Washington Scenic Byway 101

We got an early start from our campsite near Olympia. On a whim, we decided to follow Highway 101, one of Washington's scenic byways around the Olympic National Park peninsula before heading down into Oregon. We took the journey at and easy pace, taking three nights and three days to do it. Along the way we camped out, visited small towns, saw the national park and lots of remote beautiful coastal beaches.  

On our first day we stopped in a the little town of Port Townsend, the most North Westerly town in the lower 48 states. It was the weekend and there were a number of events going on around town including a farmers market, free boat tours and virtual reality sailing.

At the farmers market we ate some fresh baked ham and cheese croissants for lunch. Down at the harbour, the Maritime Center was offering free boat tours every half hour.

Waiting for the next tour

The Maritime Center puts of free boat rides.

Port Townsend from the water

Downtown Port Townsend.

The Pilothouse Learning Center offered Sailing courses in which students could use their virtual reality software to learn to use radar and the control board. The weekend we were in town, the Pilothouse was open to the public for demonstrations. In the photo I'm doing an exercise where I'm supposed to rescue a man overboard. However, I think I ran him over instead. 

Virtual Reality sailing seminar at the Pilothouse Learning Center

After Port Townsend we drove on for a few more hours and we were able to get a site a the popular Salt Creek Campground. The sunset from this cliffside campground was absolutely beautiful. In the distance we could see the southern coast of Vancouver Island across the Juan de Fuca straight. 

Campers gather round to watch the sun set

Bill's new house?

The next morning we carried on hugging the coast as much as possible. Armed with a new SIM card in our phone and our new American phone number, we once again had internet where ever we went. Having internet had become essential to our trip to allow on the fly last minute research to places we chose to visit on a whim. With internet access on our phone it was much make up the details of our trip as we went along.

One of many coastal vistas on this part of our trip

We stopped in a visitors center in the little town of Forks, WA to get some information on where to buy a National Parks Pass, forgetting that it was the town featured in the popular Twilight books. The place was full of teenagers and families taking pictures with all the life sized cardboard cutouts of Bella and Edward. Needless to say, we got out of there fast.

Next stop was the Hoh Rainforest campground, our first entry into the massive Olympic National Park which we had been driving around for the past two days. 

Hall of Mosses Hiking trail, Hoh River. 

At the park entrance, we purchased an annual National Parks Pass which in the following weeks has already paid for itself.  After setting up we walked the popular Hall of Mosses trail through the rain forrest. 

Hoh River, Olympic National Park

We arrived early enough in the day to get one of the beautiful river side campsites. Both of us were in need of a quieter afternoon, so we set up the camp chairs by the river and passed the rest of the evening reading.

Our beautiful riverside campsite

Exploring the river after dinner

Our tent by the river

On wards South the next day we left the 101 to drive the 'Hidden Coast' along route 109.  Here we stopped in at a beach town called Seabrook. What caught our attention about this town, was that all of the buildings looked as if the had just been built less than a month before we got there. It was as if we had wandered onto a movie set, where all the buildings were facades on a sound stage.  We found out that it was a pre-planned town that was still under construction. Bill refers to it as the 'Stepford Wives Town' because of it's eerie artificial atmosphere.

One of many gorgeous beaches along the Washington coast

After a long day of driving we set up camp at Cape Disappointment State Park at the mouth of the Colombia river. While the campground was a bit of a disappointment, the hike to the lighthouse certainly wasn't.

Old WWII army base at Cape Disappointment

 For many years the peninsula was home to an army base. A watchtower and three massive guns guarded the entrance to the Colombia river. After WWII, radar made the need for a watchtower obsolete.

Looking for ghosts in the creepy abandoned army barracks 

The guns and many of larger buildings were removed leaving the stone underground barracks to be reclaimed by nature. Near by, the coast guard now carries the responsibility of monitoring the River mouth, an area that has claimed many ships because of it's dangerous shifting sand bars.

The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Lots of wild blackberries

Cool Slug

Sunset near the mouth of the Colombia River

The next morning we crossed a huge bridge over the Colombia River at Astoria. We carried down the 101 coastal highway as far as Cannon beach before we cut inland and headed for Portland. 

The Haystacks at Cannon Beach, Oregon