Seattle

When we discussed our plans for our Christmas trip to Washington, Seattle was high on our list! We originally planned to go to Seattle halfway through our trip, but actually ended up stopping here at the end of our trip. We definitely think we saved the best for last.

We left Sequim early in the morning, and headed towards Tacoma, WA, in search of the famous Top Pot Doughnuts for breakfast! I had the Peppermint Chocolate doughnut, Zach had the Cookies and Cream doughnut, and we each had to get a classic glazed doughnut (obviously...).

The doughnuts were pretty good. Not quite as good as Bennet's Fresh Roast doughnut shop in Fort Myers, FL., but pretty good nonetheless. 

As we got closer to Seattle, it was so cool to see the traffic signs for Vancouver, B.C. My Aunt and Uncle live just across the way in Victoria and it would have been so easy to hop on a ferry and go visit them! 

When we made it into the city we drove right past the SAFECO field where a NFL game was being played that day!!! The bubbly, vibrant energy around the field and the people going into the stadium was contagious and we found ourselves getting giddy to be there! 

Our first stop was at the Olympic Sculpture Park/Centennial Park, where we took a good hour walking around the cool sculptures and beach. We loved this park, because even though it was busy, it is so large that you don't notice all the people there. 

Next, we headed to Pike Place Public Market! It was so busy, but so awesome! I loved all the fresh flowers and different vendors. We couldn't stay long at the marketplace because the dogs were in the car (don't worry we were in underground parking, it was cool out, and we left the windows open slightly). While we were there we discovered the disgustingly unique gum wall, the Great Wheel, Elleno's yogurt, Rachel the piggybank, and the famous Pike Place Fish Co. We could have easily spent all day at the market, but I always feel so bad about leaving the dogs in the car, even though they had been out walking with us for a good few hours earlier in the morning. 

After the market, we headed to Kerry Park. Kerry Park is a popular area to get an awesome view of the city and on a clear day you can see Mount Rainier in the backdrop! We were so lucky that we had good weather when we were in the city!! Kerry Park is also super close to the Fremont Troll, so you can hit both places one right after the other. After taking pictures at Kerry Park, we decided it was time to head back to the cabin and in our rush to get back before it got too dark, we totally forgot to stop to see the Fremont Troll (face palm...)

Instead of taking the long way back through Tacoma, we decided to take the ferry!! Boy oh boy, do they ever cram vehicles on the ferries! It was a cool experience though, especially for me, because I am a huge Grey's Anatomy fan and it made me feel like I could just happen upon Meredith Grey taking the ferry home! 

It was really relaxing to just wander around the ferry and take in all the beautiful views! 

When we got closer to Sequim, we decided to make one last quick stop at the Dungeness Spit. This is the USA's longest natural sand spit, and juts out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca about 6 -7miles. Dogs aren't allowed because it is a National Wildlife Refuge, so I just ran down really quick. I would have loved to explore the length of the spit, but by the time I got back to the car, Zach was already getting concerned about my whereabouts and was just getting ready to come look for me... whoops! It wasn't my fault that it was so peaceful listening to the water crash along the shore, while watching the sun set!

The next day we started our trek back home. We originally wanted to try to have a long day of driving and make it back in one day, but all of us got too tired, so we stopped in Coeur d'Alene for a night. After 10ish days on the road, it was really nice to get settled back at home! 

-S

Up Next: Month long road trip down to Florida

Northwest Washington

After our cabin mishap, we decided to change our plans just a bit. Before heading north we made a quick pit stop at the Washington State Capitol Building. We had originally planned to walk around the grounds and walk along some of the trails that surround Capitol Lake, but it was raining (of course...), so we just stayed in the car and took some pictures!

After seeing the Capitol, we headed to our VRBO in Sequim, where we would be staying for a few days. The cabin we were staying at had a binder full of different activities and restaurants around the area. We decided to try out The Black Bear Diner, which was super cute and had pretty yummy food! 

