Day 33

I had to get a picture of the sunflower Laney bought at the farm the day before. We drove by so many farms with sunflowers peeking out 4, 5, and 6 foot tall. A field full was a beautiful sight!

We started today with thick french toast and cheese grits to warm us up. It rained overnight and was super chilly this morning so breakfast was perfect. Our first stop this morning was the Longmire Museum. It was a small building from the early 1900s that was jam-packed with people as well as great exhibits. The kids enjoyed seeing the animals the most. Did you know there is a mountain beaver that doesn't live in water?

This mountain lion took us all a little by surprise around a corner! 

We think we are experts when it comes to animal tracks but we all didn't do very well on this quiz. Some of the alpine animals tripped Laney up but we won't be seeing them back home! 

Out side there was another tree slice we could read historical events on. This tree was at least 8 feet in diameter. You can see Grammie pointing to the date the Declaration of Independence was signed.

 

We visited the gift shop next for post cards and stickers where Brayden spotted Gatorade in a can. I'm not sure what the novelty was about it but he had to spend his money on it! Ryan followed right a long and they both commented it tasted the same as in a plastic bottle. I'm thinking they assumed it would be carbonated? I know I told at least one of them it would be the same thing they've had before. I'm thinking they stopped listening to me long ago.

We stopped in at the Wilderness Info building for trail maps and info on the things we needed to see while we were there. We'd already planned one hike with two waterfalls and fortunately we could get to the trail from our campground. Ryan left a sign for our friends on the car that we'd gone hiking while the other two kids worried someone was going to see it and steal all our stuff. If someone wants a 2-year-old tent that looks like it's 15-years-old then I say they can have it!

When we first arrived at the park yesterday the kids noticed the color of the water - very light gray. I'm assuming it is because of the glacier flour and silt from the mountain? At this spot we crossed the river and could hear constant low booming that sounded like thunder. It was the boulders being spun and tossed in this fast-moving river!






This was the point in the hike where I almost sent Brayden back to the campground. These kids arguing back and forth and assuming intentional harm is so very frustrating.  I know there are crazy hormones and they have been together A LOT lately.  I just wish they would take a 2 second breath before responding  to each other.  I would definitely help curb the angry tones and responses that hurt. Maybe one of these days they will listen.

When the kids see a field of rocks they only see a climbing opportunity. What surprised me today was Laney asking first to climb all the way up! I think this area was an old rock slide or glacier field so I wasn't to keen on them starting another rock slide. They settled on climbing up to a large rock for a picture instead.


We started hearing the water about a half-mile into the hike. It kept getting louder toward the top of each climb and then would seem like we past it one the hike leveled off. We kept wondering it we'd missed the first waterfall until finally we reached Carter Falls at the top of the last steep climb. 

The kids pulled out their snacks while Grammie made her way up to meet us and I took pictures of the leaves around us.  You would think these leaves might be wet from the spray of the waterfall but actually most of the leaves still had water on them from the rain and morning dew.

There was a rockstar mom at this waterfall that was at least 8 months pregnant with a 2 and 4 year old in tow. Start them young!

The next waterfall was just another 50 yards up the trail so we made it to Madcap Falls in no time. This one was a little more difficult to see with it's twists and turns. We thought about climbing down for a better view but decided to head back to our site instead.

On the way up after the river crossing the girls asked me if I saw the cat. I was thinking there was a stray cat hanging out by the river and began to come up with all the reasons why there was no way we would be able to bring a cat home with us. They told me instead there was a cat rock sculpture similar to our family rock stacks so we made sure to slow down and check those out on our way back. By the time we made it there were two new ones!

You'll noticed Grammie no longer has her hiking stick. There was an older gentleman we'd seen slowly making his way back down the trail when we were going up. By the time we came back down he was still having lots of trouble on the trail with his balance around the rocks. She gave him her stick to help and with the help of his companion he seemed to move a little better. There were still many tricky areas for them to cross, including the river!  I love when my kids get to see examples of kindness like this. I hope they grow up to be this way toward perfect strangers and those in need.







We heated up some leftover soup for lunch when we got back and just as we were finishing up the Cook family showed up! They have been in the road for the better part of 2 years and we were so excited to be able to hang out with them! The kids shared animals and sites they'd seen then headed off into the woods to hang out and play. I love they are able to reconnect so easily!

Another not-to-miss spot we were told we should go is up to the top of the mountain at the Paradise visitors center area. The wildflowers were supposed to be in crazy bloom for the summer. We all decided to pile into cars and make the slow drive up. Unfortunately for us the clouds rolled in as we were driving up so not only could we not see the wildflowers but we also couldn't even see the visitors center from the parking lot! And it was COLD! Instead of taking a walk through the flowers we went into the visitors center to check out the museum before they closed. I'd forgotten my camera and phone in my haste to drive up so I didn't get to capture that time.

