Washingt'owned

Big update post #1

Back to the blogging trade. I haven't updated over the past few days, as I've been moving around alot and well, just plain didn't feel like blogging. Hey, it's my vacation, I'll blog if I want too!

Anyways, I want to again. So, from my 10th floor room at this Vegas hotel I plan to add at least 8 days (4 posts) to the blog, bringing me up to day 20 of my trip. Hope you enjoy!

Day 13, 9-22-08: Straits of Juan de Fuca et. al.

Today I woke up early and headed for the Victoria, BC docks where the ferry docks for the Victoria to Port Angeles, WA commute. I arrived at 8:30 for the 10:30 departure, and was greeted by an already long line of cars waiting to get on. Yikes! Fortunately I was able to sneak in among the reservation-holding vehicles and didn't have to wait until Tuesday's trip.

The actual ferry ride was otherwise as uneventful as the Vancouver -> Vancouver Island/Victoria ferry ride. Except there were whales!

Or, at least whale watchers. Searching for whales. I did see some spouts, along with what I assume were Orcas off to port about a mile distant from the ship. I would have enjoyed whale-watching on a dedicated boat, but the expense, potential sea-sickness and use of time kiboshed that. I didn't get any pics of the spouts themselves, as my camera can't do them justice so here is a pic of the ocean in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and a shot of Port Angeles harbor.



After exiting the boat and saying bye to the seagulls (big marine seagulls, not pansy Great Lakes seagulls) I ventured south starting the next great leg of my trip, down the Pacific coast of North America. My plan is to go as far south as Monterrey, California before turning eastward back across the southern Rockies.

First off, the Pacific Ocean is big. And indeed, it is in fact salty. I made sure myself, and my palette enjoyed the cleanse. (I kid) (maybe)

My destination for the night was a campground along the Washington State coast somewhere south of the Olympic National Park. Olympic NP itself was big and wooden. This coastline is after all a Temperate Rainforest, thanks again to the cruel twist of geology known as the Cascade Mountains. Pics of the coastline follow, taken from the myriad route 101, mostly along here.



I was personally impressed both by the scale of the coastal forests, but also by the orderly transition in stone sizes in the third picture. It just seems to illustrate the God that's in nature, in terms of the orderly yet random nature of the rock size stratification. Somehow, this kind of thing is what I'm looking for on this trip, odd as that may sound. Anyways.

I next found a cryptic sign along 101 that read simply "Big Cedar". Quizzically I entered the veritable cave of overhanging pine trees and a short while later I came across this monster tree:


This cedar is purportedly 1000 or so years old, having died at least 100 years ago. Due to the oils and other factors in the wood is still stands as I try to document here (as best as my camera's settings allow), as a testament of the size of things that grow here. For reference the Franket is about 6 feet on a side. The tree is in fact so big that saplings have begun growing on its carcass, 15 feet above the forest floor. Fascinating.

I made my way to a campground along US 101 near Humptulips (snicker...) Washington, for the the night. Here too they had pay showers, but the rate was more reasonable and altogether less Loony: 25 cents for 5 minutes. I also did laundry and ate PB&J via mom's strawberry jam. Then bedtime.

Day 14, 9-23-08: Washington/Oregon Coast

I awoke to the curious sensation of water dripping on my noggin. Convincing myself that I was not in fact a Drip, I awoke to discover that dew had engulfed my world. Egads, everything was wet! How dare it be wet in the Pacific Northwest!

But seriously, the inside of my tent's rain fly was wet, while everything outside was relatively dry. I'm still puzzled by this phenomena, of how the inside of my rain fly can get wetter than the outside. My best hypothesis is that there must be a great deal of water rising from the ground so instead of dew forming mostly from atmospheric sources on top of objects, dew here forms underneath them. And yes, my tent is well ventilated and it's doubtful that my breath is the source of the condensation. Mysteries abound in this strange sodden environment. As you can imagine my tent was soaking wet, inside and out, and rolling it up was a gooey mess that reminded me greatly of holding a fish. eww.

Breakfast consisted of Ramen and Oatmeal (to cancel out the goodness of each) over my mapbook. Advice from the Blanketeer Karee and her mom stated that I should proceed south along 101 with all due haste. But I first decided to venture inland to the Mount Saint Helens national historic site. Something about that event drew me in. The side adventure required 3 hours in both directions, but in the end I gained a greater understanding of the eruption itself and it's impact on the area at the time and even now. And I got some cool pics.



Altogether a worthwhile side trip. On another note I splurged here and in addition to the shot glass I procure from most stops I also bought a flip book that shows the first few seconds of the 1980 eruption. Such a tourist.

On the way back I stopped at a turnoff and took a few shots of Columbia River traffic and activities.



I next stopped at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Inside were lots of ship models, stories of seafaring past and present, and the everpresent giftstore.

Next I drove, and drove some more. I finally came across a state beach that the Martin's recommended a stop at: Tolovana Beach. This beach has a monolith on it, but to my disappointment it did not make monkeys evolve or give birth to a new star. But it is a Really Big Rock.



The third image above involves Really Small Rocks, but given my own boredom that arises while lying on a beach, this impressed me greatly. Maybe not as greatly as a wind-blocking sandbank on the Dirty Jersey Shore, but it is a good effort.

Next I drove across the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The Wisconsinite in me stirred, and I was drawn to its dairy goodness.



I was not disappointed, being greeted by a tour of the Cheese Line where they Cut The Cheese (snicker) along with enticing dairy cases of cheese curds, cheddars and other dairierrhhea (I made a new word!). I walked away with a bag o' curd, smoked cow and a renewed thirst for milkshakes, which the next McDonalds fulfilled.

Needless to say, I spent considerably longer on the porcelain throne that I had planned over the next few days, but it was worth it. Yes, I just blogged that.

I tried for some decent sunset shots, but the cloud gods were not cooperating.



I ended the days drive at a hotel near Florence, ORE-EH-GOHN. I slept like a log, looking forward to tomorrow nights possibility of a home-cooked meal and non-scratchy sheets at Mrs. Martin's house in Bend Oregon.

And with that, update 1 of 4 or so is done. More tomorrow!

Frank