Cute little cabin

Black Bear Diner

The next day we decided to drive to Olympic National Park, which is actually one of the more dog friendly national parks in the U.S.A. About a half hour away from our cabin, just outside of Port Angeles, was a dog friendly hike called the Peabody Creek Loop Trail. The trail is only about a half mile long and was not very populated which was perfect for us, because Zoey can be fairly reactive to other dogs and people. The trail led through a moss covered forest, which was so pretty, but also quite eery, considering there was a cougar frequenting the area when we were there.

The dogs loved all the new smells along this trail, so much so, that the last picture on the bridge almost didn't happen. Zoey and Kona were both on a mission to sniff out every little thing they could, that stopping for a photo was not something they were interested in. About two seconds after this picture was taken, I turned around to be pulled across the bridge in my attempts to keep up with them and they ended up being a little too strong for me and I ended up "superman-ing" across the slippery bridge. So funny! Both dogs looked back at me like, "Oh crap! We are in trouble now!!" 

We found the trail to be very well maintained and quite simple. 

After our little hike, we headed further into Olympic National Park to check out Madison Falls. Arriving at the parking lot we found it to be quite busy, so Zach ran up the short paved trail to see just how busy the falls were, while the dogs and I walked around the parking lot area. When Zach got back he explained how the trail was paved, wide enough and not as busy as the parking lot portrayed, so we took the dogs up for a quick view of the falls! What's nice about the trail to the falls is that it is easily accessible by wheel-chair, so those who can't normally do much hiking are able to enjoy this!!

Following this quick pit stop, we wanted to hike the Spruce Railroad Trail! We were super excited to hike this trail for two reasons: 1. Beautiful scenery 2. It is apparently HAUNTED!!!!!!

So here's a little back history, the Spruce Railroad Trail is a historic hike along Lake Crescent that also follows a railroad. The railroad was once used to haul spruce trees out of the forest. The trees were then intended to be used to manufacture aircraft in World War I. This trail is also supposedly haunted by the Lady of Lake!! In life, a lady named Hallie Latham Illingworth, was savagely murdered by her husband and then dumped in Lake Crescent. It is rumoured that in her death, she roams the trail crying out for help! Hikers are cautioned to not give her help if they do see her, as she will drag them into the lake to their watery grave!!!!! How creepy, right?!

Anyways, were were unable to do this hike, because we could not find any parking and it was SUPER busy! (Boo...) If we are ever back in Washington, we definitely plan on hiking this trail and we would love to spend some time enjoying Lake Crescent as well!

Continuing on our busy day, we headed towards to west coast, passing through the town of Forks on our way to Ruby Beach! We made a quick pit stop at a gas station in Forks to grab some snacks and they had a ton of cheesy Twilight memorabilia on the walls. 

We were both excited to see what Ruby Beach had to offer because the pictures on the internet looked awesome. It definitely did not disappoint! 

To get to Ruby Beach from the parking lot, you have to hike down a well maintained trail and are  then faced with the obstacle of having to crawl over washed up driftwood to get the the sand and water. It was the perfect test of agility for all four of us, but it was especially good for the dogs as it put their minds to work, which is what they needed after travelling and getting in and out of the car all day. 

I loved, loved Ruby Beach. I could have spent all day relaxing by the water and walking along the beach! As far as can remember, I have never been to a beach like those along the Washington coast. I am used to white sand Florida, Hawaii, California beaches, but I have to say that I liked the atmosphere and scenery of Ruby Beach more than any other beaches I have been to. 

Loved the purple minerals from the broken down rocks

We wanted to continue on to Cape Flattery, which is the most NorthWestern point in the United States, but the dogs (and Zach) were ready to be done for the day. Plus, we wanted to get back to the cabin before it got too dark! 

We would definitely recommend travelling to Northwest Washington. We were able to see and do so much, but also didn't have a chance to see everything we wanted to. When we come back we definitely want to check out Cape Flattery, Hoh National Rainforest, see more of Olympic National Park, and explore the numerous beaches along the coast!! 

