We Have Arrived

Hi all. Sorry this took so long but we arrived back in Fairbanks late Monday night. What an amazing journey we will remember always:)

Day 28 7am Forks WA

Morning y'all.  Just a quick update before we head out on our last day.  It is a foggy morning here in Forks, kinda cool and what you'd expect from Twilight:)  We are up around Olympic National Park.  Went in at Quinault yesterday.  Saw Washington State's biggest tree, a cedar at 19.5' diameter...not too shabby.  Also hiked a couple of trails through the rainforest.  Saw lots of banana slugs which the boys just loved.  They were all slug slimed from holding them!!

Ran short on time last night to make it to Sol Duc Hotsprings so that is how we are starting our day today.  Going to drive over and soak this morning then it's off to Seattle with a short stop in Port Angeles.  Maybe take a ferry over if we have time but not sure at this point.  Will be a short and busy day.

Our flight back to Fairbanks is this evening:(  If only we had just one more day..,but isn't that how it always goes....

Day 27 Aberdeen WA

"There is nothing like the feel of walking on sand..."  - me, today

We had a wonderful stay at Rock Away Beach Oregon.  We were in a motel right on the beach, thanks for the tip Howard!  We walked the beach last night and watched an awesome sunset and then again walked the beach this morning / today for a good bit.  Beachcombing, running, splashing, laughing...it was one of those moments...you know?

Left the beach around 2pm and drove north, over the bridge in Astoria to Washington.  Stopped for Oysters in the Oyster Capital of the World ~ South Bend, OR...we tried 'em but I think we all bout puked...ha!!  I guess it's an acquired taste?  Thanks for the tip anyway Charlie...

We are now hunkered down in a nice hotel in Aberdeen, WA.  All the amenities including pool, spa, excercise room, laundry(what I'm doing...with shampoo no less:), and continental breakfast in the morning.  Nice place!

Tomorrow we head further north to Olympic National Park - Quinault Rainforest Trail, Sol Duc Hotsprings, Forks (ie Twilight Fame), Neah Bay...last full day on the road before we fly back  Monday:(

Mom and Dad made it back to Indiana Friday afternoon and sounded happy to be home.  Dad said he was ready to relax in his recliner after driving 5,000+ miles, I guess you can't argue with that!!

Day 27 Pics Rock Away Beach

Day 26 Pics

Day 25, 8am Florence, OR

Yesterday we spent the day in Crater Lake National Park.  It is a beautiful little spot in interior Oregon.  We hiked down the trail to Cleetwood Cove which is a steep 1.1 mile down and a 700ft., 1.1 mile climb back up.  We got to the bottom and had a picnic lunch and then, although we neglected to bring or wear swimsuits, all jumped in the cool lake water.  It is amazingly clear water, with no intakes or tributaries,  is considered the purest large body of water in all the world (according to the park service).  Almost 2000 ft. deep and 5 mi by 6 mi across is sits in a caldera with sides ranging from 7-8,000 ft.  Water evaporates from the lake and is replaced by snowmelt and a small amount seeps out the bottom, other than that, the natural water of Crater Lake is isolated from pollutants.  It is the deepest lake in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rd deepest lake in the world.  I thought of you Pat, as I swam in that water, you would love it!!

There were also some cliffs down by the water and the daredevil in Jake came out and he jumped!!  No chance of hitting bottom there, right?  I jumped too...and almost blew my eardrums out...needless to say, I did not do it twice:)

We left the park around 6pm and drove back to the coast.  We are in Florence, OR now, just north of the Oregon Dunes and just south of the Sea Lion Caves. 

We will be traveling up to Rock Away Beach where we have a room reserved on the beach.  I am excited to get down to the water again.

Day 24 Pics (2)