After dinner with Emily and John, I headed to the town of Sedro-Wooley where I stayed in a hotel and took my first shower in 5 days. The shower itself was invigorating. My legs/feet were killing me. so I decided on an easy day. I drove through Deception Pass State Park to Coupeville in order to catch a ferry across the bay to Port Townsend. I timed my arrival perfectly as the Ferry arrived right as I did.
I don't know why, but taking your car on the ferry feels so awesome. I've done it a few times before and it never gets old. It's probably mostly the boat ride itself I love. This trip took us through a very heavy fog, and standing at the head of the boat (alone because everyone couldn't stand the cold. I was wearing a tshirt, mesh shorts, and sandals) was a hell of an experience. Every 30 seconds the captain blew the foghorn (very loud up close) and we would get responses. I just expected some sea monster to show up and attack us, or for us to come out of the fog and realize we were at 1930's New York. Either one would have been cool. Alas, we ended up at Port Townsend safely.
I remember trying a Port Townsend beer last time I traveled through here, so this time I decided to check out the brewing company. Port Townsend brewing company is in the harbor district where all the shipping comes through. It took me a while to find it because I was not sure whether or not I could drive down certain roads. I did not expect to receive 50 oz of high content beer in the sampler, so tasting/lunch took a little longer than expected. For lunch, I walked a block to eat delicious Indian food.
After lunch, I enjoyed a stroll around the bay. When I sobered up, I headed to Sol Duc Hot Springs in Olympic National Park. I arrived just before sunset with enough time to set up camp and deal with the extremely spicy Indian Food. The campsite I found ranks as one of the best car camping site I have ever had. It was separate from the rest of the sites with perfect shade, enough room for 3 tents, a stream down below, and a kickass picnic table and firering.
The next morning I walked to Sol Duc Falls on a 1.8 mile loop. Mountain Lions are prevalent in this part of the park, and I definitely could envision them stalking prey through this forest. There's just something about the forests of the pacific northwest that make me feel at home. The waterfall, though not huge, had a unique beauty. Here is a view from the front...
and one from behind it. If you look real close on the bridge, you can see a lady standing there. The wet rocks I climbed down to for this photo made me slip and almost slide over the edge. When I climbed back up she said, "I thought you were going over". "Anything for a photo" I replied smoothly. She was kind of cute, though, so it probably came out as "DUUUUUUUUUURRRRRR!!!! ANYTHING FOR A PHOOOOOOOOTO! DUUUUUUUUUUUR!"
That is a public use cabin right up the hill from the falls. You can reserve the cabin for free, or if it is not reserved, camp in it first come first serve. It's only a 0.8 mile hike to it, so it would be sweet to get a bunch of people and some coolers to camp here.
I decided not to get in the hot springs, as they were very crowded and resort-like. Instead I climbed in the river. I regretted my decision immediately. My next stop: the Olympic Coastline. I had a very important spot I wanted to visit, where I fell last time I was out here. I did not take my camera on purpose for this leg of my journey because I wanted to experience this part with no distractions/obligations. It was really great to get back to that spot to think back on what I went through, the people who helped me through it, and the strength I received from the experience. I feel like this gave me closure to everything that has happened. So now that the sappy reunion was over, it's time to see some damn beaches!
My first stop was Beach 3 (real original name) which requires a 2 mile walk (might be off on the distance) through the forest and down a steep hill. During this hike, I turned my head to look at something, and when I turned my head back, I stopped dead in my tracks, literally an inch from walking face first into a big spider hanging from a thread. I. Hate. Spiders. Ruby beach, which is the beach everyone goes to on the Olympic coast, sure is a beautiful beach, but in my opinion, if you want to experience the coast, you have to hike to one of the many beaches that aren't car accessible. Sure you have to walk through spider infested forests for a few miles, but when you get there, the beach might be completely secluded.
