Never turn your back on the ocean

Monday, April 14, 2025

I read an article some time ago extolling the virtues of Olympic National Park. I tucked away in my brain somewhere that we should go there sometime when we visited Mike and Kristine. Sometime was today!

The boys were very busy talking in the front seat, while Kristine and I were busy chatting in the backseat. I don’t know anyone who makes me laugh like Kristine does (sister laughing is different) and I love it. She is so honest and sweet and observant, and she calls it as she sees it. I absolutely love it.

It was a multi-hour drive from Issaquah to our first stop. We were on the Olympic peninsula but not quite to the park. We enjoyed our sandwich lunch next to some VERY tall Douglas firs.

We went on the rainforest trail and it was just beautiful. I was so happy. I took a gazillion pictures because I was so happy, but none of them do it justice. It was so lush. We loved seeing the layers of growth, especially the nurse trees – fallen trees that become the beds for new growth. I loved seeing the walkways cut out of huge downed trees.

Next we visited the largest spruce tree. Cool.

As we drove to Ruby Beach (inside the park), we encountered some logging trucks. Mike pulled over to let on pass, which he quickly did. Within a few minutes, another was behind us. The one ahead passed another car, then the one behind passed us. As we trailed a long behind, we saw the car from between the trucks pull into the left lane, allowing the second truck to pass him on the right.

What?

That was new to all of us. We pulled into the beach lot and so did the other car. The driver came over and said he had no idea why he did it other than he didn’t know what else to do. The truck was pushing him so hard he just had to get out of the way. I am glad it is never my turn to drive.

Ruby Beach was supposed to have driftwood. I was imagining sticks. It had drift logs. It was really cool. As we stood on the beach and watched the waves come in Mike suggested we all go close to the surf. It was really interesting to hear the clicky clacky sound that the rocks made when the tide went back into the ocean. Of course, the waves came up at different levels each time. The others walked farther away from the water and when I turned around to join them, the ocean decided to chase me. Before I knew it I was almost knee deep in water, running to catch the others. I was wearing waterproof shoes, but they really don’t stay waterproof when the water comes in over the top.

There were amazingly round beautiful rocks on the beach. I just wanted to scoop them up and look at how perfect they were.

We enjoyed waves and rocks together, then started back to the car. Kristine and I were ahead and chose a climbing-over-logs way. The men were boring and mostly just walked on rocks. Kristine provided us with a fruit break – “You never know what your next meal will be – we are just having a nourishment!”

We went to the house we rented for the night. It was very unassuming on the outside, but huge and lovely on the inside. We played Flip 7 and Anomia after dinner.

Dinner was in Port Angeles. The highpoint was the lemon cheesecake with lemon curd. Walking to the water’s edge, we looked over a Canada. Hi Canada, you very nice country!