We left La Push ay 830 AM this morning and headed off towards Monroe after I bought myself a “La Push” hat (smile). The drive from there was fairly unremarkable until we passed Crescent Lake which is quite beautiful.
Soon we came into Port Angeles and immediately turned up the road toward Hurricane Ridge at 5242 feet which will probably be our highest ascent on this trip. It’s a long winding and ever upwards road up to the top and the temperature and scenery gets cooler and better as you go. Finally, we were driving with snow banks on either side and with patches of ice on the road when we came to the end and the most amazing vista opened out before us. Hurricane Ridge offers a tremendous view into the interior of the Olympic Mountains and down into the deep valleys, below. Photos were taken which I think we both fear may not truly address the beauty of the place.
After the drive back down, we stopped at a Safeway for lunch and for some WiFi which we’d been unable to connect with in La Push for the last day and a half. We each checked E-Mail and uploaded some of the things we’d written and responded to a few E-Mails. Neither of us were particularly hungry so we each grabbed an bagel and an apple and were ready to press on.
Pressing on saw us driving further east from Port Angeles towards Hood Canal and its bridge and then Kingston and the Washington State Ferry Terminal where we could catch the car ferry over to the other side of Puget Sound to Edmonds. It was still not 3 PM and the weekend crowds over on the Olympic Peninsula had not yet started all jamming the terminal for rides back to the Seattle side so a 15 minute wait saw us easily onto the first ferry, The Spokane, that arrived. The beautiful weather was still holding and after we parked, we went up top side and forward and saw the coastline on the far side. Beautiful!
To the right stood Mt. Rainier with the skyline of Seattle’s tallest buildings silhouetted against it like the smallest of toys; all crystal clear. Then proceeding to the left, the entire coastline from Ballard until far past Edmonds. And then, still further north, Mt. Baker standing tall like Rainier. Two examples of the huge volcanos that dominate this entire Western Washington coastline.
The ferry started off and it got cool at the extreme front outside so we found a nice interior warm window seat. I’d been sipping a nice cup of coffee from the onboard cafeteria. After 15 to 20 minutes of crossing, it was time to go back to the car and prepare to exit which we did. The ferries are so organized. They have to be given the many people they transport from day to day all over the Puget Sound area.
Once on the road again, it was up the 5 and then down the 405 and 522 east to Monroe; a route I know like the back of my hand.
We’d agreed to wash the car before we showed up at Larry and Candice’s since it was such a dirtbag after 3700 miles. But, lo and behold, when I drove to where the car wash used to be in Monroe, it was gone in favor of a new off ramp. Ding – plan abandoned – at least for the moment.
Then I pulled the car towards the direction that I hoped I could remember to get us to Larry’s house. It was a guess but I got us there. Larry and Candice greeted us and put on a fine meal for us.
Dennis