“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
— John Muir
My niece is visiting from Israel, and her top sightseeing priorities are some of the American national parks. So we took a two-day, 500-mile road trip circumnavigating Olympic National Park in Washington State. You can get to different parts of the park from inroads along Hwy 101, and our destinations offered extraordinary natural diversity, from mountains, to rain forests, to ocean beaches.
Our first stop was Hurricane Ridge high in the Olympic Mountains. But first we crossed the Sound in a ferry, and then drove through some pretty amazing scenery just to get to the winding road that would take us from sea level to nearly a mile in elevation at Hurricane Ridge.

“I see the wild flowers, in their/summer morn/Of beauty, feeding on joy’s/luscious hours.” — John Clare, from “Summer Images”
The view from Hurricane Ridge is awesome, with majestic, snow-capped peaks as far as the eye could see. We ate a picnic breakfast amidst some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere, joined by a curious (and smart, crumb-seeking) bird. The meadows at the top were beginning to emerge from snowfields, and they were covered with tiny yellow flowers.
My next post will be a continuation of our road trip. . . stay tuned!
My Annual Hike at Ebey’s Landing
August 24, 2012
When I have company from out-of-town, I like to take them to Ebey’s Landing, one of my favorite hikes on Whidbey Island. This loop trail provides a perfect slice of Pacific Northwest life — a ferry ride to get there, expansive views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, bucolic rural scenery, and a beach walk. It’s not too strenuous, and a breeze keeps you cool even on a hot, sunny summer day.
We experienced a special treat on this most recent hike — a plein air artist was working on a landscape in oil pastels. I always love to see artists at work.
Olympic Mountains: Looking Just Like They Should
November 27, 2011
Betty MacDonald, in The Egg and I, gives some of the best descriptions of the Olympic Mountains, which frame our view to the West:
“These Olympics have none of the soft curves and girlish plumpness of Eastern mountains. They are goddesses, full-breasted, broad-hipped, towering and untouchable. They are also complacent in the knowledge that they look just as mountains should.”
“I’d rush outdoors just as the first little rivulets of pale pink began creeping shyly over the mountains. These became bolder and brighter until the colors were leaping and cascading down the mountains and pouring into the pond at the foot of the orchard. Faster and faster they came until there was a terrific explosion of color and the sun stood on top of the mountains laughing at us. The mountains, embarrassed at having been caught in their night dresses rosy with sleep, would settle back with more than their accustomed hauteur, profiles cold and white against the blue horizon.”
Exploring Seattle On Foot: Long Walk # 2
July 1, 2011
“I have never found a city without its walkers’ rewards.”
— John Finley, “Traveling Afoot”
I so enjoyed my first long urban hike across the I-90 floating bridge (see yesterday’s post), that I’ve planned several more.
I set out on my second long walk, a journey of 8-1/2 miles, from my home to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. I hiked 3-1/2 hours, including stops for photos and coffee and a picnic breakfast, along a route with scenic trails. Here are some highlights:

First stop: the Woodland Park Rose Garden at 50th & Fremont Ave N (unfortunately, the gates did not open until 7 a.m.)

Waiting for the Interurban sculpture at Fremont & N 34th Streets. It's a Seattle tradition to decorate these statues.
Breakfast at the Bay Cafe
December 30, 2010
One of my husband’s and my favorite breakfast places in Seattle is the Bay Cafe in Fishermen’s Terminal. We both woke up early this morning and decided to treat ourselves to breakfast. The crescent moon shown brightly in the clear dawn. The Olympic Mountains glowed white on the horizon. Few people were stirring. Our table at the Bay Cafe overlooked the moorage full of commercial fishing boats. It’s always fun to be by the water.
Seattle on a Sunny Mid-December Day
December 18, 2010
Yesterday was one of those clear, sunny, cold winter days that make me appreciate living in Seattle. All of the heavy rains of recent days meant lots of snow in the mountains, and their snowy white peaks were finally visible in all their glory. Looking to the east, we see the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade range. Looking west, we see the Olympic mountains. Unbeatable scenery.
I took advantage of the sun to walk through my neighborhood. Here are some photos of the mid-December landscape. I can’t identify all of the plants, unfortunately.
Seattle Day Trip: Hoh Rain Forest
November 13, 2010
On my day-off work this week, my husband and I took a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit the Hoh Rain Forest, a temperate rain forest in our state that averages over 12 feet of rain per year! We caught the Edmonds-Kingston ferry across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula. It hadn’t started raining yet.
As we drove Hwy 101 north and west, we left any sun breaks and saw low-lying clouds caught in the trees on the mountain slopes. By the time we reached Lake Crescent, it was raining. From then on, our windshield wipers got a real workout.
It was still raining when we arrived at the Hoh Rainforest. We hiked the Hall of Mosses trail, a 3/4 mile easy loop, where we were surrounded by immense trees, ferns, mosses and lichens.
Some of the prettiest scenery on our drive was the section of Hwy 101 along Lake Crescent. This was a trip where the journey was as satisfying as the destination.
Hiking at Ebey’s Landing
August 19, 2010
One of my favorite places to hike is Ebey’s Landing on Whidbey Island. I try to go at least once a year. It’s a lovely hike on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. I walk back to the trail head along the driftwood-strewn beach.
When Gray Is Enough
February 8, 2010
Mind Wanting More
by Holly Hughes
Only a beige slat of sun
above the horizon, like a shade pulled
not quite down. Otherwise,
clouds. Sea rippled here and
there. Birds reluctant to fly.
The mind wants a shaft of sun to
stir the grey porridge of clouds,
an osprey to stitch the sea to sky
with its barred wings, some dramatic
music: a symphony, perhaps
a Chinese gong.
But the mind always
wants more than it has —
one more bright day of sun,
one more clear night in bed
with the moon; one more hour
to get the words right; one
more chance for the heart in hiding
to emerge from its thicket
in dried grasses — as if this quiet day
with its tentative light weren’t enough,
as if joy weren’t strewn all around.
This poem really speaks to me, especially during these gray days of winter when the doldrums lurk. My husband and I met at Olympic Sculpture Park on Saturday evening for the 5:19 p.m. sunset. We didn’t witness any brilliant pinks, oranges, or purples, but the soft slat of golden sky between the clouds was enough.