Olympic Loop Highway

By Mom of TJB and MMB September 14, 2017

We had a great few weeks with Grandma and Grandpa Benziger!

Roasting marshmallows at Lake Quinault Lodge

Have you hugged a tree lately?

We started our loop of Olympic National Park with a visit to my friends Grayson and Lincoln's new home in Olympia. After a quick trip to the local ice cream shop and a dip in their kiddie pool, we headed to Lake Quinault Lodge. Built in 1926, this historic lodge is in the "Valley of the Giants" and the temperate rainforest. I bought a rainbow trout "stuffie" that I named, Mr. Rainbow Quinault. We roasted s'mores by the campfire next to the lake.

Historic Lake Quinault Lodge

The lobby of Lake Quinault Lodge

Kisses for Grandpa by Lake Quinault

The next day we drove around the lake and stopped at a few waterfalls and to do a few rainforest hikes. We saw nurse logs that had fallen many years ago and had new trees growing from them, as well as old giants that are still standing. We then headed to Kalaloch beach where we ran into Mommy's old soccer friends, Annie Borton, Amy Hutchinson and Liz Horman. The water was chilly and we manages to build a sand castle despite the strong winds. We also saw a group of grey whales spouting just past where the waves were breaking!

Look who we found at Kalaloch beach?! Auntie Annie Borton!

Tree of Life

Gray whale spout off Kalaloch beach

Ruby Beach walk

Sandcastle at Ruby Beach

We drove back to Lake Quinault for the night and then continued on our road trip the next morning. We stopped at Ruby beach and walked over giant driftwood logs scattered along the shore to get to the sandy beach with large sea stacks and tide pools. Back in the car we headed up to Clallam Bay spit on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and had a lovely picnic and explored yet another sandy beach. Grandma and Grandpa and Daddy headed to Neah Bay and the Makah Tribal Museum and for a hike to Cape Flattery, the northwestern most point in the continental United States. Mommy, Marit and I went to Hobuck Resort in Neah Bay and played in another long, flat sandy beach on the Pacific Ocean. We invented a game called "fetch" where we threw the ball into the waves and waited for the wave to push it back to us.

Running into the waves at Hobuck beach

An Pacific Northwest First People's legend tells us of the creation of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park... there was much fighting between the Klallam and Quileute tribes along a small river that flowed through the site. Disagreements escalated into a great battle that lasted three days. The mountain spirit of the area, Mount Storm King, became very upset at the foolish fighting and hurled a gigantic boulder down at them, killing all of the warriors. The boulder was so big that it dammed the river and the water backed up forming Lake Crescent and for many years, tribal members did not visit the area where their relatives were killed.

Hanging out in the lawn chairs by the lake

While I have been in Seattle for only five years, we have only driven by this deep mountain lake once. It is 11 miles long, a brilliant aqua blue color, and has excellent visibility. The lack of nitrogen inhibits algae from growing and you can easily see 50 feet down (the deepest part is nearly 600 feet deep)! We stayed in a quaint A-frame cabin at the Log Cabin Resort on the north shore of the lake with splendid views of the foothills of the Olympic mountains. It was very relaxing to sit in the Adirondack chairs and watch people play in the clear lake. We went for a short 1.8 mi hike to Marymere falls to see the impressive 90 foot drop waterwall in the old growth forest of ONP. The trip ended with a lovely ride on the Kingston ferry. Our last ferry ride for a while. Can't wait to come back and visit when I get bigger. Ta-ta for now!
-Theo