Olympic National Park

Mural in Port Angeles









SolDuc River

Ruby Beach

Port Angeles

Mill Lake

Crescent Lake - glacial lake 600 ft. deep

glimpse from the rain forest to the beach

Black Tail Deer

Our time here in the Pacific Northwest is running out and we haven't even scratched the surface on things to do and places to go,,but there is always another time...with that said, we decided to head over to Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park is one of the wildest places left in the lower forty-eight. It's hard to describe the park as it is so massive and diversified - almost like 3 parks in 1,,the glacial Mount Olympus towering above at almost 8,000 feet; the rain forest that gets well over 200 inches of rain per year and then the rugged coastline stretching the length of the park along the Pacific Ocean...it's pristeen, clean and fragile...Eight Olympic Peninsula tribes continue to recognize a relationship to the park based on traditional land use, origin, beliefs, mythology and spiritual beliefs and practices. These tribes are the Lower Elwha Klallam, Jamestown S'Klallam, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Skokomish, Quinault, Hoh, Quileute, and Makah. It was the ancestors of the these tribes that lived throughout the Olympic Peninsula, but ceded their lands and waters to the federal government through treaties in 1855 and 1856 and now live on reservations along the shores of the peninsula.
I couldn't help but think of Stephenie Meyer and her phenom "Twilight" and of course there were plenty of visual reminders as well, playing off her books...we stayed in "Port Angeles", traveled through "Forks"as well as the "La Push Reservation"....I am almost certain I caught of glimpse of Edward and Bella high in the treetops,,,,