On the road

We gave last hugs and waved goodbye.
We headed north.
Leg two of our Pacific Northwest adventure had begun.

Lovely coastal communities through Oregon and Washington State offered opportunities for coffee and iced drinks. We stopped at the Tourist Information Center when we reached Washington State. It is here we picked up our state map. When we, road trip, I always like stopping at the "I" some states call it the "?". I can learn about the natural history of an area, ask questions and pick up post cards. Long Beach, Washington, was preparing for their annual Kite Festival. I would have enjoyed staying but we had reservations and an afternoon hike planned. The weather was delightful, sunny and cool, so top down driving with the windows up made for pleasant full sky viewing. My hat kept my face shaded.

Our four hour drive was nicely paced, not too fast, not too slow.
We arrived before check-in time so we were able to drive a little into the forest. We began getting a feel for our area. Not very many roads are in the interior of Olympic National Forest. To experience the temperate rain forest we would be hiking.
A glimpse through the trees let us know it would be fine hiking.

We checked into our room, made reservations for dinner and packed the backpack. While we ate our tomato sandwiches, that I had packed from my daughter's house, we planned our afternoon hike. Lake Quinault Lodge is beautiful. The lake is pristine. Across the street is the Mercantile. I had a list of items I was hoping to find while on my trip. I always enjoy a new hat and I wear deerskin moccasins.