Now in Cascade Locks, Oregon

We decided to leave a day earlier than planned and headed out this morning, coughing all the way.  Seems the fires may have revved up overnight, the winds were higher and the humidity is very low.  Very smoky.  Got on the road by 8:45 and headed back along Route 101 through Port Angeles and then into Sequim, turned south and drove along the Hood Canal for quite some time.  Twisty turny road, got aggravated at times for the slow drivers - they were ogling out the window at the water, or, one person just did not have a lot of horse power, was dragging a box (camper) behind and you could hear him huffing and puffing to get up and around some of the curves and hills.

Smoke filled valley when we pulled out of site this morning

Last glimpse of Olympic Mountains, right outside of Sequim

Bye bye to the Jamestown Skallem Indian Casino - love the totems

Came out of the rain shadow(north) of the Olympics to the rainy side

And along the Hood Canal for some distance

There is a law in Washington that if you cause a backup of at least 5 vehicles, you must use the designated pull-outs, which are quite frequent.  One yo-yo in front of us had no idea (we think) that he was holding up so many vehicles.  This is the same guy who didn't have enough horse power in his car.  Grrr.

Okay, so we were -16 feet below sea level?  Were we swimming just then?

A peak at the Columbia - this was an estuary right near Portland

Big lumber mill

Notice size of 18 wheeler to pile of logs?

And there was the Columbia River

Traveled down 101 for about 90 miles and then picked up Interstate 5 just south of Olympia.  Lots of traffic but no problems.  Once we got near Portland, Oregon, we were following the Columbia River, could see it at times.  Picked up I205 and headed more east around Portland where we then picked up Interstate 84 heading east.  About 40 miles east of Portland is the town of Cascade Locks.

A jog - never seen a traffic sign like this

Mt. Hood looming above, Columbia River flowing along

We are in Oregon, not Regon (lol)

Wonder how far we can see

We will stay here for a bit, want to visit lots of places and a big goal is to go to Hood River (town just 20 miles east) where they do windsurfing on the Columbia.  Pretty area.  Not so nice with campground - got a train track right by us and Buddy is very frightened when one goes by.  And Buddy - poor thing.  He did not do well on this trip, had lots to pick up with his messes.  But, he seems to be doing okay - if we could just keep the trains away.

The Bonneville Dam, we are camping very near  it

Traveled along a really scenic road, I84/Rt 30 - lots of tunnels

Something else - you will break the law if you pump your own gas (Oregon).  Have to have an attendant do it for you.  New Jersey is the same way.  Weird.  Right before we stopped for gas right before getting to the campground, I was out first and put in the credit card and punched in the magic number, and then picked up the nozzle, selected the grade and bam.  Then I went inside the RV to check the GPS to see how we get to the campground, and when I came back out - I was told by the attendant that I did a no-no.  Oops.  Who would have thunk?

Elwha Valley and Port Angeles

We wanted to visit the area that 2 dams were removed, the Clines Canyon Dam which was the largest dam removal in the country, and the Elwha River Dam, both located within the Olympic National Park, but I did not do my homework prior to visiting.  Back in 2011 the first dam was removed which was located near the Lower Elwah Indian Reservation just north of where we are and west of Port Angeles.  Removal of the first dam, Elwha, was complete then the second dam was deconstructed and restoration of the river was complete by the fall of 2014.

Road closed beyond where we were (you are here spot)

The Elwha River now runs wild and free, allowing the migration of salmon to once again journey up the river from the Strait of Juan de Fuca as far upstream as 45 miles to the headwaters of the Olympic Mountains.  Mother Nature is always the boss - she decided that with this past winter's heavy snows and rains, the river again had to run it's course, with no dams to interfere,  massive flooding took out roads, campgrounds, buildings, etc.