-S

Up Next: Seattle

Our Cabin in the Woods Horror Story

Photo

Prior to our trip, I found what appeared to be a cool company, similar to KOA, that had cabins for rent. I thought that it would be fun to have a little bit of camping experience while we spent our time in Washington, so after a long day of exploring, we were so ready to check into our little cabin for the night. What started out as excitement, quickly turned into anxiety and fear!

As we were nearing our destination, Zach kept looking over at me and saying, "Shelby, are you sure you are going the right way, this looks super sketchy," "Shelby, we are really far out in the woods, pretty sure our phones are going to lose service." While Zach was being the skeptic, I was trying to be brave and optimistic, even though I was slightly creeped out. When we finally got to the destination, there was a nice bright sign showing the name of the company and security gates to enter the campground. Things seemed to be looking up and I, of course, turned to Zach and said, "HA, I told you, we will be fine here!"

Not one minute after that being said, we pulled up to the check in building, only to be greeted by a really creepy middle aged guy, with a HUGE metal cross that hung down to his belly, super short shorts, knee high white socks and a big old ranger hat. (I tried to find a picture that adequately depicts Ranger Bob, but nothing compared to the level of creep this ranger gave off.) Now, we are normally not super judgy people, at least we try not to be, but we both had a really bad feeling- he looked like some scary ranger dude off a horror movie that has a secret cabin out back where he tortures people and subsequently eats their brains out (we may have watched too many horror movies). We got to our cabin and tried to ignore the fact that the campground was desolate- there was only one other cabin occupied. We took the dogs for a quick walk and the whole time it felt like we were being watched by something or someone. When we got back to the cabin we brought all of our stuff inside, sat down and turned on the TV to try to unwind and take our mind off the fact that neither of us felt good about being there (even though we didn't fully admit it to each other at first). When we sat on the couch it reeked of sweat and sour milk and the cabin had quite a thick layer of dust all around; it looked like we were the first occupants in quite some time. When I went to check out the bed, I noticed blood stains on the sheets right away. Red flag!!!! Now, I should probably clarify that these blood stains weren't like murder blood stains, they were more like bloody-nose stains. Regardless, it obviously added to our paranoia. We weighed the pros and cons, and decided that we would sleep on the smelly couch out in the living room instead of on the bed with bloody sheets in the back corner room. However, when we pulled out the couch, there were dead bugs and the smell intensified, so I went out to the car and got our personal blankets that have for the dogs and put them on the blood stained bed. Zach tried to get some sleep, but I could not think about sleeping when I had such a bad feeling in my gut. So, the dogs and I stayed out in the living room and watched Spongebob (all the other channels were playing murder mysteries.. of course). After I got bored of watching Spongebob, I continued searching through the channels for something uplifting. I then came across the porn channels, which are normally locked, right? Well... these ones weren't! That was the last straw for me. I went into the bed room to find Zach playing games on his phone because of course he couldn't sleep and I told him about my recent findings. We both decided it was past time to get out of there. I mean for all we knew there were cameras watching every move!! At this point we were both running on adrenalin and on major high alert, which the dogs picked up on, so we threw everything back in the car, tossed the dogs in the car and sped outta there. When we got to the gate, Koni started piddling because we were freaking him out. So Zach jumped out of the car to let Koni pee and I quickly dropped the key in the box. Meanwhile, we hear a vehicle speeding up to the gates, and coming to a crashing halt beside our vehicle. Any guessed on who that may that be?? You got it, creepy RANGER BOB, with his belly sticking out of his shirt, holding a beer in his hand! As he sauntered up to Zach he asked where we were going. Zach threw Koni in the car, told him we were checking out, jumped back in the car, and I sped off as soon as Zach was in. 

As were drove out of the woods, slowly making our way back to civilization our nerves began to calm down, but we kept discussing all the possible conclusions that our story could have had. At the end of it all, we found a nice little Holiday Inn Express to spend the night at and slept quite soundly after calling both of our parents and telling them we almost died!! They were both very happy we made the decision to listen to our gut and get outta there!!
-S & Z

Up Next: Northwest Washington