal areas of Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor, and Long Beach’ This area of the state, though beautiful, is primarily focused on ocean based tourism, lumber, and marine industries’ Further south is the city of Vancouver which sits right across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon’

Eastern Washington

The second most populous city in Washington State, behind Seattle, is Spokane which is located in Eastern Washington near the border with Idaho’ North of Spokane is the sparsely populated Colville area and further on is the Canadian border’ This northeast corner of the state has what can be described as dry arid forests’ Spokane is home to many of the common things you find in mid-sized cities like minor league sports, assorted colleges, large parks with many events, and major media outlets’ Interstate 90 runs right through Spokane and is the major east-west route across the state’ Just outside of Spokane is the community of Cheney which is home to Eastern Washington University’

South of the Spokane area is the southeastern section of Washington State, here lies the other major state university, Washington State University in Pullman’ Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities (consisting of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick) area are the major population centers of Southeast Washington’ The land here was originally natural grassland and prairies but has been for the most part changed over to farming and agriculture thanks to the irrigation projects on the Snake and Columbia Rivers’

The Central Washington area is usually the term describing the region surrounding Ellensburg and Yakima’ Ellensburg is home to Central Washington University and the Ellensburg Rodeo’ Ellensburg also sits right on I-90 and is one of the last towns you stop at before heading over the Cascade Mountains to Western Washington’ Yakima is the main population center in Central Washington and also a travel hub’ From Yakima you can go southeast towards the Tri-Cities, south to Oregon, east towards Moses Lake and Spokane, north to Ellensburg, and west crossing the Cascade Mountains via White Pass to Western Washington’ There are areas of Central Washington that are arid enough to actually qualify as desert land’ Thanks to irrigation, the Central Washington area is a highly successful agricultural area’ Wheat fields, grape vineyards, apple and pear orchards, and more cover the landscape of Central Washington’

Wenatchee is the most populated city in the North Central Washington region’ The southern and central part of the North Central Washington area is scarred arid land carved by a giant ice age era flood that covered most of Eastern Washington’ This flood created huge gouges that resemble canyons and valleys and are called coulees’ The Columbia River dominates the North Central Washington area and the energy and irrigation made possible by it’s hydroelectric dams have been a boon to the region’ The gem of these is the Grand Coulee Dam located about two hours northeast of Wenatchee’ The Grand Coulee Dam backs up water all the way to the Canadian border’ Also in the vicinity of Grand Coulee Dam is Banks Lake, a manmade lake made by damming and filling up a coulee with water pumped from the Columbia River below’ Downstream from Grand Coulee Dam is Chief Joseph Dam which is the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the nation’ Lake Chelan is the largest natural lake in Washington State and sits near the geographic center of the state’ At the northwestern end of the lake sits the town of Stehekin which you can only reach by boat, hiking trail, or water plane – no roads lead there’ To the north sits what is referred to as the Okanogan country, right on the border with Canada’ Rocky rugged forests meet arid steppe lands to make some of the most beautiful country in the United States’

The Cascade Mountains

The Cascade Mountains run generally from north-to-south dividing the State of Washington in half’ There are five mountains in the Cascades that are classified as active volcanoes; Mt’ Baker, Glacier Peak, Mt’ Rainier, Mt’ St’ Helens, and Mt’ Adams’ The Cascade Mountains receive an excessive amount of snow during the winter and are a favorite place to head for anyone with interests in hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, rock climbing, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and more’

There you have it, when it comes to diversity in climates and terrain; no other state can match Washington State’ Home to modern cities, an actual rain forest, desert-like conditions, a major mountain range, Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, and tons of other lakes and rivers, Washington State has it all’ Whether you live there already or are planning a visit – explore Washington State today’

The first outdoor activities in Hawaii that you may want to try are terrestrial adventures’ Hiking is a great outdoor activity that will allow you to explore Hawaii’s tropical environments’ If you are looking for a challenging hike then you may want to travel about 15 miles form Honolulu to Castle Trail’ This trail system offers 7’6 miles of hiking trails and an elevation change of nearly 2800 feet’ If you are not in the best shape then you may want to try a less challenging trail’ A good trail for you is the Sacred Falls Trail’ This trail system is located about 16 miles form Honolulu and it offers 3 miles of hiking trails and a modest elevation change of 539 feet’

