(Pictures are all available in an album in FaceBook.)

Current Location: Bremerton, Washington

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey!
~ Barbara Hoffman

The trip along the northern Oregon coast was fabulous. We spent the night at an overlook where we watched The Spouting Horn (an ocean blow hole – there’s an underwater cave that the waves fill and then pressure explodes through a hole in the roof like a geyser.) The next morning we continued on until Tillamook, where we stopped to tour the Tillamook Cheese factory. Interesting to read about the history of the area, the industry, and the company – and we certainly couldn’t turn down cheese samples or some fresh made ice cream from their creamery! That evening we headed further north and crossed over the bay into Washington for a night at the rest area. Whew, another new state – that’s the west coast!

The 101 led us up to Olympic National Park for a couple of nights spent in the bordering Olympic National Forest. On our first full day exploring the Quinault region of the park, Ashley slipped/stepped wrong while crossing a log and ended up spraining her ankle! Back to the RV for rest and ice. Fortunately, we were planning on staying in the region for the next couple of months so there’s no rush to see the park. We followed the 101 on around the peninsula (effectively circling the park) and enjoyed beautiful scenic views and leisurley driving.

Along the way, we stopped in Port Angeles for a meet-up with some of our favorite adventure travelers, the Switchback Kids! We’ve crossed paths with them at a few other parks, but this was likely the last time our travel routes would intersect. We had a fabulous time catching up with them, sharing stories and generally spending time with an amazing couple. www.switchbackkids.com

• 11 months on the road
• 17 states visited
• 22 National Parks explored

Yesterday morning we continued on toward Bremerton, WA. Though it was a bit of a tight fit and required a 15 point turn we managed to maneuver the RV down behind Chateau Jacqueline. So now we’re settled in behind Ashley’s sister’s (new) house for a while!

Lessons Learned:
• Ashley is stubborn and doesn’t like to sit still 🙂
• Driving scenic roads and stopping for the views is an amazing way to travel.
• We love Washington and Oregon

Since we’re settled for a bit, our goal is to not only visit with Jackie and explore the area in depth but also to take the opportunity to pick up some odd jobs and learn some new skills along the way. Plus, Ashley’s planning on making some more soap! Our time here is going to fly and our to do list will be longer than ever, no matter how much we manage to do.

Settled for now,

Matthew & Ashley

Only about 20 miles to go this morning, so no rush. We looked up the hot springs at Sol Duc last night and were disappointed to realize that they have been re-created to look like pools. That’s not the feeling we were looking for so we’ll find a set of hot pools somewhere out in the forest that we can hike in to and explore in their natural setting.

Just a few miles down the road we come to Lake Crescent. We can’t resist pulling over to enjoy the view. The water is clear, so we watch fish swimming by and catching fish. I make coffee before coming out to sit on the shore with Ashley so that we sit and enjoy the view for a longer time. The water’s so smooth that the mountains and sky are reflected perfectly in them.

Along the road a bit further we stop at Port Angeles where we’ll be spending the rest of the day until meeting up with Cole and Elizabeth, the Switchback Kids. We visit the Park Visitor Center, watch the video and check out the nature trail behind the facility. Then it’s lunch time and… something else. We head to a nearby park to sit and enjoy the beautiful day. Then it’s time for an afternoon snack so we head to Renaissance coffee/tea shop. Great drinks and delicious snacks enjoyed while taking in the view of Canada over across the strait.

Back to the RV for a bite to eat before meeting up with Cole and Elizabeth. Fortunately, parking’s easy and convenient and we have a fabulous time chatting with them. They’re definitely our kind of people – a few hours pass as we chat about travel, parks, fellow visitors, future plans and more!

It’s a bit after 10, so we decide to camp out at the WalMart and head on to Jackie’s tomorrow morning.

Got up and headed north on the 101, stopping at Ruby Beach, a “don’t miss” in our park guidebook. It was definitely a beautiful location. Unfortunately, with Ashley’s ankle we weren’t able to venture very far. We walked down to the first landing along the stairs. I scouted further on but with the additional steps and the beach littered with a cross-hatch of logs it wasn’t sore-ankle friendly. We sat and enjoyed the view for a bit before heading back up. I carried Ashley up piggy-back.

Further along the road we stopped in the NFS station in Forks. Got a couple of recommendations for tonight’s stop. Short drive from there, so it wasn’t long before we were settled in for the evening in a great little turn-about with flowers growing everywhere. Weird to have to level – the last few days have been simply a matter of pulling in and ready to go.

We hop on the motorcycle and head back to the park. On the way we pick up some stamps at a Post Office and send along the most recent post cards (and Mother’s Day cards!) We explore the nature trail and then head to the visitor center to park and hike more. The forest is beautiful!

At one point we stopped to see the World’s Largest Sitka Spruce. Lots of big trees here recently!

Back on the motorcycle, we head on into the park (we’ve only been in forest until this point) and stop along the road to scramble up to the foot of a waterfall to enjoy our lunch.

Further along, we decide to head a mile up a trail to check out a lake. Along the way Ashley steps wrong or slips off a log or something and twists her ankle pretty badly. She must have stepped on a branch that “cracked!” loudly and first caused concern that she had broken something. That ended up not being the case, but our hiking was put on hold until she heals. We headed back to the RV for the night.

Saturday we’ll be meeting up with Cole and Elizabeth (the Switchback Kids) in Port Angeles before heading on to Jackie’s!

After breakfast we continue along the road, meandering along the coast. It’s not too much further until the town of Tillamook, home of the Tillamook cheese factory. Free self-guided factory tours, samples, and all of delicious cheese! We can’t wait to explore….

There are two parking lots, one for cars and a separate one for RV’s. How convenient! We pull in and easily park, then head into the factory. It’s fascinating to read about the history of the company, which includes history of the whole area and the development of the dairy industry from pasture creation on to currenty day computerized cheese making. After reading everything and watching the cheese being sliced and packaged, we walk through the sample line, tasting a variety of delicious cheeses. Though we manage to not pick up any cheese blocks this time, we can’t avoid the ice cream line. What a delicious treat, extra creamy ice cream made from local milk. Mmmm….

Time for grocery shopping, we stop at Fred Meyer (which is Kroger) and stock up for the week. Then we continue on north. Along the way we pull over in a view point for a mid-afternoon snack. Once we finish our popcorn we step out to enjoy the view and a gentleman in a Smart car pulls up. He’s a motorcyclist and wanted to check out our set-up. Pat is a delightful fellow and we have a great conversation with him about travel, motorcycles, life, and more.

Just after supper time we cross over into Washington. Another state! We feel like we’ve shorted Oregon, as we’ve greatly enjoyed the landscape and scenery. It’s made it to the list as a potential future home. Pull into a rest area for supper and decide to spend the night.

Ashley isn’t feeling great, so I head into town on the motorcycle to pick up some items that she hopes will help stave off a UTI.

We pack up and head north to Eugene where we swing left to the 101 and work our way further north along the ocean. Using information from other travelers’ blogs we find a pullout that allows overnight parking. We’re parked just off the road, overlooking the ocean.

The sun hasn’t quite set yet, so we walk the trails that lead from the parking area down to the water. There’s a unique feature here, the Spouting Horn, which is most impressive during storms or high tide. As the waves roll in, they press into a cave in the rocks that has a crack in the ceiling – forcing a spray of water to shoot up out of the rocks. Apparently we hit high tide, as it really does look like a whale’s spout coming from the rocks!

We continue along the trail until it loops back to the parking area and then head back inside the RV for a bit of reading before bed.