Olympic National Park – The Coast

There are three distinct parts of Olympic National Park: the coast, the rainforest and the mountains. The first part that we visited in August 2012 was the coast. We flew into the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and drove directly to Forks on the Olympic Peninsula. It was about a four-hour drive.

Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach

Our first stop along the way was Ruby Beach. It was the first time we could really stretch our legs and get a break from the continuous, evergreen-lined highway scenery. It’s only a quarter mile hike down to a beautiful beach to see large sea stacks standing in the water. It was an overcast day and a little bit of drizzle, but it didn’t deter us from hiking around. The high tide seemed to be coming back in when we arrived so there were no tide pools. Unfortunately there was a dead sea otter on the beach, and even more unfortunate, the only one I would get to see on the entire trip. Nonetheless, it was very cool to look at him up close. We climbed around on the logs and rocks before heading on to our final destination of Forks.

The poor sea otter... at least he looks peaceful

The poor sea otter… at least he looks peaceful

Ruby Beach shoreline

Ruby Beach shoreline

Our second day we continued up the coast to reach Cape Flattery, the most northwesterly tip of the continental United States. From Forks it was a pretty drive on 101 to 113 to the scenic 112 Juan de Fuca Byway. There are great views along the way of the strait and you can see all the way to Canada. We pulled over at a roadside pull off near Sekiu to hike along one of the little beaches.

Welcome to Sekiu

Welcome to Sekiu

To get to Cape Flattery you enter the Makah Indian Reservation and need to get a recreational use permit to be on their land. You can either stop at the Makah Tribal Center, which I highly recommend NOT doing as that was by far the rudest man we met on the trip and they had no permits, and heading straight to the general store on the left hand side for a permit. It was a $10 registration fee in 2012. You’ll also pass the Neah Bay United States Coast Guard on the right, which is cool to see. I’ve never been to Alaska, but I picture it looking just like that with the hills, the bay and little fishing boats.

Neah Bay harbor

Neah Bay harbor

The road ends at Cape Flattery and it’s a .75 mile hike to the point. Along the trail there are four lookout points to stop at that offer amazing, colorful views of sea caves and wildlife.

Cape Flattery coastline

Cape Flattery coastline

To stand at the most northwestern point of the continental United States is an extremely weird feeling. To know you are at where the United States ends or begins (glass half empty or full?) makes you feel like you’ve accomplished some feat not many people get to experience. In the distance was Tatoosh Island and on another small, rocky island was a hoard of barking sea lions. It was well worth the hike and the registration fee.

The most northwestern tip of the continental US

The most northwestern tip of the continental US

From Cape Flattery we headed to Cape Alava in Ozette, the most western point of the continental United States. It’s a 3.1-mile hike along a wooded boardwalk from Lake Ozette. I highly recommend not getting there as the sun is on its way down as a 3.1-mile hike does take some time! Tide was so far out when we arrived at the Cape there wasn’t a lot to see and it stunk to high heavens of sulfur and rotten eggs. There wasn’t anything of interest in the tide pools, just kelp, seaweed and lots of flies. Maybe I caught Cape Alava on a bad day, but I have no desire to return. On the hike back about a mile out I thought I heard a woodpecker, then it sounded like a deep guttural growl and Blake and I got the hell out of there as fast as we could. Near the parking lot we saw a little boy and his dad who had hiked the three miles to Sand Point and saw lots of sea otters. I wish we had gone that route instead. However, I am glad to say I conquered the most western point of the United States.

Cape Alava - most western point of the continental US

Cape Alava – most western point of the continental US

Cape Alava trail through the woods

Cape Alava trail through the woods

On our third day we tried to find Rialto Beach and ended up at First Beach in La Push for sunset. Absolutely gorgeous at sunset. You can sit on the beach and take in the waves and surrounding views of the evergreen dotted hillsides or sit on the rocks with the rest of the photographers and try to capture the perfect sunset photo.

First Beach

First Beach

Beautiful sunset at First Beach

Beautiful sunset at First Beach

This was a perfect ending to our Olympic National Park coastal experience.