Visiting local beaches is another popular activity in Hawaii’ There are dozens of great beaches located throughout the state’ If you are staying in Honolulu then you have at least 25 beaches located within 10 miles of the city center’ Some of your beach options include: Crescent Beach, Grays Beach, Hickam Harbor Beach, Khala Beach, Kapiolani Park Beach and Waikk Beach’

Water activities in Hawaii are what make the state such a popular tourist destination’ You can choose from ocean adventures like snorkeling, boating, cruising and diving, or you can visit one of the state’s many lakes’ Some of the lakes located near Honolulu, Hawaii include Alapena Pool, Hilton Lagoon, Keehi Lagoon, the Lily Pond and Nuuanu Reservoir Number Four’ All of these fresh water bodies are located within 5 miles of Honolulu’

Planning a vacation to Hawaii? Learn more about activities and sightseeing tours in Honolulu, Maui, Oahu, Kaui and Waikiki’ Find the perfect beach rental house or a luxury ocean front condo’ While in Hawaii, be sure to try some of the exciting activities the islands have to offer including waterfall tours, scuba diving trips, snorkeling, dolphin adventures, surfing and camping on the beach’

Many people live in the central part of Washington, or the Seattle area’ So, to actually get to any of the really good camping spots is only a two or three hour trip’ We lived in Bremerton, which is on the west side of the Puget Sound’ This gave us access to all sides of the water, and we made the most of these opportunities’

One of the places we went camping was along the Pacific Ocean, at Ocean Shores’ It was about a 3 hour drive for us’ But with any drive in Washington, the scenery is truly amazing and the driving time is enjoyable and worthwhile’

Ocean Shores Washington is right there between the Pacific Ocean, North Bay, and Grays Harbor’ We camped at the Ocean City State Park for 2 nights’ The campground itself has all of the amenities you need, but the best part is just the views’ We got to see a sunset both nights and the cool breeze off the ocean made for some good sleep’ And, nothing like that hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning when you can see your breath in the air’

There is also a trail that leads to a cliff that overlooks the ocean’ This was a place that landed us in about an hour nap on the second day’ It was especially peaceful, with the only real sound being the sound of the waves crashing on the shore’ Man, do I miss that sound’

If you are looking for some Washington state camping, I would definitely recommend looking into somewhere along the coast’ Hearing the waves at night is something you most likely do not get to do often, so make use of the opportunity’ Ocean Shores is a very nice place to make this happen, but there are others as well’ You will be very glad you made the trip and experienced this type of camping’

But, I am an adventurer at heart, probably born from my days as a kid where I grabbed a fishing pole or net and waded creeks and ponds to see what was there’ My favorite type of travel is where you see things up close and personal with exposure to the people, culture and wildlife’ This might require you to hop on a rubber landing raft and land on a beach where no one lives, or it might require you to reach down and pet a whale’ Adventurers run between 8 and 98 years old generally’

This trip is one of the most unspoiled explorations available’ What makes this trip special?

This cruise not only allows you to explore the Alaska Coast it also goes above the Arctic Circle and into the Bering Sea’ Kodiak and other seldom visited islands and cultures are included’ Cruise West is known for great exploratory cruising off the beaten path’ Their small cruise ships provide something similar to a yacht feel’ Most of the time they are cruising the ship will be diverted for closer looks at bears, whales, orcas, seals and more’ This ship stops at small ports of call where you can meet people who still live according to ancient customs’ The climate changes are forcing these people to change their locations and habits because their food is not available in the same areas, this is a disappearing culture’

This is a great trip for people who have never seen Alaska but want to see everything, but it is also a great trip for someone who says “I’ve seen Alaska”‘ Until you have made this trip you haven’t seen all of the treasures of Alaska’

