050727 - Forks & Port Angeles
July 25,2005
FORKS, WASHINGTON
Leaving Copalis Beach held no remorse for us. We are glad to get away. Hopefully we will still get to enjoy some of the view of the Pacific as we head north.
Many of us are familiar with the Pacific Coast Highway as it travels along the coastline from the tip of California to Oregon. It’s a very scenic road and you can depend on a continuous ocean view, regardless of which direction you are driving the coast.
This is not true for Washington. It seems that the coast of this state is so primitive and dangerous, it forces the highway inland at many points and then miles later it cautiously ventures toward the ocean again.
In addition to this challenge, there is another phenomenon that doesn’t exist in most of California or Oregon. Trees. I mean thousands of tress – huge forests – that extend to the shore line. You could be driving thru a forest and not realize that the ocean is just an hundred feet away. I would not have believed it myself if I did not have my GPS tuned in. And then all of a sudden, you’ll turn out of the trees to a breathtaking view of the ocean. We noticed along the way there were beach turn-offs but we didn’t know much about them so we passed them by. The roadway was a 2 lane highway – one each way – but apparently recently renewed. The asphalt was black and smooth, with bright white and yellow lines that made driving a very pleasant ride.
At one point we finally had to abandon all hope of seeing the Pacific again as we turned the Beast eastward.
The town of Forks is right in the middle of the Olympic National Forest. It apparently was an old logging town with a rich history. We didn’t go to any museums to find out what it was.
The park was pleasant, friendly, and grassy, while the weather was warm and sunny. We were happy again. We fired up the Batmobile, cruised the area, found a couple of good restaurants, a supermarket and hardware store that kept us busy.
On our way to Port Angeles, we were once again plunged into the heart and darkness of the forest ( and I do mean dark – headlights a must) when we suddenly come out to the shore of a beautiful lake. Don’t know the name.
We arrived at Port Angeles just after noontime and found our next RV Park but were a little dubious about going in. We circled the block a couple of times and decided to do it. It had a great location, 3 blocks from the water and amidst lots of shops and restaurants, but the entrance was a long. steep downhill lane which I knew the Batmobile would not be able to climb. Fortunately, Peter actually cooperated and helped me pull it up the hill when we needed it.
Port Angeles was really a breath of fresh air. A typical seaside town, with it small shops, and local restaurants (not many fast food places), and its dock area.
The first afternoon we had a great late lunch at Mama’s - a place that was originally the old firehouse. We sat outside, enjoyed our meal and sipped coffee, while enjoying the view down towards the Sound.
The nest morning, we made the rounds. up one street, down the other. A fine lunch of clam chowder and a delicious piece of grilled King Salmon. we then explored the harbor and surrounding neighborhood. We made it back to the Beast with the battery indicator on the Batmobile flashing – in desperate need of a charging, and we were in a desperate need of a nap.
.We relaxed for the evening, dining in, and watching a DVD – Spiderman 2. Good story – great special effects. I gave it a B, Peter gave it 3 paws. He would have rated it higher if the super hero had a dog.
Till next time,
FORKS, WASHINGTON
Leaving Copalis Beach held no remorse for us. We are glad to get away. Hopefully we will still get to enjoy some of the view of the Pacific as we head north.
Many of us are familiar with the Pacific Coast Highway as it travels along the coastline from the tip of California to Oregon. It’s a very scenic road and you can depend on a continuous ocean view, regardless of which direction you are driving the coast.
This is not true for Washington. It seems that the coast of this state is so primitive and dangerous, it forces the highway inland at many points and then miles later it cautiously ventures toward the ocean again.
In addition to this challenge, there is another phenomenon that doesn’t exist in most of California or Oregon. Trees. I mean thousands of tress – huge forests – that extend to the shore line. You could be driving thru a forest and not realize that the ocean is just an hundred feet away. I would not have believed it myself if I did not have my GPS tuned in. And then all of a sudden, you’ll turn out of the trees to a breathtaking view of the ocean. We noticed along the way there were beach turn-offs but we didn’t know much about them so we passed them by. The roadway was a 2 lane highway – one each way – but apparently recently renewed. The asphalt was black and smooth, with bright white and yellow lines that made driving a very pleasant ride.
At one point we finally had to abandon all hope of seeing the Pacific again as we turned the Beast eastward.
The town of Forks is right in the middle of the Olympic National Forest. It apparently was an old logging town with a rich history. We didn’t go to any museums to find out what it was.
The park was pleasant, friendly, and grassy, while the weather was warm and sunny. We were happy again. We fired up the Batmobile, cruised the area, found a couple of good restaurants, a supermarket and hardware store that kept us busy.
On our way to Port Angeles, we were once again plunged into the heart and darkness of the forest ( and I do mean dark – headlights a must) when we suddenly come out to the shore of a beautiful lake. Don’t know the name.
We arrived at Port Angeles just after noontime and found our next RV Park but were a little dubious about going in. We circled the block a couple of times and decided to do it. It had a great location, 3 blocks from the water and amidst lots of shops and restaurants, but the entrance was a long. steep downhill lane which I knew the Batmobile would not be able to climb. Fortunately, Peter actually cooperated and helped me pull it up the hill when we needed it.
Port Angeles was really a breath of fresh air. A typical seaside town, with it small shops, and local restaurants (not many fast food places), and its dock area.
The first afternoon we had a great late lunch at Mama’s - a place that was originally the old firehouse. We sat outside, enjoyed our meal and sipped coffee, while enjoying the view down towards the Sound.
The nest morning, we made the rounds. up one street, down the other. A fine lunch of clam chowder and a delicious piece of grilled King Salmon. we then explored the harbor and surrounding neighborhood. We made it back to the Beast with the battery indicator on the Batmobile flashing – in desperate need of a charging, and we were in a desperate need of a nap.
.We relaxed for the evening, dining in, and watching a DVD – Spiderman 2. Good story – great special effects. I gave it a B, Peter gave it 3 paws. He would have rated it higher if the super hero had a dog.
Till next time,
posted by The Highway Guys @ 6:21 PM
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