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Colette’s Bed and Breakfast

Colette's sign

Ah, Colette’s. This B&B will always hold a special place in my heart.

Located in Port Angeles, WA, Colette’s Bed and Breakfast is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the base of the Olympic National Park mountain range. It is truly gorgeous. To add to the beauty of it all are the amazing gardens weaving themselves around the property. The gardens were even featured in an issue of Fine Gardening magazine.

In August 2012, when we pulled into the property we found it entirely gated off to keep the deer out of the gardens. When we left the property four days later, the deer were actually lined up at the gate trying to get in. Lesson here is, keep the gate closed.

Can we come in?

Can we come in?

There are few places that I have been that have actually reduced me to tears upon arrival, but this was one of them. The view of the ocean, the gardens and the beautiful room was more than I could handle.

Beautiful grounds

Beautiful grounds

Carrie, a staff person, greeted us when we walked into the Great Room, which has huge, 40-foot windows that overlook the grounds, the ocean and the San Juan Islands in the distance. There are couches to relax in, movies to pick from and lots of books and brochures to read about the area. There is also the dining room where breakfast is served in the morning along with a cocktail and appetizer hour in the evening.

Great room and dining room

Great room and dining room

We stayed in the Azalea Suite, which had a great view of the ocean from the bed and a cozy little fireplace in the corner. There was also a nice bathroom with a big Jacuzzi tub for relaxing. (From the pictures on the website, they have changed their furniture at some point, whether before we got there or sometime since.)

Azalea Suite

Azalea Suite

View outside the Azalea Room

View outside the Azalea Room

Dae and Cliff run the B&B and they are truly sweet people who do a very nice job. They are there in the evening to serve wine and appetizers and help book dinner reservations and make recommendations. They serve a stellar breakfast in the morning and interact with guests. They are friendly people who love the area and are willing to help.

In fact, little to my knowledge, Dae had been in cahoots with Blake before our arrival to step up a perfect place for a proposal. She went out of her way to set up a private bench with a view of the ocean and completely decorated in ivy, daisies, yellow roses and blankets. Complete with a champagne bucket and glasses propped into the fence. (Hence now why Colette’s holds a special place in my heart.) They were excited for us, the other guests were excited to hear the news and it was a great experience. Dae and Cliff even took all the flowers afterwards while we were at dinner and put them leading up to our room door and around our room. In the morning, Dae went the extra mile and made heart-shaped biscuits to celebrate.

The Engagement Bench

The Engagement Bench

Breakfasts here were great. Our first morning we started with a poached pear, followed by a potato strata with squash in it and apple chicken sausage. To finish we had a fig with cheese inside.

Fig with cheese inside

Fig with cheese inside

Our second breakfast was a starter of orange slices , blueberries and some nuts, followed by smoked salmon on polenta with the heart-shaped cheese biscuits. We then finished with homemade mint ice cream because Dae said, “Why not have ice cream for breakfast?”

Smoked salmon on polenta with heart-shaped biscuits

Smoked salmon on polenta with heart-shaped biscuits

Our third breakfast consisted of starting with bananas, blueberries and raspberries followed by apple chicken sausage with a spinach quiche made with custard to make it fluffier. To finish we had a peach with crumble on top.

Spinach quiche and chicken sausage

Spinach quiche and chicken sausage

We ate at two good places for dinner during our stay there. The first was Sabai Thai in Port Angeles. It was delicious! Blake had garlic with beef and broccoli and I had Thai fried rice with beef. For dessert we shared coconut ice cream. The second place we ate at was the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim to celebrate our engagement. Blake had the meatloaf and mashed potatoes and I had the planked salmon. To finish with dessert we shared their chocolate flourless brownie dessert and ice cream. It too was really good food.

Mmm flourless chocolate brownie

Mmm flourless chocolate brownie

For activities in the area, we enjoyed visiting the lavender farms, especially Purple Haze where you can U-pick your own lavender, which I thought was a fantastic experience. Certainly don’t have that back in Illinois or Michigan. Purple Haze has a gift shop on site and also a larger one in the town of Sequim.

