October 3, 2009--Lake Quinault to Ocean Shores

Happy 28th Anniversary to us!
After breakfast and packing up, we headed out for another rain forest hike on the trails adjacent to Lake Quinault. We covered similar terrain as yesterday, but since many of the old growth trees were downed in a wind storm a few years ago, the feel was different. Fewer trees means more light, which changes everything considerably--from the plant life to the ambiance. The hiking areas were also closer to the road and seasonal cabins. It was enjoyable, but not as awe-inspiring as yesterday's hike on the Hoh River trail. We made sure to stop at the World's Largest Spruce Tree (191' tall; 58'11" circumference), then headed back to the lodge for a quick picnic lunch on the grounds before leaving for Ocean Shores. One small note of excitement (it's all relative)--as we were leaving Olympic National Park, a black bear wandered out into the empty road just as we were rounding a curve, saw us, and without a beat lumbered right back into the roadside bushes. It was our most exciting wildlife viewing so far. (Yesterday, we saw a lone elk in the forest, then a herd grazing in a field...)

To say Ocean Shores was a disappointment would be putting it mildly. OK, the place we were staying was decent, with a view of the ocean. But the town was not the quaint, charming beach town that had been described to us. In addition to the "down in the dumps" main street, there was a street paralleling the dunes, lined on both sides with huge motels. Connecting these two thoroughfares were streets filled with strip malls consisting of store after store of cheap souvenirs, t-shirts, and salt water taffy. Oh yes, and there was the "Pizza and Bowl" and "Sharkey's". And in some fit of optimism (perhaps inspired by the Indian Casino just up the coast), the town built a huge convention center--clearly a case of "if you build it, they will come", but I don't think "they" have arrived yet! To be fair, it was the off season. But it was hard to see how hoards of summer tourists would have made things better. Oh, and I forgot to mention, ALL the streets in "town" were being repaved simultaneously--seriously! But, it was only for one night, right? So we checked in, then headed through the dunes to the beach, which was very flat and fairly deserted, with the exception of a few trucks and their drivers--vehicles are apparently allowed on beaches in Washington. We did some beach combing, watched the sun set, then headed back to clean up for dinner.

Ah, dinner, the second disappointment of the day... On the way down the peninsula to Ocean Shores, we stopped to check out a restaurant recommended by our waitress at Lake Quinault Lodge. Suffice to say, we weren't sure what to expect, because she also suggested we spend the night at the casino. However, it turned out to be a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner for the past several years, and the menu and wine list looked fantastic, great view, etc. We promptly made a reservation, judging from the map that it was a 15 minute drive from there to Ocean Shores. However, after forty-five minutes of driving a very winding road, we finally arrived in Ocean Shores. We looked at each other with resignation, knowing we weren't willing to drive that stretch of road twice more, in the dark, after drinking lots of wine from the wonderful wine list... Undaunted, we asked for a recommendation for a special occasion dinner from the motel staff--we figured we were 1 for 2 as far as recommendations from lodging staff went. But really, this person probably didn't have much to draw from--she said it was the best restaurant in town, and the sad thing is, it probably was! After a disappointing meal in a noisy, family filled restaurant at our formica table next to the bar with its constantly running blender--I guess blender drinks are real popular here--we went back to our room, flipped the switch for an instant fire in the fireplace, and tried to salvage the evening... ;-)

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