Located in the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States, the Olympic Peninsula is anchored by the majestic Olympic Mountains and bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Hood Canal.

The next leg of our trip was a two-week, two-centre, tour of the peninsula; a week in the northeast based at Port Townsend and a week in the southwest at Westport.

On route from Seattle, we drove through Poulsbo and were surprised to find that we had arrived in Norway. The floral patterns that decorate the shutters and doors of the local shops and businesses are an example of rosemaling, a Norwegian folk art. These embellishments help create the fairy tale ambiance that makes you wonder if you are in the real world, or if you have inadvertently stepped into a Hans Christian Anderson story book.

Norwegian immigrants arrived in the 1880’s and discovered that the land bore a close resemblance to their native country. They soon proposed that their new community required a post office and a name. They chose ‘Paulsbo,’ meaning ‘Paul’s Place,’ after the name of the first postmaster, but there was one problem. Due to the postmaster’s unreadable handwriting, officials in Washington D.C. misspelled the name, calling it Poulsbo. Nonetheless, the Town of Poulsbo was officially incorporated on December 18, 1907 and despite its unusual spelling; the correct pronunciation is ‘Paulsbo’ – as we say, only in America!

Our favourite shop front – Thor’s Hammer and Needle Tattoo, nestled next to the Senior Citizens Lounge – the mind boggles!

Just another subtle reminder that you are in Little Norway!

Our first accommodation was located just outside Port Townsend, a lovely seaside town of approx. 10,000 people, steeped in fascinating history, from its early Native American roots to its Victorian architecture and maritime legacy. Here are some pictures of the more interesting sites around the town.

Palace Hotel – built in 1889, the building originally had rooms for let on the upper floors and a billiards parlour and three saloons on the lower floors. From 1925-1933, the two upper floors were known as the Palace Hotel, but actually operated as a brothel. Following a restoration in the 1980s, the rooms are again part of the Palace Hotel (we didn’t find out whether you could still rent them by the hour).

Rose Theatre – Originally opened as a vaudeville house in 1907, the historic Rose Theatre still features film, opera, dance and theatre from around the globe.

A group of Sea Otters playing amongst the boats in the Marina.

Next to Port Townsend is Fort Worden Historical State Park. Constructed between 1898 and 1917, Fort Worden was one of three forts that once made up the coastal defence system known as, ‘The Triangle of Fire.’ This protected the entrance to Puget Sound and the naval base at Bremerton. The fort operated through two world wars and finally closed in 1953, after a 51-year period of military activity. The 432-acre multi-use park now boasts a 2-mile salt-water shoreline, trails and cultural activities.

One of the original gun emplacements protecting Admiralty Inlet in the background.

Original photo from 1915 of a practice gun firing.

Driftwood washed up on the sandy beach on the waters of Admiralty Inlet.

Point Wilson Lighthouse is located at the tip of the peninsula at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet, the waterway connecting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. A Bald Eagle can be seen in the tree at the bottom of the picture – see also below.

Bald Eagles are present year round in Washington State. This beautiful bird is perched in a tree overlooking the beach near Point Wilson Lighthouse.

A short distance from Port Townsend is Dungeness Spit, a long sand spit jutting out approximately 5 miles from the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. The entire length of the spit can be walked to the reach the lighthouse at the end – a lovely 10-mile round-trip beach walk with views across the Strait to Vancouver Island, Canada. However, we only managed a couple of miles as it was cold and windy!

Dungeness Spit’s sandy beach is strewn with driftwood as are most of the beaches in this part of the world.

Hood Canal

We spent an interesting day exploring the Hood Canal. This 70-mile long fjord runs down the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula. It lies between Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Even though it is named as a canal, it is a natural waterway, not man-made. It is a popular area for visitors with great water sports, hiking and landscapes.

Here are some of the sites we visited along the Hood Canal.

Mt. Walker – This 2,800 ft. mountain is unique in that it is the only peak that has a road to its summit that offers views of both Hood Canal to the south and the Olympic Mountains to the north.