Guest speakers on wildlife and history, free shore excursion at each port, up close to shore wildlife viewing, wildlife detours when appropriate, Zodiak boat launching from back of ship when appropriate’ If you want to see Alaska as it was many years ago this is your trip’

Itinerary

Day 1 – SET SAIL FROM VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Board the Spirit of Oceanus in Vancouver’ Enjoy a great view as you cruise under the Lion’s Gate Bridge’ This begins your discovery of the best of Alaska’ After dinner your exploration leader will provide an itinerary talk and discuss the next 25 days’

Day 2 – CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

You will cruise the sheltered waters of British Columbia as you move along the Great Bear Rain forest’ The captain will take you past the most scenic areas as everyone searches for whales, dolphins and other wildlife’ There is a chance to see a white furred black bear, called the Spirit Bear’ Enjoy a great program in the evening after dinner’

Day 3 – CRUISING BRITISH COLUMBIA

You will visit a remote village on British Columbia’s coast and see a First Nations culture’ The Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation are coastal people with an ancient history that is alive and well today’

Day 4 – MISTY FIORDS AND METLAKATLA

This is one of my favorite places in Alaska (Misty Fjords)’ Enjoy the beautiful Behm Canal where six inlets come together’ You will be joined by a National Forest Service Kayak Ranger to learn even more’ You will see incredible, steep cliffs at the water’s edge and view harbor seals, seagulls and pigeon guillemots’

You will also visit Metlakatla on Annette Island’ This island was set aside in 1891 for the exclusive use of the Tsimshian Indians and other Alaska natives’ The Tsimshian indians will provide a dance performance at their tribal house’

Day 5 – PETERSBURG

Today you will visit a Norwegian founded fishing village named Petersburg which is found on Mitkof Island’ You will be entertainedby the Leikarring Dancers who will perform traditional Norwegian dances in traditional dress’ You will be able to explore this fishing community and sample some homemade Norwegian pastries’

Day 6 – TRACY ARM AND FREDERICK SOUND

Cruise through Holkham Bay with two beautiful fjords’ Cruise on to Tracy Arm which has emerald green seawater with steep cliffs of granite’ The narrow fjord stretches for 25 miles and comes to the incredible North and South Sawyer glaciers’ You will surrounded by great beauty and quiet as Arctic terns buzz by and harbor seals check out the ship’

Frederick Sound has a very large humpback whale population’ The rich waters attract many forms of fish and shrimp which the humpbacks feed on’ This is an area where you expect to see humpbacks and sometimes they are very close’

You will cruise the Wrangell Narrows which is too shallow for large cruise ships’ You will snake along this 21 mile stretch looking for Sitka black tailed deer, bears and sea birds’

Day 7 – SKAGWAY

Enjoy a cruise through Lynn Canal with it’s snowcapped mountain peaks’ Relive the gold rush in Skagway, this is where the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 started’ You will tour Skagway in a touring car’ This is also the start of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway’

Day 8 – GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE

You will be joined by a Park Service Ranger and a Native Interpreter as the captain explores the remote bays looking for wildlife’ Your guides will give you interesting information on this changing area as the glaciers have retreated significantly in the past 200 years’ As the ship approaches the Marble Islands you will have a chance to see sea birds such as Murrelets, Puffins and Kittiwakes’ There are bears and mountain goats along the shoreline and seals, otters and humbacks in the rich waters here’

Day 9 – SITKA

You will take a different route than other ships to Sitka’ You will cruise through narrow passageways between Baranof and Chichagof Islands’ You and the crew will be searching for Bald Eagles and Sitka deer along the shore’ Enjoy an included tour of the Sitka National Historic Park and the beautiful Totem Poles along the trails’ When you board the ship you will begin cruising other narrow channels including Peril Channel which is appropriately named for larger ships’

Day 10 – EXPLORING THE ALASKA COAST

You will be cruising the beautiful and unspoiled Alaska coast and making a Zodiak landing if weather permits’

