Redwoods National Park

August 29, 2017 - Tuesday

We broke camp about 7:45 and got breakfast when we stopped for gas at Queets.  We drove 101 south most of the day with just a short jog on 4E and 401S to keep from driving 20 miles out of our way.  We crossed from Washington to Oregon when we crossed the Columbia River at Astoria.  The river is huge at this point.

Lots of fishing boats on the Columbia

Driving over the Columbia River bridge

We passed by many Lewis and Clark National Park sites but didn't have time to stop.  At the beginning in Oregon Hwy 101 went through mountain valley regions that had lots of dairy farms, with mostly Guernsey cows.  Then the highway hugged the Pacific coast and we had many nice views of the ocean.   We decided to stop and have seafood for lunch because we kept going by so many neat restaurants, but we couldn't find a place where we could stop and find a place to park with our trailer.  Finally, about 2:30, we chanced upon a place called Corner Cafe in Lincoln City where we had fresh halibut and chips.  Worth the wait because it was very good.

Pacific Ocean view from Hwy 101

Another ocean view

At Newport, we turned east on Hwy 20 then Hwy 34 to get to the KOA at Corvallis.  In Corvallis we stopped at a Safeway to get supplies and gas so that we would be able to head out early in the morning.  We had showers at the KOA.  They had plenty of warm water but were dirty.

August 30, 2017 - Wednesday

We left camp by 8:00 am.  We headed south on I5 for about 65 miles then took 38 west back to 101S.  We stayed on 101S for most of the way.  There were more fantastic ocean views in Oregon and California.  We stopped at an overlook in Port Orford, Oregon for lunch  and  even saw a whale and a couple of sea otters.

View of Pacific at Port Orford

View of the Pacific from the highway

When we passed into California we had to give up the cherries we had bought the day before because the port of entry person said they were quarantined.  Funny, because we bought cherries in California from the same company.   Not far into California we turned off on the Newton B. Drury Parkway to get into the Redwoods area.  It was a pretty drive through old growth trees.  Our campsite is in the Prairie Creek State Park in the Elk Prairie Campground; site 58.  The campground is pretty, but the angle into our site was wrong for the one way direction of the road.  Took a while, but we finally got the trailer in.

Site #68 - very tight

Another view of the campsite

We had lots of road construction again today which cost a lot of time.  There are lots of bushes around our campsite which means mosquitoes.  It was hard to sit outside.  I fixed spaghetti for dinner and called it a night.  When I made the 1/4 mile trek to the bathroom for the last time, I saw an elk in the field across the road from the bathroom.  This campground does not have hookups, but has flush toilets and showers.  However, the showers were kind of funky so we never used them.  We only stayed here 3 nights.

August 31, 2017 - Thursday

After breakfast we drove to the visitor center to get information.  The ranger who we talked to was very enthusiastic and helpful.  She gave us lots of good ideas.  We drove south on 101 to the Davison Road (we nicknamed it the 'Dusty Fern Road') to the Fern Canyon Trail and Gold Bluff Beach.The trail into Fern Canyon was cool, literally and figuratively.  We saw thousands of ferns on the walls of the canyon.  The trail goes by and through a stream in the canyon with foot bridges in the stream.  At one point we saw 2 small waterfalls flowing over moss on the canyon wall.  We named them diamond falls because of the effect of the drops of water over the moss.  Beautiful.

Ferns on the wall of the canyon

Stream and the trail

Another shot of the stream and trail

'Diamond Falls'

We ate lunch by the beach campground then hiked on the beach.  This beach had dark gray sand and was steep.

Gold Bluff Beach

Gold Bluffs

After returning to camp we hiked about 3 miles on the Prairie Elk Trail that begins in the campground.  It was a very interesting hike through the Elk Prairie Meadow then old growth redwood forests.  We saw one large redwood that seemed to have been struck by lightening.  This was a nice trail and we were pretty much the only ones on it.

Mary in front of a very large fern

Sign at entrance to park by trail

 Lightening struck tree

Mike in front of a large log

 After going back by the visitor's center we walked part of the Revelation Trail to camp. We had leftover spaghetti for dinner and then called it a night.  All of the hiking had worn us out.

September 1, 2017 - Friday

We slept late this morning.  All the hiking and traveling has us worn out.  After breakfast we parked at the visitor's center so that we could hike the Cathedral of Trees and Foothills Trail loop that goes by the Big Tree.  Overall we hiked about 3 miles.  It was an enjoyable hike.  We pretty much had the trail to ourselves again.

Mike by the roots of an overturned redwood

'Dread Lock' Ferns

In front of The Big Tree

Another shot in front of The Big Tree

A funny sign

View up through a large tree

After our hike we drove south on 101 to the Kuchel Visitor's Center that is by the ocean.  The visitor's center didn't have a lot but we did find out where to get lunch in Orick.  Orick is not a very large town, but we were able to get a burger and fries at the Snack Shack.  We got back to camp about 1:30 and spent the rest of the day getting ready to head out in the morning.

We have enjoyed staying here, but 3 nights and 2 days was plenty of time here.  On to the next park in the morning.

