Hoh Rain Forest (Washington)
While crossing both Oregon and Washington, we had multiple choices of routes. Having already drove across Oregon from West to East, we decided to drive on a Northwest axis to discover new landscapes on our way to Olympic National Park, the Northwest tip of the lower 48 states. Of course, the fact that Mount Rainer was sitting right on our path had a lot to do with our decision! After an overnight stay in Yakima, we had (yet again) a perfect day to enjoy the views of Mount Rainier National Park the next day. What a beauty! The glaciers on this mountain are spectacular.
We made it to the Hoh Rain Forest by the end of the afternoon, anxious to find an available campsite. This was a place we really wanted to visit, and staying in the adjacent campground made it easier. It was right next to the Hoh River and it was a fun place to walk around.
The site we chose was buried in the vegetation and I really felt like I was in the Jungle Book movie. The ferns were as tall as I am and the trees as wide as our tent!
Perfect night around the fire!
The Hoh Rain Forest is a magical place that everyone should visit while in Washington. There was a mystical vibe in the forest. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. It’s hard to describe and I feel like in this case, pictures are worth a thousand words…
This area is called the “Hall of Mosses” and it was the highlight of our hike in the Hoh Rain Forest.
There was a remote area to have lunch before continuing along the Pacific coast. And we sure took advantage of it!
The drive along the coast was magnificent. We stopped at Ruby Beach for a long afternoon walk under an overcast sky that cleared up as the day went on. Yes, the water was brutally cold!
Typical Pacific Northwest landscape. The rock formations were standing like giants on the shore. I found it interesting how the vegetation is able to survive on top of the rocks.
Happy moments!
There was nothing else to do than to enjoy the moment and soak in the beauty of this place. A place I knew nothing about until the very few days before our departures. For someone with “planning OCD”, it was such an exciting feeling… to just wander around without really knowing where to go or what to do next. We took one day at a time, something we rarely do because of time constraints. After walking up and down the beach, we made our way back to Portland for a few days, stopping on our way for a night in Cannon Beach to chase the seagulls at sunset.
