July 17, 2013: Olympic Peninsula

We got off to a late morning start to explore the little town of Port Townsend on the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula.  Lots of old historic buildings from the late 1800's when this was a bustling timber port waiting for the promised railroad to come.  It never came, and the town slept through most of the 20th century, when it was rediscovered by folks looking for a temperate, dry, small town.  Now it is again a vibrant town of retirees, artists and tourists with lots of interesting shops and restaurants.  We drove to the top of the bluff overlooking the city where the timber barons built palatial homes overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

 We returned west to the Port Angeles area to explore the Hurricane Ridge section of the Olympic National Park.  The 17 mile drive in from Port Angeles to the heart of the Olympic National Park on Hurricane Ridge climbed to over a mile to a beautiful area with views of the Olympic Mountains, many still with snow.
  We saw black tailed deer when we hiked a 1 1/2 trail up to a ridgeline where a storyboard said we should enjoy 360 degree views of the mountains, Canada and the greater Seattle area.

The haze and the smog made it impossible to see much beyond the mountains.

Returning down the mountain, we saw a fawn and its mother alongside the road. 

On our way out of town to get a site at the same campground we had used two nights ago just east of Port Angeles, we noticed this:
Fuel prices are not as bad as we expected (we use diesel). We have paid over $4.00 just twice since our trip began.  Of course, Canada is yet to come.....
 


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