Olympic National Park, Part 1
It is oppressively green . So said the Amazing Ms. D upon our arrival to Whidbey Island. I thought it was cute, if a bit of an overstatement at the time. Then I started my drive west from Port Townsend. I was headed to the town of Forks, WA, and the drive was going to take me across the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, and the Olympic Forest National Park. Even on a cloudy day, the emerald green of the trees that lined the road made most of the drive feel like I was driving a pedal car down a long hallway. Driving west along US-101 I passed between the Strait of Juan de Fuqua and the Olympic Forest. Sitka spruce, western hemlocks and other conifers dominated my view. On the hill-sides they carpeted the land as far as the eye could see, they towered over the road. There were breaks in this wall, in place where the road approached the water along Discovery Bay and Sequim Bay. This is not an empty area. If you are in the mood for some games of chance, you can stop ...