Really, this is kind of a big deal. Something I have been anticipating for many years.
"Puberty?" you ask. No, but I think that will be good, too. And, thanks for asking.
Since we decided to forego taking the Coho (ferry) to Victoria, we decided to take our time, head into town, have a leisurely breakfast, then go into Olympic National Park.
I mentioned how close together these sites are...
There was a picnic on our site when we pulled in; we had to move it to get our motorhome in... not enough room on either side for the table. Joan getting ready to roll...
I picked up a scooter tag (your scooter with the ocean) before we had breakfast. From there, we rode to the Olympic National Park Visitors Center. After much anticipation, I am now the possessor of... A "Geezer Pass" (AKA: Senior Pass). For the minimal investment of $10, that pass will get me into every National Park, National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, most Corps of Engineer parks, Fish and Wildlife Service... for free!
It would have been $20 to get into Olympic National Park... not for me! This is like being in high school again: seniors rule!!
Joan wanted to ride the scoots to Hurricane Ridge. I just wanted to go through the park entrance gate and show my pass. Turns out, the riding was fine. Hurricane Ridge was impressive. Yes, it is named for the extreme winds (and snow) they get here during the winter months. I knew it was above the tree line - I expected it to be at a higher elevation (like in Colorado or Wyoming)...
Yes, those are winter coats - it was a brisk start to the day. We walked around the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center, enjoying the views...
And, the riding...
Fun curvy roads...
A couple deer came out of the trees - got my attention!
Three tunnels - dark in there, and I am guessing a lot of construction work in the building process...
We stopped at another pull out to check out the views down towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca. When I raised the camera to get the first shot, someone must have felt it was a sign that I had something for them to eat!
OK, here's the shot without the bird marauder...
I have seen the Olympic Mountains from the boat almost every time we went south. First that we have been able to visit on land. Looking back in that image immediately above, the Strait of Juan de Fuca doesn't look all that formidable. I can tell you, from spending plenty of time there in boats, it certainly can be.
After leaving the park (did I mention I have a Senior Access Pass??), we rode around Port Angeles a bit, stopped for a late lunch (early supper? ;-) ), and shopped at Walmart and Haggen's (groceries)... we haven't seen that kind of selection for quite a while!!
Back at the RV park, we strapped down the scoots. Izzy acted like she wanted to go outside, but changed her mind rather immediately when she saw it was all gravel. Across the street, there is a kinda grassy no-hookup site that no one is in. I offered to take her over there, she said, "No thanks." Yeah, she got spoiled by all the space and quite this summer, too.
This evening, we worked on a place to stay the next couple nights. Heading to the Pacific Coast.
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