Seattle, Olympic National Park, Whistler and Vancouver - a vacation to write about and share with others. Olympic National Park is a vacation in itself. We were glad that we were able to spend 3 days there, but after our visit we realized a week would not have been too long. I had been to Lake Quinault Lodge in the park over 35 years ago and always wanted to return as I could recall the incredible beauty and majesty of the place. The lodge itself is old (built in 1926), rugged and etched with character. The views are breathtaking. There is a large lawn between the lodge and the lake with high backed chairs to sit back and soak up the views or contemplate for a bit. The lake was smooth as glass as we sat and took in its beauty. Don’t miss this incredible location when traveling to the area. We were going to stay at this lodge when we started to plan our trip, but we were persuaded to stay at Kalaloch Lodge instead.

We were not disappointed. Kakaloch Lodge sites on the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean with spectacular views. It is about as far west as you can go in the continental United States with over 60 miles of rugged coastline still developed only by Mother Nature. When you go there, reserve one of the little duplex cabins with ocean views. It is worth the extra money to be right on the ocean cliffs. We enjoyed a great sunset from our cottage picnic table with an even better sunrise the next morning. Ruby Beach, just up the road 20 miles or so, is uniquely spectacular with rock formations jetting our from the ocean called sea stacks. When the tides are low, you can walk out to many of the sea stacks where tides pools create magical homes for tiny sea animals including star fish, hermit crabs, mussels and other marine life. We could have spent the entire day there, but off we went to see the Hoh Rain Forest. Make sure you stop and see the world record Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar and Mountain Hemlock trees along the way. They are a site to behold.

The rain forest was enjoyable, but we caught it on one of the few sunny days of the year. It seemed to me that a rain forest should be enjoyed with a little moisture. It was certainly worth the trip to see green growing on green. After 2 nights at Kalaloch Lodge we left our little gem of a cottage for Port Townsend and the ferry ride to Whidbey Island. The San Juan Islands are another place that you could spend a week or more just relaxing and enjoying the beauty that is so unique to the Northwest. Deception Pass is in itself worth the trip the state of Washington. What an incredible piece of nature that is with the bridge high above the channel and views that look out into the Pacific from one side and into the island filled Straits on the other side. We walked across the bridge (breathtaking and nerve racking) and hiked down to the shore. We soon came to the realization of why they call this area “The Great Northwest” and we still hadn’t even crossed the border to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. It was off to Vancouver and the remarkable ski town of Whistler.

One bit of advice is to try and avoid Vancouver during rush hour. It was a driving challenge that I won’t soon forget as the highway goes right through the middle of the city and they don’t have turn lanes. The drive from Vancouver to Whistler is scenic beyond description with the snow capped mountains, lakes and bays all through that area. We enjoyed Whistler for 2 nights, did the Peak to Peak Gondola with an amazing alpine hike to Blackcomb Lake at the top of Blackcomb Mountain. The next day it was back to Vancouver with a couple stops along the way to see some incredible waterfalls. That night we enjoyed a great dinner at a restaurant called Paulies in Yale Town. The revamped old commercial district of Vancouver has been transformed into streets filled with great restaurants, most of which have outdoor patios. Our dinner and the atmosphere sitting outside was probably our best meal of the trip. Our stay in Vancouver included of course some time in famous Stanley Park and a walk through Gastown. The next morning we enjoyed the day in White Rock, a lovely little sea town south of Vancouver that I’m sure most people that go to Vancouver don’t even know exists. It is definitely worth the time if you can squeeze it in.

We set up this trip so that we could take a “Repositioning Cruise” home from Vancouver to Los Angles and then a short flight back home to Tucson. Repositioning Cruises are only available for about a month in May when the cruise ships are headed to Alaska for the summer season and then again in September when they are heading back to South Florida for the winter season. Check out Dandy Deb’s article called “Repositioning Cruises – A Unique Way to Get Home”.