Kalaloch Trip, Part 2

We didn't know if we'd have decent weather last week while we were at Kalaloch Lodge or if we'd be spending most of our time in the cabin, enjoying the beach from the window. After a storm night on Sunday we woke to sunshine on Monday. So after breakfast we headed out to see some of the other nearby sights.

Our first stop was Ruby Beach, just ten minutes north of Kalaloch. I guess you could say it's Washington State's version of Oregon's Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, only more dramatic. The beach isn't large, but there is plenty to see. The family in the colorful jackets were enjoying themselves, climbing on the driftwood and looking for treasures on the beach. We asked the mom to take our picture. She got four great shots, so good, in fact, that I'm including two! As she was focusing on us she said, "There's a squall coming in behind you." She handed us back the camera and she and her family disappeared. By the time we got back to the parking lot we were experiencing pea-sized hail, and just a half-mile down the from the park the road was covered in hail!

We followed the signs to the Hoh Tribal Center and drove to the beach where we saw lots of driftwood and men seine fishing. And then we went to the Hoh Rain Forest, which receives 140-170 inches of rain per year (12-14 feet of rain!). "The Hoh is one of the finest remaining examples of temperate rainforest in the United States and is one of the  [Olympic National Park's] most popular destinations" (From the National Park Service's website).

We traveled home along Highway 101, the Olympic Peninsula Loop, through Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend, passing through places like Sol Duc Hot Springs and La Push, filled with childhood memories, and along Lake Crescent, where my family spent our very best vacation of all. One day maybe we can go back and do more exploring, but probably not in February! (Whose idea was it to get married in February, anyway?)

I hope you enjoy the photos.

Beautiful Ruby Beach

Where the Hoh River meets the Pacific Ocean 

Entering the Hoh Rain Forest

Huge trees abound in the Rain Forest. 

Stick around the Rain Forest for long and you start
to grow moss!

Lake Crescent

Of course a trip like this demands a shot
of a tumbling waterfall along the highway