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Published: August 28th 2006
Day 45.....
So...we have picked up our next hire car - a Pontiac Grand Prix - which is a dream to drive.
After a 3 hour cruise along the highway to the Olympic Mountians, our first port of call was a small Wildlife Reserve in Dungeness. The Reserve is a strip (or a 'spit' as it is known!) of beach that stretches out into the ocean, where hundreds of seabirds and Harbour Seals can be seen. We were also treated to a gorgeous sunset as the sun dipped behind the Pacific.
The next morning we ventured into Olympic National Park. A stunning 17 mile drive took us up the mountains to Hurricane Ridge. At the Ridge we left the car behind and hiked up one of the peaks for a magnificent view across the valleys and wildflower meadows. We also witnessed our first 'dust devil' which is like a mini tornado (luckily harmless to anything weighing more than a few ounces!). After an extremely hot afternoon we arrived at our B & B to freshly made cookies - ahhh home comforts!!!!
After a wonderful breakfast (care of Bill & Susan) we were ready to hike through the
nearby Hoh Rainforest. Next stop, the pacific shoreline, where we found rockpools full of orange and purple starfish, sea urchins and anemones. That night we stayed in a cabin on the shore of Lake Quinnalt and enjoyed a wonderful meal at The Salmon Restaurant.
Now for the really good bit... whilst making our last trip to say goodbye to the Pacific, she had one more treat in store for us. As we sat on the rocks looking out on the ocean, a California Gray whale appeared less than 20 feet in front of us! What a sight! It was a truely remarkable experience. Hopefully the attached photo will do this moment justice! As if that wasn't enough, Martin saw 3 snakes! Eeek! Luckily for me, I was already in a local diner with a cup of tea!
So it was goodbye to the Pacific Ocean, and hello to the open road as we began our journey East. At the start of our 7th week (the days are really starting to fly by!) we found ourselves in Mount Rainier National Park. We braved a 6 mile hike up a mountain to see spectacular vistas of the glaciers on Mount
Rainier. The hike was truely satisfying and took us through wildfowers, bare rock, snow, waterfalls and streams. For those of you who are worried about the amount of strenuous activity we seem to be bestowing upon ourselves, don't worry, that night we treated ourselves to a fat boy dinner of burger, chips and a local beer or two to replenish the calories!
Barely having arrived, it was time to move on again, continuing East towards Galcier National Park. Our stopoff for the night is in Spokane, a town on the Eastern Washington border. Along the way, we took a detour to the filming location of a 90's cult TV series...bonus point for anyone who can guess the show from the final photo of this blog! Leave your answers on our message board!
Tomorrow, we will have another drive of over 300 miles, through 3 states & one time zone to arrive in Glacier National Park, near the Canadian border.
Until next time.... xx
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Minneapolis posse
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We got it!!!!
After much debate and a little bit of research to rule out Twin Peaks, we have decided it's NORTHERN EXPOSURE!!!!! Just wondering what we win?!! Wonderful photos..More from us soon...(Dad wants to check how the videoing is coming along? You'll be seeing footage from the Dairy State soon!)