South Beach--Washington This Time! August 3, 2008

Well, we left the casino and headed further into Washington. We stopped at Lake Quinault to get information from the ranger station. It was a combination station with information about Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. The ranger recommended we drive around Lake Quinault to see the waterfalls and walk some short trails. We thought that was a good idea so we unhooked the car, left the rv parked at the ranger station and drove the 20+ miles around the lake.

The area is part of the Quinault Rainforest. We enjoyed the drive and stopped to view the waterfalls. The first one was taller than the second. If we hadn't had the map from the ranger, we would have missed this one!

Not only was the top gorgeous, so was the bottom!
We left the first after a short photo session and drove to find the second falls. It didn't have the straight fall like the first, but it was still beautiful. Right before we saw the second waterfall we found a sign for Olympic National Park.
As we continued around the lake we found out why we needed to unhook the car--the road narrowed to one lane and was gravel for about 6 miles on the north side of the lake.

Also on the north side of the lake was another ranger station. We stopped and walked the trails at this station. One led to an old homestead which the park hopes to redo.The homestead was sold to the park in the 5os. There is a sliding glass door and ugly shag carpet. In the field next to the barn was an old moving van which probably won't make any more moves. The other led through to the Mossy Trail. In this portion of the rain forest, club moss grows on the big maples. The moss grows everywhere on the trees and it hangs down like drapes from the limbs. When it is first growing it is a bright green, but as it ages it turns a yellowish green. True to the rainforest, the tree was supporting other life as well.
From the lake drive we returned to the first ranger station and walked next door to Quinault Lodge. It was built in the early 1900s. The first lodge burned and was soon rebuilt.
There was a newspaper clipping showing the lodge in its early days.
This is the back lawn today.
This ornate ruler measures the water when it overflows the banks of the lake.
After touring the lodge we hooked the car back to the rv and headed for South Beach Campground in Olympic National Park. We had our first sunset in quite a while--it was not big and it was too chilly to go out for a toast!