U-pick lavender farm!

U-pick lavender farm!

We also visited the Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the nation. It’s a five-mile hike out to the end of it, which I wish we could have done but were short on time. It was a really beautiful area with sea birds and sea lions. If you want a full list of animals you could possibly see there, visit here.

Dungeness Spit

Dungeness Spit

We also spent one day visiting Olympic National Park, which I will include our visit in another entry.

Our visit at Colette’s was sincerely enjoyable and relaxing. We even met Sharon the gardener who has been on the property since 2001 and designed and installed the whole garden. We thank Dae and Cliff for a wonderful stay and a memorable experience!

Me, Dae and Cliff

Cliff, me and Dae

Me and Sharon

Sharon and me

Colette’s Bed and Breakfast
339 Finn Hall Road
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 877-457-9777
Website: http://www.colettes.com

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Quillayute River Resort


Quillayute sign

Quillayute is listed in Trip Advisor under B&Bs and Inns in Forks, WA, and I wouldn’t quite consider this a B&B or an inn, but we really enjoyed our stay here in August 2012. (It is ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for Forks!)

Looking  down to all the Quillayute suites

Looking down to all the Quillayute suites

There are five suites on the property that consist of an outdoor patio with two chairs and a grill, a kitchen, a sitting area with a fireplace, a bedroom and a bathroom. Since they don’t serve breakfast, Blake and I went into town to the local grocery store and picked up food for our next three days. We made dinner every night and drank wine, had cereal in the morning, and packed our lunch every day to take with us on our adventures. The kitchens are fully stocked with the appliances and tools that you would need to cook a meal. And while we had never cooked our own meals on vacation before, it was delightful!

Nice little kitchen with everything you need.

Nice little kitchen with everything you need.

The resort sits on the Quillayute River as the name suggests and is beautiful. In the morning we’d sit outside in our pajamas and watch bald eagles fly around and the local Native Americans fishing in the river for salmon. They also have a trail on the property so you can walk along the river. We found the tree swing and had a go at it. They also have beautiful gardens just outside the rooms. There was the occasional banana slug slinking along too.

View from the kitchen window

View from the kitchen window

Trail path on the property

Trail path on the property

Nearby are some famous beaches of Olympic National Park. We were also able to drive to the Hoh Rainforest, and Cape Flattery, the northwestern point of the continental United States.

Most northwestern point of the continental US

Most northwestern point of the continental US

We had an excellent and relaxing time at Quillayute and would definitely return again if we ever found ourselves in the area. I get the feeling it books fast, so I would recommend booking far in advance, especially in the summer.

Catching salmon on the Quillayute

Catching salmon on the Quillayute

Bald eagle in nearby trees

Bald eagle in nearby trees

Quillayute River Resort
473 Mora Rd.
Forks, WA 98331
Phone: 360.374.7447
Website: http://qriverresort.com/  (They have a river cam that is cool.)

Quillayute River Resort

Quillayute River Resort

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Sleeping Bulldog Bed and Breakfast

Blake and I stayed at the Sleeping Bulldog in August 2012 during our trip to Washington. The Sleeping Bulldog is located in the Jackson Place neighborhood of Seattle, WA.

The Sleeping Bulldog

We drove into Seattle from Port Angeles. While we could have loaded our car on to a ferry and gone that way; I instead navigated us into the city without taking a ferry and found the B&B. Sleeping Bulldog is located up on a hill, as most things seem to be in Seattle, and there was adequate parking in front for us. If you have issues with stairs, this is not the place to stay, as you have to hike up quite a few stairs just to get to the front door.

Randall, one of the two owners, greeted us at the front door. He gave us a tour of the house and made us feel quite welcome. There is a computer to use if you need to check your email on the first floor. Upstairs there is a closet full of DVDs you can borrow to watch in your room and popcorn for a snack. You can also make tea when you want.

New Orleans Room

We stayed in the New Orleans room, which faces the front of the house and is, I believe, the largest room. It has a wonderful skyline view of Seattle and a little deck that we sat out on one night and watched the sun set over the sound and the mountains. The room has a king-sized bed with Comphy Co. sheets (my favorite), a fireplace and a little sitting area. The bathroom has a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower.