Day 11 – PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

Enjoy an area which is rarely visited, Prince William Sound’ You will be cruising narrow passages and viewing steep cliffs along the shore’ As you enjoy the scenery you will be searching for otters, humpbacks, orcas and sea lions’ You will also see puffins and other birds in this area’ This area was greatly impacted by the Alaska Oil Spill in 1989 but it is not obvious at this time’

Day 12 – WHITTIER

Spend the day in Whittier’ You can visit their Museum or choose optional acitivities such as kayaking or a trip to Anchorage’ As you explore this area you will gain a better understanding of the environment’

Day 13 – WILDERNESS CRUISING

You will be searching for beautiful wildlife and scenery’ Enjoy thousands of sea birds on Granite Island which is home to rhinoceros auklets, fulmars, murres, puffins and kittiwakes’ This is one of the top bird watching locations anywhere’ This area is also home to humbacks, orcas, minkes, bear, moose, mikes and mountain goats’

Day 14 – KODIAK

Kodiak lies at the boundery between the treeless expanse of the Aleutians and the spruce forests to the south’ Trees are slowly gaining a foothold again after being stripped from the area in the last ice age’ You will enjoy sightseeing at the Baranov Museum, the Fish Tech Center and the Alutiiq Museum’

Day 15 – KATMAI NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy cruising the shoreline of Geographic harbor and watch for Brown Bears digging clams’ You have a chance at up close views of Brown bears from inflatable excursion crafts which can also land on the beach for exploring’ There is a visible ash flow from the Novarupta Volcano eruption in 1912′ Three different pilots will board the ship which are trained experts of the Bering Sea’

Day 16 – SHUMAGIN ISLANDS

Enjoy an inflatable craft landing on an uninhabited island if conditions permit’ You will enjoy the tidal pools and 20 million year old petrified wood’ The only surviving forest of that type is in Szechuan, China’ Explore the tundra and take a guided walk to see birds, tundra flowers, arctic foxes and sea lions’ Enjoy your exploration of Haystack Rocks

Day 17 – DUTCH HARBOR

Unalaska has been inhabited by the Unangan Natives for over 9000 years’ Dutch harbor was bombed by the Japanese during World War II’ You can still see visible remnants of the war and bombings in this area’

This is primarily a town that survives on fishing and crabbing’ The sightseeing here includes the WW II memorial park, Bald Eagles and the Museum of the Aleutians’

Day 18 – PRIBILOF ISLANDS

These islands were uninhabited until Russians discovered that this was a pupping ground for Alaska fur seals’ They enslaved some Aleuts and moved them to the Pribilofs to help manage the fur seals’ The Russians left and the Aleut families remained on the islands’

You will enjoy an inflatable landing excursion on St George to view fur seals and seabirds up close’ You may also spot a reindeer here’

Day 19 – YUKON DELTA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Enjoy an inflatable shore excursion to Nunivak Island in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge’ You will be looking for Musk Oxen and Reindeer’ There are only 215 known eskimo residents of this 1’2 million acre island’

Day 20 – EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

The captain will choose exactly what options are safest based upon the weather conditions’ You will start by taking a tour of Provideniya in Russia’ You might also visit

Novoye Chaplino a Russian Yupik village

Savoonga, considered the walrus capital of the world

Yanrakynnot, Chukchi hunters here hunt walrus and whales’ Home of Whale Bone Alley
Little Diomede – Separated from Russian’s Big Diomede by less than two miles and the International Date Line’

Day 21 – EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

Visit native communities and see how they rely on the sea to survive’ The Cold War (called the ice war here) between Russian and the US had a terrible impact on the people in this area’ Families living on different islands were separated from each other and not permitted to see each other’

Day 22 – EXPLORING THE BERING SEA

You will learn that these amazing people who survive here are threated by warming temperatures as the ice melts’ These people are dependent upon the ice for survival and their cultures are being impacted by the lack of ice! This is one of those places you visit and notice how happy people are without cell phones, electronic toys and traffic jams’

Day 23 – THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

Cruise into the Chukchi and cross the arctic circle where it intersects the International date line’ You can see humpbacks, grays, orcas and bowhead whales’ This is a day of relaxation and enjoying this incredible sea’

