The Pacific Northwest region of the United States is one of those underrated travel destinations offering an enormous variety of natural beauty. Yellowstone National Park to the east usually takes the cake in this regard, boasting a combination of unique geothermal features, wildlife viewing, as well as mountains, valleys and canyons. But the Pacific Northwest, including four national parks in Washington and Oregon, is no slouch! Some would even say the relative quiet of Olympic National Park is even preferable as a getaway than Yellowstone. What will you find here ? Watch the photoshow above to find out! Don’t forget to leave a comment or question if you have one. Here is our travel blog from our trip out there.
Prologue
This time we are going to the Pacific Northwest, and as it invariably happens every time, we planned the trip a whopping ten days ago, and it is again on a tight schedule, trying to fit in as many national parks as we could. Seattle is an hour and a half away, and so far it has been smooth sailing (flying). Pretty happy with Alaska Airlines. Their folks were friendly and helpful both on the phone and at the airport. Just as were about to board, the very helpful gate agent pleasantly surprised us with new passes for much better seats near the front of the cabin. She remembered our request to switch from the last row! The flight seems to be on time, so there is still hope of getting some sleep at Portland tonight. That is if we can board the connecting flight — as we were told that that flight is overbooked, and Rumpa’s boarding pass wasn’t issued!
We did get to Portland on time, but the Hertz Gold service turned out to be Bronze at best. Not only did we have to wait in line to get our rental car, it was one with the most mileage I have ever seen on a rental. And scratches. Oh well. Little did I know that I would add to it later!
Cannon Beach, Oregon: Aug 22
The colorful sea creatures in the tidepools were one of the unique sights we had hoped to experience on this trip. While planning for the trip, I quickly learned that timing, by the hour, was crucial to be able to see them! When I looked at the low tide times for the days we would be in the Olympic National Park, it was a big bummer. They were all in the middle of the night. So I switched our stay at Olympic to the beginning of our trip — those days had low tides in the morning, but still not the best ones in terms of water level. Two days before the trip, I considered visiting an Oregon beach, an idea we had abandoned before because it was hard to fit in our schedule. I’m glad we did eventually begin our trip with Cannon Beach, which had a 10:15 AM low tide time. We got out of Portland early, and were right on time for the spectacular bonanza of sea anemones, starfishes and other creatures that awaited us. I had seen anything close to this only in an aquarium, or on the TV screen watching a documentary on rich sea life. And here they were: colorful, vibrant, and sticking to their rock shelters. It was literally a different world. And we didn’t need to go snorkeling (which I do want to do sometime) to see it!
The weather was cloudy, making it ideal for watching and photographing the creatures. The best part of it was that the tidepools were all near the famous haystack rock, only a short walk from the parking lot. The flip side, of course, was that there were plenty of people around (I had to get away quite a bit to be able to take the wide angle shot below). The tidepools, though, were so plentiful, and the colonies so well-populated, that everyone pretty much got their own pool to explore!
Quinault Rain Forest, Olympic National Park: Aug 22
We grabbed lunch from a Mexican fast food place and picked up groceries at Seaside, and headed north for the long drive towards Olympic National Park, our destination for the next 3 days. Our first stop was Quinault, a rainforest area less well-known than its more famous counterpart, Hoh, further north. Quinault, however, boasts the biggest spruce tree in the world, and a pretty lake to go along with the forest, lined with many resort and park accommodations. This was my first time in a rainforest, which I hope will eventually be an appetizer for a future trip to Amazon! The pervasive green and mind-boggling textures were just as I imagined they would be. But I quickly realized how difficult it was to photograph the rainforest. And it was not because it rained, which I had taken some precaution for, packing umbrellas, ziplocks, rubber bands and hand towels. If the sun shines through in some places, the problem is that of huge dynamic range of light. If it’s too cloudy, the sky that peeks through the tree branches is either blown out or too dull. Then there is just too much texture! The eyes just wander around and it’s very hard to focus on anything in particular, literally.
A couple of hikes at Quinault, and we were off to our final stop for the day, trying to catch the sunset at Ruby Beach, in the Kalaloch area of Olympic National Park.
Ruby Beach, Kalaloch area, Olympic National Park : Aug 22
Ruby Beach was on our way to Forks, where we stayed for two nights, and it’s easily accessible, making it the perfect final stop of the day. Here we came across another feature of the wild Pacific Northwest beaches that we hadn’t seen at Cannon beach: the driftwoods. It’s hard to believe what the power of ocean can do until you stare at the glut of huge logs lying on the beach.
In contrast, the sea stacks stand tall as they defy the power of the ocean, housing the creatures that live at their base, and the plants that grow on them, all adding to the rugged look of the wild pacific beaches in this region. We watched the sun go down behind the stacks, and then headed to Forks.
Rialto Beach, Mora, Olympic National Park : Aug 23
We began Day 2 of our trip with a visit to Rialto beach, the one beach at Olympic that is both easily accessible right from the parking lot, and also frequently tops the list of attractions. We wanted to hike along the beach to the Hole-in-the-wall, and the only way to do that was during a low tide. I was glad when the ranger told us that this was the perfect time for the hike!
The tidepools that Hole-in-the-wall is famous for didn’t have nearly as many animals as we had seen at Cannon Beach. Still, the ones that were there were very pretty. Here is a giant green sea anemone.
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park : Aug 23
After having lunch at Forks, we headed south to Hoh rainforest. We did the Hall of Mosses trail first, and true to its name, mosses were everywhere. After this second rainforest visit on two dry days (and a dry summer season), I concluded that it would have been a far more authentic experience if it had actually rained — ideally right before we set foot there! Even though the green was as lush as it could be, it still lacked life without the raindrops falling from the leaves, without the moisture that one expects to feel in a rainforest. Also, we were not lucky enough to notice any wildlife in the forest. While Hoh didn’t disappoint, there was something missing.
