Trip along the Olympic Coast
Trip along the Olympic Coast

Trip along the Olympic Coast

Olympic National Forest – Hoh Rain Forest

Laura and I took two well-deserved days away from the kids, work, and normal routine of life to visit the Olympic Coast. Having lived in the Seattle area for two years, we have never spent quality time on the Coast. We chose to visit in October because we knew the leaves would be changing colors and, despite the possibility of rain and no visibility, it would be an excellent time to visit.

Also, Autumn finally learned to sleep through the night and have someone else put her to bed besides Mommy. It would be our first time away from Autumn but we were ready. We were thankful that Grandma Karen came up from Oregon to watch her and Ethan.

I won’t go into a lot of details of our visit but will just provide the itinerary and map of our two days.

View from Hurricane Ridge – Olympic National Park

Day 1:

  • Edmonds to Kingston Ferry at 8am
  • Quick stop for coffee in Port Gamble (must return to visit this beautiful area)
  • Stopped in at the Olympic National Park Visitor in Port Angeles before heading up to Hurricane Ridge
  • Spent some quality time on Hurricane Ridge where we had awesome views!
  • Took a windy road through the Makah Tribe to get to Cape Flattery
  • Enjoyed all the views of Cape Flattery (most northern point in the continental US)
  • Drove to LaPush where we stayed in a Cabin at the Oceanside Resort on the Quileute Tribe Reservation.
  • We were invited to attend the weekly drum and singing gathering held each Wednesday at the community center. We stopped in for about an hour where we enjoyed learning more about the Quileute.

Views near our cabin on the Quileute Tribal Nation in La Push, WA

Day 2:

  • Woke up to a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. We walked along the beach before heading to the local restaurant for breakfast.
  • Drove to the Hoh Rain Forest on the west side of Olympic National Park (about an hour south of Forks).
  • We walked along the main trail and the Hall of Mosses. This is definitely one of the most beautiful forests we’ve ever visited, especially this time of year!
  • After enjoying a nice lunch in the back of the Subaru, we made our way East.
  • Took the 6pm Kingston to Edmonds Ferry.
  • Stopped at Gyro Delight in Lynnwood for a tasty dinner before heading home.
Visiting the Olympic Coast in October is a spectacular time to visit. We thoroughly enjoyed all the sites we visited and, next time, will bring the kids in tow.