The guy behind me managed to slip in front of me while I was gazing into space pondering my failure at tuning the satellite dish (again). He was a big bloke, and I wasn't in a hurry, so hey I was willing to let him go in front of me, but being a good boy he insisted I went in front of him.
I noticed however that he was buying FOSTERS. How random. We had a little chat about it. Apparently he's a big fan. I told him that back home no-one drinks it. Check out girl's sister's boyfriend is from Australia. We all had a love-in.
Someone is too fuckin' lazy to make posts of her pictures because she thinks they're "lame". Hell have you seen some of mine? There are two purposes to a picture. To make one that says something, or to make one that documents what was going on. It's great when the two intersect, but sometimes you just have to roll with it.
Thursday - Bellevue to Port Angeles
I can't say I was hugely disappointed to leave the Trailer Inns RV Park of Bellevue - the inhabitants were all pretty surly - especially the full-timers. I suppose it's tough on the poverty line!
Seattle was kind of cool, and my first introduction to cosmopolitan USA - Herr Marcial says that most of the big cities will be like that. We shall see.
We decided to shave 50 miles (and a trip through Tacoma) off our trip by taking the Washington State Ferries across Puget Sound. After peak rush hour had subsided we launched the turd towards Edmonds Ferry Terminal.
The journey up I90/I5 was uneventful (again) and we arrived with no issues, to be measured (for length) and sit in the holding bay for a bit. We could see the MV Walla Walla arrive from Kingston and disgorge its load of passengers and cars.
It was then our turn to enter the belly of the beast....
As you might be able to see above, it's a pretty darn big ferry. We parked the turd, and got told why we had to park close to the wall (so we don't break anyone else's windows or anything) - so remember that if you're ever on a big ferry with your car.
Once it was loaded, it was suddenly going with no fanfare....
I of course was taking in the view from the wrong bridge.
Around 30 minutes later we arrived at Kingston, and unloaded and were on our way.
It's the first time we've drive on non-Interstate class US highways, and it was a little taxing on both me and the fuel consumption.
They're basically just two lane highways with the occasional passing lane. We didn't find any rest areas and I was absolutely starving by the time we got to the campground (although Kat did make me a nice little sandwich to tide the nausea).
The Elwha Dam RV Park is super-nice. It's run by three generations of women of one family, is a wildlife sanctuary, and has some strange carvings and such spread around....
That night we'd shopped for Chilli (I know the yanks spell it Chili, but Ben gets upset when I do).
Yes I know it looks like a pot full of poo in this photo, but it was darn tasty. I couldn't get the specific chilli ingredients, so I substituted, and it still worked out ok. I also added beans and a little beer.
Mmm beer.
Today - Olympic National Park, Elwha Dam
This morning I arose to have a chilli induced crap. Actually I lie. Due to our constant consumption of All-Bran and granola, I'm pretty darn regular around 07:30 these days. Unhappily, I get up a little later than that, therefore the first thing I need to do is... well you get the picture.
Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, we headed up to the Olympic National Park Visitor Centre. To discover I had left my wallet at home and we needed to pay the park fee (but not there, at the ranger station up the road). So we went back to the turd, got the wallet, and then headed back up to the ranger station.
Let's just say that noone that we talked to told us that it would be like this at Hurricane Ridge...
Maybe that's why they looked at us funny. Boy it was snowy and cold.
There were a few deer around the place, so we stopped and took pictures of them.
We sought lower altitudes, and hiked up and down the "Heart O' The Forest" trail.
This is apparently what I look like from behind when hiking with my full camera kit.
Some of the trees were just freaking massive. I kid you not, I have never seen trees this big.
Don't know whether you can do it from this lower-res version, but count the rings.
Hundreds of years old........ I swear some of these trees could be in the thousands...
And yes, now it's time for me to treat you with some macro delights. Well if not delights, at least they're shot with my 100mm Macro :-)
These flowers were everywhere. This one just happens to have two bugs in it.
These little fungi looked like little jelly lollies.
....and this one looks a bit like a clam or something.
Moss beard anyone?
Teeny pine-cones.
Ahh a mountain stream.
Phew. After all this we went home and had some lunch. Next stop, the Elwha Dam.
It was built in the early 1900's and is set to be taken down sometime soon to hopefully restore the spawning fish habitats that it cut off. It sure is beautiful though.
Congratulations on making it to the end of another gargantuan post. Hope you liked it!
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