What it would have looked like if we could have seen the Clines Canyon Dam

Elwha River washout

Construction vehicles, smoke from 4 fires within Olympic NP 

When we turned off Route 101 to the Elwha Valley we immediately saw a sign that said road closed 2 miles ahead.  Huh?  I thought the road went much deeper.  So, at the end of the 2 miles barricades were placed across the road with signs that said no admittance - cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians.  Zip.  Seems that the rebuilding of the area that was washed out commenced just a week prior and with heavy equipment, the forces said no to anyone, safety first.  Also, very smoky conditions - there are 4 wildfires going on within the National Park, being monitored,

Could hear the waterfall at the start of the walk

Pretty - even the guy and his dog loved this spot

Lots of moss covered trees

We did get to walk to Madison Falls, a .1 of a mile quick little walk to the falls.  Nice, very cool and refreshing! And that was it - could not venture any farther, all hiking trails closed.  Oh well.  We drove back into Port Angeles and sat at the waterfront park and watched the sea traffic.  "Sittin' on the
dock of the bay...."  Tide just coming in, seagulls flying overhead.

The Coho, the ferry that goes between Victoria, BC and Port Angeles was in and loading - watched it go out.  Some fishing boats checking their traps for crabs, a large vessel anchored - not sure what it's purpose was - with some men hosing down the decks (swabbing the decks, matey!).  Just a lovely day.

Coho leaving Port Angeles for Victoria, BC

Lots of people on-board

Out of the port, made turn towards Victoria

Not sure if private or commercial - could see man swabbing deck

Crabs being measured and kept or thrown back in if too small

Whale watch cruise coming in to port

We clean up today, leaving tomorrow morning for a campground east of Portland, Oregon.  Sniff - we begin our journey back south but will drag our feet and see what can be seen.  Will be camping near the Columbia River and we hope to see a lot in the area.  Traveled along the Columbia about 30 years ago but never stopped.

One More Time to Rialto Beach

There were/are high wind warnings and severe heat (supposed to be in high 90's today) with the threat of fires starting yesterday and ending tomorrow, due to low humidity - a rarity in this area.  But the winds predicted from the east which meant that the fog that is typical over the ocean beaches would not be - fog would be blown out to sea.  Packed our lunch, got in the car - and nothing.  The car did not start.  Called for jump/tow ,if needed, which they came in 1/2 hour and got the car jumped started.  Dave drove it to the dealer to see what the heck.

Never tire of looking at the very blue Lake Crescent

Drove west on 101 to the cutoff for La Push

And where Rialto Beach is and the Quileute Indian Reservation

Of course No Vampires allowed past boundary into La Push

He was back by 12 and we had a follow up appointment for this morning (we are sitting at dealer now) to see what the heck is going on.  But.  Yesterday we decided to tempt fate and drove back to Rialto Beach on the Pacific Ocean.  Was there last Sunday as was fogged in.  Yesterday - totally different. Drove along Route 101 into Forks and them moved towards La Push where The Quileute Indian Reservation is located (Jacob of the Twighlight series was a Quileute Indian) and the Olympic National Park's Rialto Beach is located.

Yesterday - a tidge still of fog coming in

What it looked like this past Sunday

What a difference

When we got there and parked, there was a huge tourist bus parked in the overflow - and as we walked the beach we saw the tourists - all Asian and doing what they do - taking cad zillion pictures, many of them selfies with the ocean waves crashing behind them.

The sea stacks by James Beach (La Push)

Way out - small islands

Rock beach

Mist beginning to creep back on shore

Way out there - more sea stacks

Using the telephoto lens to see closer

Looking north along the beach

And zoomed in - Hole In The Rock (left of stack)

Walked the beach for a bit and then stopped for a quick lunch, walked some more and I stopped and sat on a driftwood tree while Dave continued on.  Amazing the sights along the beach.  Whole trees laying on their backs, all bark skinned off, some with roots still clinging to it, strewn all along the beach.  Waves crashing, Dave said he saw a harbor seal playing in the surf, lots of tents struck up at the Ellen Creek which was 1.5 miles away from where we entered the beach, just a beautiful day along the water.

Dave heading back from the Hole In The Rock area

When we were packing up to go I noticed the snow covered Olympic Mountains in the distance.  Amazing that the mountains are that close to the ocean.  Stunning.

Olympic Mountains as seen from Rialto Beach