Day 24 – NOME TO ANCHORAGE

Visit Nome and enjoy a sightseeing tour before flying to Anchorage’ You will enjoy dinner and stay at the Sheraton Hotel’

Day 25 – ANCHORAGE

Fly back home or take an optional tour

OPTIONAL TOUR 1 – Denali

This is the optional tour to Denali National Park which adds four days

Day 1 – ARRIVE IN FAIRBANKS – Stay at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge and enjoy a cheese and wine reception

Day 2 – FAIRBANKS SIGHTSEEING, TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE – Sightsee Fairbanks, University of Alaska Museum and the Alaska Pipeline’ Travel to Denali via motorcoach and stay overnight

Day 3 – EXPLORE DENALI NATIONAL PARK – Take a guided trip deep into Denali exploring the scenery and incredible wildlife’ There are also optional activities such as flight seeing and river trips’

Day 4 – DENALI TO ANCHORAGE VIA RAIL AND MOTORCOACH – Enjoy more activities in the park then take a domed railcar to Talkeetna then a deluxe motorcoach to Anchorage’ Spend the night in Anchorage at the Sheraton hotel’

Day 5 – FLY ANCHORAGE TO JUNEAU where you will be getting on the cruise ship

Aberdeen has plenty of water so that will never be an issue like other drought-ridden areas of the state’ The average rainfall is quite high, one of the highest in the country’ It rains quite a bit there in the wintertime’ The summers are divine’ There is quite a bit of industry there due to the Timber business’ The truck fleets are large and there are tons of Logging trucks and lots of heavy equipment as well’ Most of the timber is shipped out as lumber products by train and truck’ There are also many Tree Farms in the area where new trees have been planted for later harvest’ The timber yards are huge and the mills are as well, employing many residents and supplying a strong economic base to the area’ The major industries for the Gray’s Harbor area are fishing, forestry and farming’

The local area business community is well supported by The Gray’s Harbor Chamber of Commerce, who are very helpful and very serious about the entire community’

The EPA and the world are concerned about the regions plentiful rain forest areas and eco system’ This is why any small business will fit in good with both industry and environmentalist with White man and the original Native American Indians there’ You would be wise to consider opening a business in Gray’s Harbor, you will like it there very much’

The county boasts over 50 miles of sandy beaches’ Some activities are permitted on these beaches that are not allowed further north in the national park: you may bring your dog on the beach, evening bonfires are allowed (150 feet away from any dune grass), and you may drive on the hard sand at the top of the beach in designated areas’ Razor clam digging is allowed on limited dates designated by the Department of Ecology’ From south to north, here are the highlights of Grays Harbor beaches:

Grays Harbor Lighthouse

Completed in 1898, this lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Washington State’

Westhaven State Park

The broad sandy beach, crumbling sand cliffs, and huge rocks of the South Jetty gives lots of possibilities for play’ This park is the center of ocean surfing in the county’

Town of Westport in Grays Harbor

At the large marina, ocean fishing, whalewatching, and seabird viewing charters may be hired’ A three storey viewing tower at the north end of town gives views of the marina, harbor, the South Jetty, and across to Ocean Shores’

Town of Ocean Shores in Grays Harbor

This is the largest resort town along the coast, filling up an 8 mile long peninsula’ The highlights of the peninsula are Damon Point State Park for the harbor view and wildlife, the North Jetty where the big ocean waves roll in, the canals and Duck Lake where you can rent an electric party boat, horse rentals on the beach, and the Indian casino at the Quinault Beach Resort’Copalis Beach’

If you want an ocean beach all to yourself, try Griffiths-Priday Ocean State Park off the town of Copalis Beach’ You have cross a stream on foot, which keeps the cars and crowds away’ To the north down the Roosevelt Beach Road, you can drive onto the beach and reach two sights: 1′) Copalis Rock, an isolated seastack rock with a flock of seagulls nesting on top and 2′) Copalis State Airport, where planes land right on the sand – the only airport like it in the lower 48 states’

