Dianne began the day with another soak in the hot springs pools, which we followed with breakfast. I had what was basically an Egg McMuffin made with a croissant and American bacon. Delicious.
We packed up, departed Sol Duc and headed off for Port Townsend, the northernmost point on our three-week adventure. Our route followed U.S. 101 around the Olympic Peninsula, passing mirror-smooth Crescent Lake on the way.
In Port Angeles, we turned onto the Hurricane Ridge Road and drove a vertical mile up into Olympic National Park. We parked above the site of the former visitor center (which apparently burned down). A bit farther up road, we parked, grabbed cameras and set out on a short walk up up the hillside to where we saw The Bear, our first bruin sighting of the trip.
He (or she?) was pawing the slope below the trail, no doubt trying to unearth former hikers he (or she?) had previously dispatched and buried there. We followed the rules and kept our distance, The Bear did likewise.
Back at the old visitor center site, we looked across at what one person promised was Mt. Olympus.
At one point in my life, I really wanted to scale that peak. I’ve long since overgrown such young and foolish desires. I’m perfectly content now to just sit comfortably in my car and look across at the summit crags and glaciers.
We continued on to Port Townsend and checked into our room at the Tidewater Inn. It was a nice place with a few rough edges, which gave it a pleasant, mom-and-pop feel. What we really liked was that unlike at Sol Duc, we had cell coverage and internet connections here!
A short walk from the Inn, the ferry to Whidbey Island docked. A romantic island getaway could have been a nice diversion for us, but we’re being that romantic on this trip.
Instead of sailing away, we walked up the road along the waterfront to the Betta Bar & Seaside Grill where we had, yes, more clam chowder.
Across from our balcony dining table, a small cruise boat was docked. All of those balcony rooms onboard looked so inviting, I actually thought about actually booking a real cruise sometime in the future. After bunking in 11 separate motels so far on this trip, the ability to just pack and unpack once seemed so appealing.
We were told by the restaurant staff that this ship (name unknown) just sails around Puget Sound and southern British Columbia. It’s not the Bahamas or Tahiti, but it still could be a nice getaway.