We headed out last Thursday with big plans to explore the Olympic Peninsula, and then catch the ferry across to Vancouver Island, and specifically Victoria. I've always wanted to travel to Victoria, and I really thought we could fit it all in. (Anyone in my family can tell you that I'm famous for trying to shove as much as possible into one little trip-LOL!) This was a "winging-it" trip and we had no reservations-big risk for the 4th of July weekend!
We arrived in Port Angeles and immediately headed for Olympic National Park with fingers crossed that we'd find a campsite on this holiday weekend. We were in luck! In fact, we had lots of choices! We set up our campsite and headed into town to get a "few things"... specifically, DINNER! After driving most of the day, we were starving!
The next morning, we got up and headed deeper into the park to Hurricane Ridge. What a drive!!! Such incredible natural beauty really gets me all choked up. A wave of contentment, euphoria, and true joy washed over me. This is my kinda natural high! I can't completely describe it to someone else, but I'm sure that there are many of you who understand! I loved the way the clouds just shrouded the mountains...
We hiked the ridge and the panoramic views are just stunning!
Originally, our "plan" was to take the ferry across to Vancouver Island, but we decided that we really didn't have the time to do it justice, so we're saving that trip for another time. Plan B...drive to Sol Duc Hot Springs and soak...and see if they have a room available in the lodge. We decided to stop at Lake Crescent Lodge along the way and check out their lodging availability. Oh wow-what a beautiful lodge and enchanting setting! We were very excited to find out that they had a room available....just not exactly in our price range! Strike 1!
Oh well, onward to Sol Duc! We should have known when we drove into the parking lot...it was chaos! We took one look at the pool, where people were stacked like sardines, and knew that we didn't want to join them ... didn't even ask about a room! Strike 2!
Back in the car and head on down the road! I had checked out another lodge before leaving home, called Lake Quinalt Lodge, and they were totally booked...but you just never know-things change, right? I decided that I wanted to check it out, too. So, we stopped ... and guess what? They did have a room! I took one look at the folks having their glasses of wine out on the deck overlooking the lake, and knew that I'd just LOVE to stay here. But, for some strange reason, we decided to keep going. Crazy, huh? Strike 3!
Over the next couple of hours, we regretted that decision, not once, but several times! Finally, we arrived in Astoria, Oregon and stopped at the first hotel we saw. We were exhausted, and all three of us desperately needed a shower and a hot meal! My relief at discovering that they actually had a room available, was quickly replaced by utter shock when he told me how much it was! At this point, I really didn't care-I knew I wasn't budging....just tell me where to sign and give me a key!
Well, it turned out to be a real blessing, because Astoria is a little gem of a town. I fell head over heels in love! (This is my new place to fantasize about....wonder what it would be like to live there?) We had a hot shower, a delicious meal at Baked Alaska, and a great night's sleep....in a bed! The next morning we discovered that the historic downtown area was packed with vendors for their Saturday Market...be still my heart!
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After spending a few hours there, we headed for Eugene, arriving home a few hours later.
What a great adventure... can't wait for the next one!
Until next time...
The French Gypsy
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