Kariann HaskellIts important to note this was the first trip Ronny and I took together. The tickets were cheap enough and I was ready to explore.
We flew out of SLC in the evening via Alaska Airlines. We arrived in Seattle around 9pm. After receiving our rental car, headed into Downtown Seattle for our first night. We stayed at Hotel Seattle, Seneca St. *Update, Hotel Seattle is permanently closed. This hotel was cheap, and the room showed. It was very dated and weathered. But it was cheap and we drank enough wine to forget. There were also no restaurants nearby that were open past nine, so our dinner for the night was pizza delivery.
Our day started the next morning and explored the standard list of things to see when you drop into Seattle. Pikes, Space Needle, Dispensary!
This was before marijuana was super accessible in Washington, so we spent half the morning looking for a dispensary. More of an excuse to make Ronny walk around the city with me as I take images, but we never did find one.
The Crab Pot, showcasing fresh fish and chips and beer, was our choice for dinner. Getting to be by the water, beer, fish and chips, we loved this place and atmosphere.
The next day we headed out to the coast, weaving our way through Port Angeles, stopping at beaches along the way to investigate tide pools and bother some crabs.
Cape Flattery Trail was our destination for the afternoon. We took the next few hours hiking the various trails and feasted our eyes upon different landscapes between the branches of the evergreens.
That evening, we stayed in a cabin at Quileute Oceanside Resort on the oceanside of La Push. Be careful, you may fall in love with this area. We had our own small cabin, Nothing super fancy, but warmth and a bed were all we needed. A small convenience store a walk away provided all the snacks and drinks for a full meal on our own. (Do frozen burritos mean a meal? It did to us.)
What really blew us away was the proximity to the ocean. I always have a hard time passing up a beautiful ocean view outside my door, and that is what we delighted in the most on La Push Beach. It was quiet, save the few people that would fade in and out of the fog as they walked along the coastline.
Somehow, during this walk on the beach, I dropped the rental car key. Shiiiiit. We walked up and down the beach looking for the key. We could not find it. I start to shift into panic mode. We retrace our steps to a bunch of driftwood that lined a passage we checked out earlier on in the morning. Somehow, Ronny spots the keys down in this pile of driftwood and retrieves them.
I mean, I was sold from that point on. This guy is a true wizard.
So the trip didn’t explode at that point, instead we spent the entire day driving from beach to beach. Looking for treasures, and taking lots of pictures of water.
Ruby Beach
Rialto Beach
Hoh Rainforest
As sunset approached, we landed at our last beach for the day. Second Beach. As we descended down the trail, the sun would make the trees glow vivid crimson and greens. The sun set and there were hoards of photographers sitting in one specific spot trying to get one specific shot. What?! Find your own angle, sheeple.
The night ended with us sitting on the beach back in LaPush, talking of our adventures and listening to the waves crash in the surrounding darkness. I then proceeded to drink a whole bottle of chocolate wine and we went to bed. Like real adults. (*Would not recommend chocolate wine)
Our final day in Washington was only met with more madness, as I get a speeding ticket on our way back to Port Angeles. I only sort of kind of tried to get away. But then just cried a lot as the officer gave me a ticket. Lose-Lose.
Determined to try our brand new crab pot, we pressed on to Port Angeles where we bought some chicken and threw our pot into the water, seeing if our luck would turn.
Despite our best efforts, we only wrangled two crabs into our grasp and let some passing children get traumatized by them before we let them loose back in the Port Angeles Harbor.
Our pictures end here, and so does the story. We make it back home safely with Alaska Air.
We yearn to do another trip to Washington. Easily one of our favorites.