New Orleans sitting area

New Orleans bathroom

Breakfast was a big affair with lots of food. I would say this is where my biggest criticism would be of Sleeping Bulldog. I like when B&B owners announce what they are serving as they present it to you. That way you know what you are eating and aren’t guessing. While their food was good, I just like to know exactly what it is. The other thing is that I think Korby and Randal needed to find a balance in what they were serving. They served a lot of food at breakfast and some of it was overly sweet compared to the other things. Perhaps in the two years since we have been there they have found that perfect balance.

Our first morning we were served a poached pear, a slice of chocolate poundcake, a big piece of sausage and then two slices of a spinach quiche. I also had a blueberry smoothie. The second morning we started with some sort of bakery good similar to a spice cake, a fruit parfait consisting of cream, nuts and a very sweet red fruit, and then an egg bake with sausage, fresh eggs from their chickens and cheese, tomatoes and spices.

For dinner options in the area, we walked a mile and a half to Piecora’s in the Capitol Hill district, which closed in April 2014. It was good pizza and it is sad to hear that they retired. However on 12th Avenue on the way back to the B&B there were a lot of cool restaurants and bars. The second night we went to Cheeky Café close to the B&B. We thought the food was pretty good. They had a little something for everyone.

If you don’t mind walking Seattle, Sleeping Bulldog is a good option. It’s far enough out of the city center that it’s quiet at night, but close enough for a good hike into town to see all the sites. (There are also buses in the area.) If we venture back to Seattle, and I hope that we do since it was what I had always been looking for — a city with mountains AND water, we’ll highly consider staying at the Sleeping Bulldog.

View at night from our room's deck

Sleeping Bulldog Bed and Breakfast
816 19th Ave. South
Seattle, WA 98144
Phone: 206.325.0202
Website: http://www.sleepingbulldog.com

Minnie and Mojo - the Sleeping Bulldogs

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TouVelle House Bed and Breakfast

The TouVelle House

In June 2011, we had the pleasure of staying at the TouVelle House Bed and Breakfast. TouVelle is located in Jacksonville, OR, which is a quaint little town in southern Oregon that, with the help of its storefronts, looks like it is out of an old western movie. This is due in part to there being over 100 buildings in town from the gold rush era that are now on the National Register of Historic Places, and the town itself has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

In downtown Jacksonville

Upon arrival to what we thought was the B&B, we knocked on the wrong door. We were knocking on the house next door, which belonged to the hosts Gary and Tim Balfour. (Since our time there, ownership has switched to Shawn and Jamie Kerr in January 2014, with Gary and Tim helping them on the side.) We had called in advance asking Gary if we could check in three and half hours early, and he was kind of enough to let us come.

Once I entered the house, the only thing I could notice was how magnificently clean it smelled. The inn is a 3-story Craftsman style home that has beautiful, shiny woodwork. On the living room table was even a photo book that Tim and Gary had put together documenting all of the work they had put into the house. It was fascinating.

TouVelle living room

We stayed on the third floor of the house in the Crater Lake room. Ironically we stayed in this room after having been to Crater Lake days before and not being able to see it due to fog and snow. The furniture in the room is Mission style and the walls are adorned with Crater Lake mementos. The window looks out to the front of the house into the large oak tree giving you the feeling of being in a tree house. The bathroom was nice and looked out over the solar heated pool, but due to the eaves, the shower was a tad short for Blake’s height (6 feet). The queen-sized bed has luxurious linens and lots of down so you sink right into heaven for a good night’s rest.

Crater Lake Room

View out of the Crater Lake Room

We were able to poke our head into many of the other rooms (they have six) and if I had my choice again I may look into staying in the Elizabeth TouVelle room because of the rain showerhead and the space. The Judge’s Chamber room is located on the first floor if mobility issues are a problem.  The Adirondack Suite, also on the third floor, I found a little tight and only had a bathtub. (I love me a bath, but it’s not for everyone.) There are also mini fridges on every level for guests to use, and cookies are served during the day.