Once we made it back down we cooked dinner together and shared stories around the campfire. We'd had similar experiences on the road but The Cooks were able to take time to see so much more than us!  We'd already been to some of the area they were heading so I was able to make a few recommendations.

The kids shared s'mores and more laughs before the rain decided we should be done for the night. We quickly got everything out of the rain, gave everyone hugs, and wished safe travels to each other. We'd be seeing them back in Florida in a few months to hear more about their amazing travels.

The girls and I walked Lola in the rain and made it back before the heavier stuff started. The pitter patter of rain drops was going to be our lullaby tonight!

Day 32

I didn't have to wake the kids up this morning as Ryan was excited to be moving today. She was hoping to see our Washington friends later and she'd been counting down the days since we left. She let the air out of Brayden and Laney's sleep mats and rolled on top of them to wake them up. I'm thinking they appreciate my sing song "good morning" much better!

We filled up with warm grits and toast then I placed the box containing the last two cupcakes on the table. I offered a full cupcake to the most helpful person and the other to be shared between the other two kids. Brayden was finished with his breakfast at this point and jumped right in to help. I will have to remember his motivation is food for sure!

We were all packed up and on the Sol Duc Falls trail within about 30 minutes. The parking lot was already filling up so I knew it was going to be a great hike.




We talked about the days ahead and what we were going to be able to do once Dave joins us. It's hard to believe he's finally almost here with us! We are close to making our turn back south toward home.

The falls were beautiful but we didn't stay too long as everyone wanted to get on the road. It was a lovely hike and definitely reset us all to have a fabulous day. The kids' tones and attitudes changed from being short with eachother as we were getting out of the car to laughing siblings again just a half mile down the trail. We need to make morning hikes a thing!

We said goodbye to our ghost host whom we never saw, the smelly springs, the beautiful mountains and glaciers, Lake Crescent, and Port Angeles as we made the turn toward Tacoma and our next spot. When I started seeing signs for lavender fields I remembered I had a possible farm stop on my list. And I'm so glad we stopped! We picked boysenberries, londonberries, bluebberries, and a big bucket of the sweetest raspberries we've ever had.

Three deer were watching us as we picked the boysenberries so I'm sure our row was the perfect one. We'd never picked or tasted boysenberries or londonberries before. I had to taste a few very unripe ones first to find the best color which the kids thought was quite hilarious.

What started as a quick stop to check out the farm ended up being over an hour of picking all kinds of berries. Laney and my favorite were the raspberries - the sweetest I've ever tasted. They were also the size of blackberries!! Anyone who has picked with me before knows I get in picking mode and it's hard to break out of it. I want all the good fruit!  Ryan loved the blueberries the best - she had to run to catch up with us while shoving handfuls into her mouth!

I ended up buying an extra carton of blueberries and we went to enjoy the lavender for a few minutes. About 20 feet away from the field you could already smell it. If only the kids were dressed for a photo shoot!

We made a quick resupply stop at Trader Joe's and started the climb toward Mt. Rainier. This would be our last Washington stop but also a much anticipated one with a visit from friends. We were all set up and eating dinner when they pulled into our site behind us. The kids quickly finished their dinners and picked back up as if we'd seen them yesterday.

They even let me take an actual picture of all of them standing still for 30 seconds! We shared stories, beer, and dump cake around the fire until it was time for them to make the long drive back home. Our visit was short but it definitely made for an excellent day!




Another set of friends were hoping to join us in their RV but they weren't supposed to arrive until later. We reserved a site for them but never heard since I don't have service in the park. The kids wanted to check to see if they arrived so we quietly walked in the misty rain to their spot. They weren't there so we headed back and slipped into our tent. It was drippy and cold so we knew we'd better bundle up close together tonight!

Day 29

We had a jam-packed day schedule today so we were up and on the road early meeting Grammie at a county park in the direction we would be traveling. Olympic National Park and the wilderness around it are so huge we are staying about 40 minutes apart.  Lake Pleasant was slick this early in the morning as we ate a feast of danish and fruit.

Our first stop were the tide pools on the Pacific. We'd passed by many areas with rocky pools but the timing of the tides were never perfect until today. And lucky for us the ranger gave us some excellent information about finding the best spot. We set off on a short hike to the beach trying hard not to step on the banana slugs on the trail.