Olympic National Park

August 24, 2017 - Thursday

Third leg of our national park trip.  We left Ohanapecosh about 9:30.  We took 123 south to 12 west to 7 north to Alder Lake State Park.  There was lots of road construction.  We got groceries at a little store in Morton.  While we were getting gas a couple from Ohio talked to us about our "cute little trailer".  This happens pretty often.  Alder Lake SP was not very far from Ohanaceposh.  We booked a night here just to take showers because Ohanapecosh and Kalaloch do not have showers.  When we got to Alder Lake we took showers.  These were about the dirtiest showers I have ever used, thank goodness for shower shoes.  We talked to Scott and then Isaac since we finally have cell service.  Baby girl should be here any time.  They have decided to name her Lillith Alana.  We had left over chili again for dinner.  The park was okay for overnight - the bathrooms, not so much.

August 25, 2017 - Friday

We left camp by 8:30 traveling on several highways until we got on 101 north.  Once in the Olympic area we took a side road to Quinalt which is next to Quinalt Lake in Olympic National Park area.  We bought ice then ate a hamburger at the Mercantile Cafe.  One of the best hamburgers we've ever eaten.

The Mercantile in Quinalt

Lake Quinalt

After we got back on 101N, we stopped at the Kalaloch Ranger Station for maps and information.  We got to our campsite at Kalaloch at about 2:00 pm.  The site is nice but was a little hard to get backed into and is on a pretty steep slope.  We couldn't get the trailer completely level front to back.  We met the camphosts, Ron and Christy, as we drove in and they gave us some good information.  Later they even dropped off some free firewood at our campsite.

Mike relaxing at our campsite

Campsite A38

After getting camp set up we walked on the beach.  This campground is between Hwy 101 and the Pacific Ocean in a strip of Olympic National Park that runs parallel to the ocean.  While walking I saw a whale spout.

Logs on beach

Mary while walking on beach

Mike on beach

Beach shot

About 6:00 (2 hours before sunset) we walked to the beach access and sat on a picnic table at the top.  As we sat for 2 hours waiting for the sunset, we saw California gray whales and sea otters.  The whales are usually further north this time of year, but some spent the whole summer feeding in  this area.   We saw several cow - calf pairs.  We could see the flukes and sides while the mother was feeding the calves.  Later we saw the sunset and it was amazing! A great first day at Kalaloch.

Sunset

August 26, 2017 - Saturday

The weather here by the Pacific is really cool (50ish).  I got up, started the coffee, then walked to look at the beach.  We were getting ready to go to Ruby Beach to see the tidal pools when Mike stepped in dog poo, tracking it into the trailer.  After all the cleanup and going to get gas, we barely made low tide.  Aggravating!  People should clean up after their pets.  But the tide pools at Ruby Beach were great.  We saw sea stars, sea anemones, barnacles, clams and other things I am not familiar with.  Worth the trip.

Purple sea star

Rock island off the beach

Mike next to the tide pool area

Mary by tide pool

Rock by beach

Sea Anemones

Group of sea stars

After looking at tide pools we drove up to the Hoh Rainforest area of Olympic National Park. On the way into and out of the rain forest we saw 11 Roosevelt Elk by the Hoh River.

Roosevelt Elk by Hoh River

We ate a picnic lunch then went into the visitor's center for information.  We hiked the Spruce Nature Trail (1-1/4 miles) then the Hall of Mosses Trail (3/4 mile).  Both were interesting with plaques  describing the area. 

Interesting tree roots by trail

Hoh River

Group of trees that all grew out of the same rotten log

On the Hall of Mosses trail 

Ferns growing out of rotten stump

Moss hanging off tree

On our way back to camp we stopped briefly at an overlook to look at whales.  We fixed soup and cornbread for dinner and had an early night.

August 27, 2017 - Sunday

After breakfast we walked the beach at Kalaloch at low tide.  I found some sand dollars, even one that was complete.  Mike spotted a fish in a stream/pool of water that turned out to be a salmon.  After walking on the beach we walked the 1 mile Kalaloch Nature Trail. 

Orange fungi

Shelf Fungi

Interesting fern and plants

We had lunch then sat around the campsite for a couple of hours before we went to watch whales for a couple of hours.  It had gotten so cool that we had built a fire while we sat around camp.  When we went to whale watch we saw lots of whales and sea otters.  I even went and got my camera and tripod and was able to get pictures of both.  Mike was sharing his binoculars with a man and young woman from Germany.  All told we think there were about 6 whales right in front of us.  It's been a really good day.

Gray whale spouting

Same whale 

August 28, 2017 - Monday

I got a text from Eric at 6:00 am that Lillith Alana is on the way.  Needless to say, I wasn't able to go back to sleep after that.  After breakfast we drove back to the Hoh Rainforest where we had a picnic lunch. After lunch we hiked the Hoh River Trail out 1.1 mile and then back.

Entering Hoh

The Hoh River with mountains in the background

Mike in front of a large tree

The Hoh River Trail

On our way back to camp we got a text that Lillith Alana was born at 12:41 C.T., all okay.  When we got back to camp we walked on the beach north from Kalaloch to a tree that has almost all of its roots exposed and has been that way for 40 years. 

Mary on log in front of suspended tree

Fog on beach

We sat later and watched the whales for about an hour.  The temperature at Hoh today was 90 degrees but at our campsite was 70 degrees.  Makes it nice for sleeping.  There was fog coming in on the beach while we were there.  After dinner we went back to watch the whales one last time before we have to head out in the morning.  We have really enjoyed Kalaloch.  It has been a magical place for us.

Kalaloch Beach