We rose early, again – before breakfast. And, we headed west. There is not much west left.
Today’s Question – If you had a free choice, would you rather live on the east coast or the west coast. Watch the sunrise? Watch the sunset?
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Interestingly, I had business to take care of in Port Angeles, just north of the park. Our new Crosstrek needed an oil change before the car hit 6000 miles. So off to the Subaru dealer in Port Angeles we go.
We then got into Olympic National Park (ONP) before noon. Between the park and the Subaru dealer, we stopped for Starbucks. Well, Lisa made me pull over for Starbucks.
On this day, we got to visit 1) the Hoh Rainforest. Then we went to 2) the Tree of Life … located on Kalaloch Beach. After this, we headed back to 3) our chalet on Crescent Lake.
We were warned to expect long lines, big crowds, and all that came with being one of the more popular spots in ONP. But we met none of those.
At Hoh … It was underwhelming. This was the first (and only) spot we visited that didn’t meet expectations. It was nice. A pleasant nature trail type walk. But maybe it was too bright. Or maybe it was too dry. But the rainforest seemed less a rainforest and more a walk in the woods.
But Kalaloch was a splendor. Seeing the Ocean and the Tree of Life was a delight. The Tree of Life is a centuries‑old Sitka spruce at Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park. It hangs over a hollow gap where erosion removed the soil beneath and between two eroded banks that make it appear to ‘float.’ It’s situation leaves its roots exposed while the tree remains alive – producing green needles.
It has smart to slip and lean to one side … and they say it might not last too long now. I am glad we got to experience it.
We then went to Ruby Beach. It was high tide so no tide pools with starfish and such. But it was near sunset, so the view and the ambiance was calming and a delight. There was one point where I knelt to get water from the surf … and my wife got closer to get a picture. However, the tide was a bit stronger than the past few waves, so not only did I get wet, Lisa got wet too. Our shoes still smell from the ocean water.
Truth be told, I could’ve hung out there for quite a while. I would’ve loved to see the sun set over the Pacific.
We headed back to check into the cabin. And the day was coming to an end. But not quite yet. For the next 90 minutes or so … I did laundry at the campground. Yeah, laundry.
No matter where we go, laundry follows us there.
So back to my question …
Today’s Question – If you had a free choice, would you rather live on the east coast or the west coast. Watch the sunrise? Watch the sunset?
Me? I prefer living on the east coast … but maybe watch the sunset. Maybe I should live on Virginia’s Easter shore – watch the sunrise over the ocean and the sunset over the Chesapeake Bay.
What about you?
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