Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is a world all its own.  “Discovered” by Spaniard Juan de Fuca in the 16th century it is the northwestern most place in the continental United States.  It has hundreds of miles of coastline from Puget Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the North Pacific ocean.  Olympic National Park fills most of the vast interior with wilderness and the area is crowned with the Olympic Mountains which have snow capped peaks near 8000 feet.  There is so much to explore.

Indian family in 1914

Cape Flaterry is the actual northwesternmost point of the continental US.  It is on the Makah Indian Reservation one of 8 tribes who still call the peninsula home.  Friends Mark and Lyn joined us on a long day trip to see this area.  We ended the day with a great meal at Nourish http://www.nourishsequim.com/ restaurant in Sequim WA.

Mark and Lyn

Us on the coast

Cape Flattery lighthouse

Cape Flattery

Port Townsend WA was near our base for this area.  We stayed at the Escapees Evergreen Coho RV Park in Chimacum, a nice farming community.  We found great farmer’s markets and fruitstands.   Tomatoes, squash, greens and fruit were abundant.  The area has a rich history with many Victorian homes and old military installations.  Fort Flagler and Ft. Worden are now public parks with beautiful seaside locations.  Located at the northeast corner of the peninsula both forts afford great views of ship traffic from the Pacific to Puget Sound.  Harbor seals, sea lions and otters are common and occasionally whales and orcas can be seen.

Ship passing Ft. Flagler

Ft. Worden lighthouse

Ft. Flagler beach

Tug at Port Hadlock

Victoria BC is a short (1.5 hour) ferry ride from Port Angeles WA.  The days we crossed the seas were like glass.  We have visited Victoria many times.  Its the retirement capital of Canada and provincial capital of British Columbia.  We stayed at the Pendray Inn and Teahouse, a wonderful B & B with a traditional English High Tea.  High Tea offers the smallest amount of food for the highest price and very good tea.  We had a great stay and celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary.  Our visit included a tour of the Royal BC Museum, one of the best in all Canada.

MV Coho ferry

Pendray Inn and Teahouse

BC Parliament

First Nations at BC Museum

Wooly Mammoth at BC Musum

Olympic National Monument was established in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt.  It became a national park in 1938.  The park preserves the unique temperate rain forest and mountains of the Olympic Peninsula.  Parts of it are among the wettest places on earth.  While there we visited the Salmon Cascade, a series of waterfalls where salmon swim upstream 70 miles to spawn.  It is incredible to see these big fish leaping up the rocks in a desperate attempt to reach their birthplace and place to lay eggs and then die.  Nearby Sol Duc Falls is another beautiful site in the park.

Salmon leaping Salmon Cascade

Rainforest in Olympic NP

Overall Port Townsend is said to have 67 more days of sun than Seattle.  While we were there in September we experienced the end of Summer and beginning of Fall.  The weather included more rain but mostly pleasant days with mild temps.  We could actually  see ourselves living here for part of the year.