Second Beach, La Push, Olympic National Park : Aug 23
At the end of the day, we went to Second Beach at La Push. This one requires a moderately strenuous hike through the forest and down onto the beach, and is known for its all-around beauty that include seastacks and arches, driftwoods and tidepools all within a short walk. The tide wasn’t favorable, so tidepools were out of the question, but the sunset was spectacular, although I wish there were a few more clouds to mess with the colors a bit!
Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park : Aug 24
On the first two days at Olympic we experienced the most unique landscapes on the entire trip. But just to add to the enormous versatility of this wonderful park, the third day brought us to the north side of the park, starting the day at the quaint Lake Crescent, and ending it at the Hurricane Ridge, the Olympic’s healthy serving of alpine mountain views. We had originally booked a log cabin at the Lake, but when our plans changed, we couldn’t find vacancy on the revised dates. If we could stay there, I’m sure it would have been a memorable sunrise, waking up to look out of the window over the calm lake waters.
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park : Aug 24
The unpredictable mountain weather didn’t cooperate with us at Hurricane Ridge, casting a haze over the Olympic range, and a thick wall of cloud on the other side of the ridge. Nonetheless, the imposing and wide mountain range reminded us of the crucial role it plays in making the rainforest possible!
North Cascades National Park : Aug 25
We had originally left one of the four National Parks in the Northwest out of our itinerary for lack of time. At the last moment, we decided to sacrifice sightseeing in and around Seattle in favor of squeezing in a day trip to North Cascades National Park, another last minute decision we didn’t regret. We didn’t try to overdo it by finishing the cascade loop, instead going upto Diablo Lake and back, which is quite doable in a summer day, at least if you don’t plan to hike. We are always suckers for natural beauty and would probably choose that over man-made attractions anytime, and this was no exception. The vistas were gorgeous, and Diablo Lake turned out to be as picturesque as it’s claimed o be, with its turquoise glacial water. The only blemish was the sight of power lines along the mountains, but it has a history to it as we learned. This area, unlike many others in and around national parks, was initially explored by an engineer, who believed electricity could power everything, including fancy lighting along the trails to pretty waterfalls and building huge dams (well, that’s not so uncommon) to meet the demands of cities. This was apparently seen as a good thing at the time, signifying that the wilderness was accessible to man for enjoyment.
Mount Rainier National Park : Aug 26
The closest accommodation to the park we could manage was at the town of Eatonville, about 40 minutes west. Not too bad, considering that the Interior Secretary of the US Government couldn’t find a place to stay within the park few days before we were there. This mountain paradise (pun intended) is that popular, being only a short drive from Seattle. I had little memory of the park from my last visit with friends years ago, when my day was ruined by the realization that I had left my wallet at a gas station down in the valley! Staying as close to the park as we could paid off, as we had no problem finding parking at Paradise on a Sunday morning. The park gets so busy that around noon, many cars are literally forced to “drive through” for lack of parking. Although the vistas, at least the ones accessible by the short hikes we did, were in some ways quite similar with little variation, they were gorgeous. The wildflowers framing the mountain in the background didn’t disappoint. We had to get to Portland by the end of the day, so we couldn’t stay for sunset, which I’m sure would be spectacular.
Crater Lake National Park : Aug 27
It’s the clearest body of water in the world. But what happens when smoke from wildfires engulfs it ? Well, you can’t tell anymore. That was the unfortunate circumstance of our visit to this very unique national park. What used to be Mount Mazama, over 8000 feet high, simply collapsed after a volcanic eruption and created the caldera where the lake sits now. You can marvel at it from around the rim of the mountaintop that skirts the lake. We did go up to Watchman’s peak for a Ranger-led sunset hike for a truly bird’s eye view of the lake, but the haze prevented us from witnessing one of the most spectacular sunset views of the American west. We had planned to be back to see sunrise, but decided against it in the end. That also meant we didn’t go to Discovery Point, which offers the best panoramic views of the lake.
Mount Hood, Oregon : Aug 28
Our disappointing last leg of the trip continued on the final day as we reached Timberline Lodge for the gondola ride to the summit only to find out that the mountain was completely covered in clouds, and it was so chilly up there that the lady at the ticket counter almost recommended that we didn’t get on the ride. We didn’t, and instead hiked on the trails around the back of the lodge for about an hour, hoping the clouds will move. They didn’t, and our best view of Mount Hood came while leaving the area and driving towards Hood River, when I noticed this thick white cloud on top that almost looked like a mushroom cloud on my rearview mirror.
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon : Aug 28
All wasn’t lost on the last day. There was one more truly scenic ride in store. I wish we had more time to spend along the Columbia River Gorge, but that can be said about almost every place we went to! The color of the water reminded us of the alpine lakes in Switzerland, and more recently, of Diablo Lake only two days ago. We sat there for a while watching folks surfboarding and parasailing. And when we were leaving, I bumped into a rock at the parking lot, denting the front bumper of the rental car. The rock must have known about my dissatisfaction with the car! Thankfully, it happened within the last few hours we had it, otherwise we would be talking car insurance and collision damage during the trip!
Epilogue
Over the years multiple trips had made the American Southwest my personal favorite. The Northwest was very different, and no less unique, particularly Olympic National Park. The mountain scenery at Cascades is something you could get elsewhere too, but the juxtaposition of alpine beauty, lush , vivid rainforest and wild rugged beaches all within the same park is something you won’t find anywhere. The unique geography of the Northwest makes it possible. That was definitely the highlight of this trip.