Once we made it to the beach I was just happy to see the incredible view of the ocean again!  Lola was thoroughly enjoying running around with the kids on the way to the pools. She acts like a puppy around them!

 

As we walked around the first small rocks we started spotting sea stars, mussels, and anemone all around us. It was amazing to think this place would be under water in about 3 hours! We have barnacles at home but not like these!

Laney was the only one brave enough to touch an anemone. Ryan left  and Brayden is just grossed out. They grabbed hold of our fingers then let go as soon as they figured they could eat us.

Ryan discovered a pool of different hermit crabs - see the babies?! Laney would only hold the bigger ones and she was even a little squirmy with that!

Our entire climb around the rocks ryan was gently tugging on all the sea stars to see if she could hold one. Finallly we cam across one that wasn't holding on too tight so Grammie grabbed him for her!

Once we really started looking we saw them tucked in absolutely everywhere! They are the masters of filling in the space! We especially loved all the different shades of orange and purple together.

We saw the tide slowly coming in as we were rounding the last rock. There were a few people surf fishing all bundled up in the cold.

While Laney and I looked around for rocks the other three walked toward the trail. Laney found a few flat ones she wanted to paint a sea star on when we got home. I think it's the perfect momento to always remember this trip and this tide pool!

Brayden made sure to make our traditional family of rocks before we left. He included the five of us, Dave, and Lola too!

Our next stop was the Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park. Dave and I had visited several rain forests in Costa Rica but the kids and Grammie have never experienced one so we just had to go! I was very interested in the differences between a North American and South American forest. Our first stop of course was the visitors center. It was very busy and crowded but we were able to explore a little bit before we hit the trail.

We were shocked to see just how much rain this area gets - 12-14 feet of water! And I thought our daily thunderstorms were a lot!

I wanted to do the trails closest to the visitors center but the kids were getting pretty grumpy so we settled on just the Hoh River Trail. The trail took us through a lush green forest that looked so alive! We walked through old growth that towered over us.

As we approached the Hoh River the forest changed dramatically ending just at the beach. The river was light blue/gray and was flowing super fast. We'd learned this quick current was the reason the Native Americans named it the Hoh River.

The other side of the river held the other side of the mountains we'd been looking at since we'd been here. The sun was warm but the temperature was a wonderful 65 degrees!

The walk back up to the visitors center was back through more of the old growth and moss-covered trees. The only thing different from Costa Rica was the lack of monkeys harassing us!

There was a display of trees lined up in a grove that originally started growing on the trunk of an old tree that had fallen. The tree had mostly decayed so there remained a spider of roots 5 feet off the ground that we were sure were a playground for the animals. Ryan found a 6-ft diameter three that had fallen creating a perfect environment for another tree to grow. We talked about how once the big tree was gone this new tree would look just like the others.

We stopped at a post office to mail our pile of post cards in the small town of Forks. My kids haven't read the books yet but I have! So I had to stop by the high school for a quick picture. The Cullen and Swan houses are also in Forks but I felt a little creepy and invasive checking those out.

We made it back to the park for a delicious lunch and some relaxing time before our next adventure. I even had a few minutes and cell service to update the blog. 

We were all full and happy so we climbed BACK in the car and headed to Cape Flattery. We have visited the U.S.'s eastern most point in Lubec, Maine so we just had to go visit the most North Western point of the U.S. too! Our drive took us along the Strait of Juan De Fuca past Neah Bay to the cape. Never to miss a photo opportunity the kids jumped up in this chair before I even saw it!

There were about 10 walking sticks decorated with beads and feathers lined up at the trail head. There were free to use so everyone grabbed one and we hit the trail. 

We first noticed this strange trees that created root balls about halfway down some of their branches. Out of these were taller and taller trees trying to reach the light. We also saw these trees that had branches like elephant tusks.

The trail was fun and very well-maintained the entire walk down to the cape. You could hear the kids banging their walking sticks on the board walk 100 feet away!

The first lookout I noticed an otter way down in the water eating dinner. He was at least as tall as Ryan!

The end of the trail had a fantastic view of Tatoosh Island the seasonal home of Makah people. The lighthouse was constructed in 1857 but is no longer operational. 

And here's the evidence we were here!

The cape gets battered by the waves of the Pacific. There were sea caves all around the area where we were standing.  Once we made it back to the trail head Grammie decided to buy her walking stick so she dropped $10 in the donation box. What a great souvenir from this trip!

Our drive home was quiet and beautiful back along the strait with the sun setting behind us. We dropped Grammie and Ryan at the RV and headed back to our spot in Sul Doc. Tomorrow was going to be another early morning so we snuggled right into bed as soon as we got back.