My body still had not recovered from Sahale (definitely didn't prepare well enough), so I scrapped the idea of hiking to as many beaches as possible and spent some time experiencing Beach 3. I am glad I slowed down in a way, because sometime I am in such a rush to see the next place, I never get to truly experience the one I am in. Afterward I headed to Rialto Beach, a pebbly beach with a lot of driftwood.
I wanted to have a night out in town to break up all the camping/hiking, so my next stop after the Olympic Coast became Astoria, Oregon. I would like to mention that on the way down, I stopped in the fishing town of Westport, Washington to enjoy some deliciously fresh fish and chips. I have trouble eating fish around here anymore. I would also like to mention that the bridge from the Washington side of the bay to Astoria, Oregon is the longest bridge I have ever been on. I snagged a room at the Hotel Elliot, a historic hotel in the heart of downtown Astoria. After cleaning up, I walked the town in search of some nightlife, which eluded me (it was a weekday), so I gave up and enjoyed a few beers on the roof of my hotel. I don't know why nobody else enjoyed the rooftop, but I kind of liked it all to myself.
The next morning I checked out a shipwreck on the mouth of the river. I kind of got myself stuck by climbing down an eroded dirt dropoff to get this photo. I had to hook the strap of my camera bag around an out of reach rock to used it like a rope to climb the bank. Next time I will pay more attention.
After the shipwreck, I checked out Fort Stevens State Park. This unexpected stop turned out to be the perfect day. Fort Stevens, built during the Civil War, lies at the mouth of the Columbia River, which is a perfect spot for a naval invasion into our country. The Union feared a British fleet stationed not far from the coast would use the river to come aid the south. In the years following the Civil War, more bunkers were built, and many cannons added. The base remained active until World War II, when it became easier to protect the river by mines instead of cannons. The bunkers and buildings, along with restored cannons and military vehicles/gear are available for the public to view. You can do this on your own, or guided tours are provided for a fee. I decided to explore at my own pace at first.
Generator, or time machine?
I learned about hidden cannons at the site. Basically you would first aim the cannon and only raise it to fire the cannon. This is so the ships you are firing at cannot aim their return fire. Far away from the actual cannon housings, there was a tower where they would have a sighting tool for each cannon to determine the aim. They would send info to an officer underneath the bunker who would then write on a stylus which would send a facsimile up to the soldiers manning the cannon. The second the cannon fired, it would go back under the wall. The wall was high enough that the soldiers could not see over, and therefore could not be shot at. The stylus technology later became the fax machine. Very cool.
These rusted tracks on the ceiling carried the shells for the cannon.
I loved walking around in these old cement structures. There's something about old building that excites me.
This cannon actually does not belong here at this base. Can anyone tell me why? If you would like to know, ask me sometime.
Is it too much to ask to have one of these old spotlights? How cool would that be?
I have a friend named Mark with a truck like this.
I did however take the guided tour into the underground bunker, which is only open to the public through the guided tour. I understood why during the tour. This huge bunker housed a maze of identical corridors which anyone could easily get lost in. With all the spooky old equipment and old electrical system which made the lights flicker in some rooms, being lost would be a nightmare.
This room is where they housed the underground cannons, which were huge. The roof did not exist when the cannons were here, and neither did the pillars. The gun's barrel spanned the entire length of the room, which had to be 30 feet. The cannon could spin 360 degrees, and when fired, killed the 6 men who manned the cannon. Needless to say, they didn't fire this one again. Completely ridiculous...I want one.
In the same state park, you can also visit the Peter Iredale, a 278 four mast bark which shipwrecked in 1906. What a beautiful site to walk up to the old, rusty, barnacle covered remains of the ship. The grandson of the captain of this ship, who happened to be visiting from Vancouver at the same time, shared a story and took my photo in exchange for me photographing him. What a wacky coincidence!
Later in my adventures, I arrived at Ecola State Park, where I relaxed at the overlook of Cannon Beach. If you recognize those sea stacks, they were featured in the film The Goonies. I waited a while for the sunset, but it was totally worth it as you can see. No photoshop on my computer, so you are seeing them exactly as my camera took them.
The final leg of my journey is still to come.
