9/3/15 Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

The drive across the entire state of Washington to the Pacific coast  takes us about eight hours with stops and was appreciably uneventful. The storm the day before brought well needed rain which helped slow down the fires and clear the air a bit.  Grayland Beach Campground is very nice and peaceful with large private sites against the dunes which block the ocean view but not the sound of the waves. A few minute walk over the dunes we see an angry looking ocean after yesterday’s 90 mile an hour winds which knocked out power to the campground.  Not much to see around here so for two days we relax around the foggy, damp beach and pray for a clear sunny day which we have rarely seen since hitting the smoke filled Rockies in Montana two weeks ago.  We meet fellow full-timer campers who for four years have worked as camp hosts all over the country.  Sometimes working in the camp store, overseeing camper check in, managing campers “issues”, cleaning restrooms and cabins, etc.  We realize this is not for us although we may want to volunteer for some fun jobs if we stay in a place for a while.  Blackberry bushes cover the dune behind our site and we enjoy them for many breakfasts to come.

Kalaloch Roadside Campsite

It's only a two hour scenic drive up the coast to Olympic National Park and Kalaloch Campground where tree damage from Saturday's storm is apparent.  We arrive to find it had been evacuated three days ago in the height of the storm due to road closures and downed trees. Deb just read The Celestine Prophecy which espouses ‘there are no coincidences’.  If Kalaloch had space when making reservations two weeks ago we would have arrived the day after the storm to closed roads and a closed campground.  Instead we had two relaxing days at Grayland Beach!  Few sites are large enough for our rig in this ocean front, thick rain forest and the only one available (they think, no power to check reservations) is literally just pulling to the side of one of the camp roads.  With our parlor slide extended into the road, another rig can barely get by.  We affix an orange noodle (pool float) along the edge of the slide to improve visibility and leave the outside light on at night as there are no lights in the campground (even when there is power – we like this).  Not very busy since the storm damage caused many people to cancel.  While exploring we see that some of the fabulous ocean view sites are big enough for us on the D loop - next visit!   Nights are in the mid 40's and days in the 70's, very nice.

Bones of the Rain Forest - Kalaloch Campground

We take long walks on the beach, picking up sand dollars and driftwood for the guest bathroom mirror frame Deb is going to decorate from beach treasures she has been collecting on this trip. Massive cypress logs, called ‘the bones of the rain forest’ line the beach making it a little difficult to initially get on to the sand.  Seven miles north is spectacular Ruby Beach where we spend hours among the massive rock formations.  We head East up to the Hoh Rain Forest for a "drippy" nature walk where 20 feet of rain annually is normal. 

Walking among 300 foot tall, 800+ year old Sitka Spruce and Hemlock is amazing.  Tired of all the driving we do, we choose not to explore the whole peninsula, saving the northern section for another visit, and enjoy long walks and reading on the beach IN THE SUN FINALLY. Thank you Zoe for telling us about this campground.!