Looking north to the Olympic Mountains. The left hand peak is Mt. Constance, and at 7,743 ft. is one of only three mountains in the range to exceed 7,000 ft.

Looking south to the start of the Hood Canal below.

Hamma Hamma River delta – one of the many rivers flowing into the Hood Canal.

Lake Cushman, located near the southern end of the Hood Canal, is a stunningly beautiful lake and reservoir that is overlooked by the Olympic Mountains.

Staircase Rapids is a 2-mile circular hike following the North Fork of the Skokomish River, with spectacular views of fast moving rapids. The river runs through temperate rain forest with bright green and yellow moss growing on trees and rocks providing a vibrant backdrop to the rapids.

Dosewallips River Delta is an estuary into the Hood Canal. It is where freshwater from the river enters the saltwater of the sea. At this point the delta forms a rich environment of mudflats, eelgrass beds and salt marshes laced with brackish streams.

Oysters and Clams have been gathered here long before Europeans explored this region. It is still a traditional pastime and people come from far afield to harvest shellfish at regulated times of the year.

View across the beach. When harvesting oysters, people can only dig up 18 each (bigger than 2.5 inches) and must shuck them on the beach, which is why the area is strewn with white oyster shells.

Olympic National Park

The Olympic Peninsula is dominated by the Olympic National Park and over our two week tour of the region; we visited different areas within the park.

The Olympic National Park is the best example of an intact and protected temperate rain forest in the Pacific Northwest. The Park is known for the diversity of its distinct ecosystems – the rugged pacific coastline, massive glacier-clad peaks, a temperate rainforest on the west side that receives 150 inches of rainfall annually (considered to be one of the wettest areas in the continental US), and an old growth forest with a much drier climate to the east. Eleven major river systems drain from the Olympic Mountains, offering some of the best habitat for fish species in the country. The Park includes 62 miles of wilderness coastline, the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous United States, and is rich in native and endemic animal and plant species.

Covering nearly one million acres (about the size of Somerset), it was designated as a National Park in 1938 and became a World Heritage site in 1981. Due to its rugged mountainous terrain, only about 5% of the park is accessible.

Our first foray into the park was Lake Crescent.

Lake Crescent, a stunning 624 feet deep, glacier-carved lake, is one of the iconic destinations of Olympic National Park. The crystal-clear lake is outlined with a stunning forested mountain range and serves as a trailhead for popular hiking trails such as the Marymere Falls.

However, the lake was less than stunning on the day we visited due to low cloud and rain! This didn’t stop us though from hiking through the rain forest to the 90 ft. tall Marymere Falls.

Charlotte enjoying the weather from the end of the pier on the southern shore of the lake.

The almost surreal surroundings in the rain forest.

The 90 ft. tall Marymere Falls

Hurricane Ridge is the most easily accessed mountain area within the Olympic National Park and one of the most visited. In clear weather, fantastic views of the dramatic peaks of the Olympic Mountains can be seen. The Hurricane Ridge visitor centre and the trailheads for a number of hikes are accessed via a scenic 17-mile drive ascending to 5,242 feet to above the snowline.

When we visited, the Ridge had only just opened following the winter snow and all of the hiking trails were closed. There was small road that ran for 1.5 miles along the ridge that was open for walking and offered views of the mountains to both the north and south.

Charlotte enjoying the pristine snow; 10” had fallen a couple of nights before. The majestic Olympic Mountains dominate the skyline.

The weather has a dramatic effect on the mountains.

Cloud covers the distant landscape and is creeping up the valley.

Black-Tailed Deer can be found grazing on the slopes throughout the mountains.

On another rainy day we headed for Sol Duc Falls, which is another popular attraction in the Olympic National Park. It’s not a tall waterfall, but the unique grace, beauty and power of its triple falls are a popular draw for visitors. The falls are accessed via a 2-mile circular-hike through a rain forest that runs part way along the rapids of the Sol Duc River.

One of the many minor falls along the trail.

The triple waterfall of Sol Duc Falls.

The Sol Duc River downstream of the falls.

This mornig we are driving south to Westport to continue our tour of the Olympic Peninsula.

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