Olympic Coast Vacation...day one.

I think it's time to talk about my vacation from June, where I hit the beaches on the Olympic Coast. I hiked around a lot, sat on the beach a lot and enjoyed just spending time with myself. I noticed myself slowly losing the mental layers of filth that had covered me for the last few months the minute I got onto the ferry. I am blessed to live where I do, ferries to and from almost everywhere and I love the water, there's just something so calming about the waves and the movement of the boats.

Just random pictures from the ferry ride.

As each mile passed by, I felt better and better, like I was slowly rising to the surface of the sea after being trapped in its depths feeling the ever increasing pressure trying to crush the life from me. Throughout the entire drive I could either see rivers, lakes, waterfalls or various bays with sailboats, fishing boats or even the occasional ORCA tour boats. Each and every mile brought me closer and closer to freedom and I could feel myself becoming less anxious, less tense and more peaceful. I stopped for a quick pic or two at Crescent Lake and then found my way to the little town of Forks...and noticed that pretty much every corner had some kind of Twilight sale going on. I overheard one store owner say that the town was quickly dying and people were leaving in droves but ever since the Twilight Series hit, the town has once again boomed instead of busted. And even with all the "twihards" the beaches weren't packed, there wasn't a lot of traffic and everyone I ran into was so pleasant. It was nice going someplace that I was an unknown and didn't have to be any certain way.

Crescent Lake

I checked into the Dew Drop Inn about a mile from the city limits where Bella's truck sits for all those kids to take pictures in front of and about 15 minutes from La Push, Realto Beach and it was about 30 minutes from Ruby beach.

Forks welcome sign and Bella's truck.

Day one was driving there, check in, drop off my stuff at the inn and head to Ruby Beach to watch the sunset. It was amazingly beautiful. I collected some rocks and a few splinters from climbing over the drift wood.

Ruby Beach.

When I finished there I went to the "Butts" tree forest...where you will find the oddest trees you've ever seen. The name of the forest is pretty obvious as you walk along this trail and it basically looks like the trees have butts. The kiosk said that no one really knows why these trees have them, they think it's some sort of disease or bug that settles in and basically creates a cancer in that part of the tree and then the tree grows out of control in that one area forming the "butts." I was really glad that there weren't any "genital" trees.

The "Butts" Forest.

I was so exhausted after all the driving, fresh sea air, hiking and laughing so hard I almost peed myself when I saw the actual name of the forest was "Butts" that all I could do was order pizza from across the street, eat, shower and pass out. All in all, it was a great day. It was odd being so "unplugged" from everyone else, no cell service, no computer access...yet it was amazingly freeing. I would do it again in a heart beat...so that was day one.