The B&B had a pool in back with a sauna and had a sprawling lawn and garden in front with a few lawn games and plenty of sitting areas. It was quite lovely. They are only located a few blocks from town, which makes for a quick walk to get dinner or do a little shopping.

Pool in the back

Beautiful gardens out front

Up the road are a few wineries that we stopped at. We went to John Michael Champagne Cellars off Humbug Creek Rd., which I thought had lovely wines and great views of the vineyards and mountains.

View from John Michael Champagne Cellars

And we also went to LongSword Winery, which was awesome. The food was reasonably priced at $5 and we sat and watched paragliders and hang gliders land only a few feet away. After having just been in the Napa Valley area, I found the Applegate Valley Wine Trail region to be much more relaxed and cheaper.  Tasting fees are only $5.

Paraglider landing at LongSword

A good afternoon

Up a road closer to the B&B is the Jacksonville Cemetery. A tad spooky at dusk, for sure, but it is definitely worth a visit. Some of the headstones date back to the 1850s and were separated into sections depending on who you were. It was lovely with all the large trees and easy to walk around. We also saw deer on our way up the road.

Views from the cemetery at sunset

Ok, a little creepy...

But most importantly, was the breakfast during our stay. We only stayed one night because we were flying out of Medford the next morning, and therefore only enjoyed one breakfast. It consisted of banana bread, strawberries in plain yogurt and a broccoli and cheese soufflé with fingerling potatoes. It was all very tasty. But if you didn’t want to eat that, you could have told Gary and he would have allowed you to pick something else. I like that flexibility in some B&B owners.

Souffle and potatoes

Our stay there was short but very enjoyable. If I ever find myself back in that area again, and I hope I do as I need to see Crater Lake in all its glory, I would highly consider staying at TouVelle. If you are flying out of the Medford Airport and looking for other options other than an airport hotel, I would also highly recommend TouVelle as the airport is only eight miles away.

TouVelle House Bed and Breakfast
455 North Oregon Street, PO Box 1891
Jacksonville, OR 97530, USA
Phone:  541-899-8938
Website: http://www.touvellehouse.com

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Redwood National Park



Entering the park and seeing the trees


First hike of the day - tad chilly out!


How can a tree be so big??


Redwood that had been hit by lightning

Redwood splinters


Big Tree


Roosevelt Elk in the distance


At the Ladybird Johnson Grove

Inside a tree


Sun filtering through the trees


Tour Thru Tree

See - we did it! Barely...


Paul Bunyan



Pacific Coast sunset

Sun down - rays still shooting up

Made it back up in the dark!



Our Redwood Facials


Mother Nature at her best

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Flinders Chase National Park


Cape du Couedic lighthouse


Vast views from Flinders Chase and a fur seal colony


A happy fur seal


Hard to get Admirals Arch all in one picture

A few seals under Admirals Arch


Road to Remarkable Rocks


The famous Pinterest road


The Remarkable Rocks

The rocks were immense.

The rocks were distorted into all sorts of shapes.


As close as I got!


Mary's Remarkable Rocks picnic

Morning tea at the rocks




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Southern Ocean Lodge: The Tours





450 million year old boulders


Notice the flies on the back of the guy's shirt


Grassdale house


Nature is amazing


We like to call him the Beast

A female kangaroo


Annoying flies



Champagne and Roos


Mom and Joey


Kangaroo Island plant


Mom and baby Koala - baby's head is on the right


Kangaroo Island goose




Australian Sea Lion sleeping in the dunes


Sea lion mom and her pup

Seal yoga

Sea lions battling




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Southern Ocean Lodge: The Spa

View of the SOL Spa from the cliff top walk






SOL spa lounge


SOL spa treatment room with rain shower



A remarkable man 🙂

All relaxed and done with the spa!


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Southern Ocean Lodge: The Food

SOL Dining Room




Freshwater marron tail

Lodge-made waffle cones and ice cream


Colorful salads


Heirloom tomato salad with flowers


R&B Malibu courtesy of Sally



The view from dinner at SOL

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