Highway 109

From Copalis Beach north the highway climbs up a bluff and winds through a beautiful, windswept forest with occasional peaks of the ocean’ Along this route lie the towns of Seabrook, Pacific Beach, and Moclips’ Seabrook is a brand-new, purpose-built vacation resort town with beautiful architecture’ The town puts on community events open to visitors’ Pacific Beach has kept a small retail core (groceries, gas, kites, coffee shop, restaurant, boutiques, and novelty antique store) and features Pacific Beach State Park with its campground, grassy dunes, and large creek disecting the beach’ Moclips has the Museum of the North Beach, documenting the area’s history as a beach resort back to the early 1900′s’

Quinault Indian Nation

Highway 109 ends at Taholah, the main town of the Quinaults’ A seafood processing plant is found here, where you can buy the unique blueback salmon of the Quinault River’ At the administrative building you can buy a day pass to enjoy the tribal beaches’ These include the rocky beach off of Taholah, where you can see the mouth of the Quinault River, the seastack rocks of Cape Elizabeth, and gigantic driftwood logs along the beach from fallen 200+ foot high spruce trees’ At the south end of the reservation is the undiscovered gem of the coast, Point Grenville, with its collection of seastack rocks, hidden volcanic beach over a six foot rock wall, and offshore reef of volcanic rocks’ These are the only volcanic rocks for hundreds of miles around’

Grays Harbor Wildlife

A lot of wildlife can be found along this coast, including: a flock of pelicans flying about the Westport South Jetty, deer all around Ocean Shores, blue heron on Duck Lake, the cutest white mottled baby seal at Damon Point State Park, eagles along the cliffs between Copalis and Pacific Beach, and flocks of seagulls and sandpipers up and down the coast’

Grays Harbor Lake Quinault

Lake Quinault lies within the southwest bounday of the Olympic National Park’ Spend your first full day here by driving the loop around the lake and up into the upper Quinault river valley that is formed by the North Shore Road, South Shore Road, and Highway 101′ Along this route you will find many attractions’

Lake Quinault History

The historic Lake Quinault Lodge was built in 1926 in an astonishing 53 days’ It replaced the 1880′s Log Hotel that had burned down two years before’ The lodge features an excellent restaurant, the Roosevelt Room – named for President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited in 1937′ From the wide grassy lawn, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the lake’ A lake trail, fire pit, and boat rentals are found at the lakeside’Along the North Shore Road, the park service is restoring the early 1900′s Kestner Homestead’ A 3/4 mile loop trail takes you through a beautiful forest and opens out into the fields of the former farm’ A delapidated delivery truck rusting in a field and filled with vines is one of the more charming sights’

Grays Harbor Rain Forests

Near the Lake Quinault Lodge is the 1/2 mile Lake Forest Loop trail, which winds through a mossy forest of spruce, douglas fir, and cedar trees’ An entirely different rain forest is found on the Kestner Homestead or “Maple Glade” trail mentioned above’ This forest is also heavily moss laden, but the trees are primarily tall, big-leaf maples’

Ancient Trees in Grays Harbor

The Quinault area features six record-breaking trees of separate species’ Two of the most accessible are the Quinault Big Cedar – a half mile hike from the North Shore Road and the Big Spruce just off the South Shore Road near Highway 101′ The Big Cedar looks more like a ruin than a tree’ It is scarcely alive – with just a few green branches high overhead’ At ground level the tree is all rotted out and hollow’ You can stand inside it, look up, and see daylight hundreds of feet overhead’

Mountain Views in Grays Harbor

Much of your view of the Olympics in this area is blocked by the tall trees and nearby hills, but the higher peaks can be viewed in a few places: 1′) from Highway 101 at the west end of the lake where there is currently a clear-cut opening in the trees where a fine view of the lake and the mountains beyond can be had; 2′) you can drive 10 miles on well-maintained dirt roads up to Higley Peak – many views of the snowy peaks can be seen along this road; and 3′) from the South Shore Road up in the river valley you can see some higher mountains’