Here is the second post from the archives of Susanne Swanson and this week she shares their trip to the Olympic National Park in Washington State and the beaches with amazing roots and tree remains.
Mora and Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park spreads over the Olympic Peninsula in the northwest corner of Washington State, almost a million acres of protected wilderness, with mountains, forests and the wildest coastline in the contiguous United States. A designated World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve it attracts visitors from around the world. It also attracts us locals and we visited again this summer, this time camping in a remote section of the Park at beautiful Mora.
Mora Campground
Located next to the Quillayute River, and a mile from Rialto Beach, Mora lies deep in old growth forest, dripping green and gorgeous and that’s where we parked our trailer the first two nights. Mora doesn’t take reservations but we got there early in the week and easily found a spot. You may be surprised to hear it cost us a measly $10 a night to camp. Yes, true. Already a bargain at $20 a night, it’s only $10 for those with a Senior National Parks Pass. Money well spent, I think.
Quillayute River
The Quillayute River is only four miles long, formed by the confluence of the Sol Duc and the Bogachiel Rivers, before it flows into the Pacific Ocean. We stopped by the river on our way to Rialto Beach and I felt transported to an earlier time, almost expecting to see Native Americans in traditional garb, fishing, and weaving baskets from cedar bark. In fact the Quileute Indian Reservation is home to the Quileute tribe who’ve lived in this area for thousands of years. The village of La Push is its largest community and sits at the mouth of river, just south of Rialto Beach.
We visited instead with a family from France, who had stopped to take pictures of the eagles.
They also pointed out this resting seal to us, a real treat!
Rialto Beach
We discovered Rialto Beach on our trip to the park last year, but I was impressed all over again with its rugged beauty, offshore sea stacks, and the size of the giant drift logs and standing ghost trees on the beach.
I asked Bob to pose in front of one of the logs for scale and he obliged.
Then while he fished in the surf (catching only seaweed) I walked a mile up the beach to get a closer look at some sea stacks.
On my walk I saw what looked like a giant tarantula but was another tree stump, not completely bleached of color yet.
Though it was cool and overcast, it was a refreshing change from the dry heat we’ve had in the Seattle area most of the summer. We did find blue skies on our visit to La Push and First Beach the next day and on our hike to Third Beach; more to come on that in a future post.
©Susanne Swanson
About Susanne
Hello! This is Susanne. After years of working in accounting and technology where rules are clear and numbers add up, I decided to explore the other side where roads are meant to be traveled, memories unfurl slowly and cats have been known to talk.
In my blog you will meet my two favorite felines, Tiger and Benji, and see pictures and stories from my travels, especially in the Pacific Northwest where I live. Add in my garden, some rain (lots of rain it turns out), a few sunsets and reflections on life, and you have an idea of where we are headed. I hope you come along for the ride.
Connect to Susanne
Blog: https://catsandtrailsandgardentales.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/swansos/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catsandtrailsandgardentales
My thanks to Susanne for sharing the family vacation and I know that she would love your feedback.. thanks Sally.
Thank you for dropping in today and look out for the new series of Posts from Your Archives coming after Easter….another chance to showcase your blog and books.
A fascinating journey through these forests. A story that attracts and the photos are faithful accompaniment of the trip. I enjoy reading.
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Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour! 😊
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Thank you for commenting.
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We live in the Yakima Valley. Not too far. Glad to read your post, as we are planning to visit the Olympic Peninsula this summer on our vacation. It is so beautiful!
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Thanks for your comment! You will love it! It’s one of my favorite places!
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Thanks Angie..hugsx
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So great that you shared this – it’s a terrific travel post with great photos!
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Thanks John… I would love to visit in person..
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Thanks so much for your comment John! 🙂
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Thanks so much John! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😊 There’s so much beauty and variety at Olympic National Park. It’s a wonderful place to visit!
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Glad you saw the post Susanne I have been AWOL today and only just back… thanks for a great post..hugs
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Thanks so much for sharing my story! I appreciate it! 😊
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Reblogged this on Cats and Trails and Garden Tales and commented:
Here’s another look at my trip to Olympic National Park shared on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. Reminds me of why I want to go back again this year! :).
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Saw this on Susanne’s blog, as I am a follower. Thanks for featuring her, Sally. You are definitely a blogger’s best friend. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete 🙂 I agree with your assessment of Sally!
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Thanks Pete… so many amazing blogs and so little time..hugs
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Olympic National Park looks and sounds like an amazing place to explore, would love to visit one day to see the old growth forests
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Glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting us know.
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