Hello all! This post is about my trip to Washington State back in September.
First, however, I need to rewind a bit. Shortly after I got back from New Zealand, I decided to set a goal of visiting all 62 National Parks in the US. I was very busy senior year, however, so my only prospect of making it to a National Park was a trip over spring break. These plans were quickly dashed, though, when COVID struck.
Fast forward to September, where I had 7.5 vacation days that needed to be used before the end of the year. I figured out that if I took a trip over Labor Day, that would allow me an extra day for another vacation! The next trick was deciding where to go: I considered and ruled out Alaska, South Dakota, Colorado, and Yosemite before my Dad suggested going out to Washington state. Unlike several of the other parks I had looked at, it didn’t seem like the parks in Washington had visitor limits. Washington also had three parks: North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic. I decided these combined with some time in Seattle could make a very fun, worthwhile 10-day trip. Thus, Washington it was!
I flew out on Friday night for Seattle. My techy side was pretty excited when I got to sit next to someone who worked for Microsoft on the plane. He and his family were actually flying back from the Czech Republic after being stuck there for most of the pandemic – they were the first of many interesting people I was to meet on this trip.
I landed rather late and eventually got to my hostel, the Green Tortoise, where I crashed. I was pretty excited to be back in a hostel for the first time since being abroad! I can definitely recommend the Green Tortoise – free breakfast, free wi-fi, right downtown, pretty clean, very reasonable prices and very friendly staff!
The next morning I slept in a bit, then drug myself out of bed to get breakfast and finalize some plans. As soon as I could though, I was out the door to go explore!
One of the first things I heard was a busker by the name of Jeffrey Circus right outside the hostel. I don’t know much about piano, but he sounded incredible! Here’s his original “Daredevil Superman”.
Right across the street from him and the hostel was the world-famous Public Market, also known as the Pike’s Place Market. It was apparently begun in 1907 as an attempt to connect consumers directly with farmers in a time when produce was really expensive.
You might know the market for its flying fish! A couple of fish markets here famously throw fish back and forth between emplyees when unloading them. Unfortunately, they were not throwing fish while I was there due to COVID.
This area is also known for the first Starbucks! I was trying to figure out why there was such a long line and why the logo looked so strange when I saw the sign that said it was the first.
I spent a couple hours just wandering around the market, in and out of shops. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the vintage vibes.
After I’d seen almost everything (and resisted the temptation to buy so many things!), I wandered on down to the historic Pioneer Square.
Seattle has a really interesting history – long story short, the original city burned, and there was disagreement between the Seattle citizens and the government over whether to rebuild at the same height or one story higher. The citizens rebuilt shops at the same level, but the city decided to build the streets – but not sidewalks – one story higher. Eventually, the sidewalks were extended, and the lower stories evacuated and forgotten about. You can take tours of the below-ground portion, but they had unfortunately stopped due to COVID. The only remnants you can see from above ground are ‘skylights’ planted in the sidewalks to allow light into the lower stories, so I walked down mainly to see those.
This part of the city was definitely a little rougher, so I didn’t stay too long. Seattle definitely seemed to be doing better while I was there, at least during the day. There were still several businesses boarded up, however, and I saw a few tent communities. I was encouraged by sights like below, though.
Next up I grabbed a cup of chowder from Ivar’s…
…and stopped to see the infamous Gum Wall. It’s honestly more like a Gum Alley now!
My next little adventure was going back to the airport to pick up my rental car. I decided to take the train so that I could switch things up and see more of the city (and save some money!). It took a little more time, but I was glad I did it.
Once I got my car, I attempted to stop by REI – their flagship store is in Seattle and is so big it has its own parking garage! – but there was a Labor Day Sale, and it was packed. I couldn’t wait that long – places to be!
First up was the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. If you’re familiar with the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the giant glass tower is one of Dale Chihuly’s works! This was one of the few museums that was open, and there was a great combo deal offered with the Space Needle, so I had booked it well in advance. It did not disappoint!
In addition to lots of amazing glass work, there was also a little cafe with filled with items Chihuly had collected. I was quite entertained by the accordions hanging from the ceiling!
After the museum, I bopped next door to the Space Needle. I had specifically booked tickets for around sunset, and it did not disappoint.
After I finally tore myself away from the Space Needle, I had to make a last-minute grocery run to pick up some supplies. I was planning on going backpacking for a couple of days on the trip, and because this was my first time without a place/person to rent or borrow gear from, there were several things I needed in addition to food. I got most of what I needed and headed back to the hostel to crash again.
Sunday morning I was up early to head out for North Cascades National Park. After a couple hour’s drive, I arrived to some beautiful foggy vistas!
One of my first stops was at the sign, of course. Can you believe that snow is fake??
Afterwards, I stopped in the tiny town of Marblemouth, specifically at the Ranger’s Station, to pick up some backcountry permits. Here permits were walk-up, or first-come-first-serve. Unfortunately, since it was Labor Day weekend, most of the sites were full, but I was able to get one about four miles in on the Pacific Crest Trail for my first night and one near the trailhead of a hike I wanted to do for my second night.
My dad had recommended driving to see Mount Shuksan while I was in the area, so I inquired with a ranger how long it would take to get there and was told about an hour and a half. I crunched calculations and determined I would have enough time to see Shuksan, drive back, hit the trail, and make it to camp just before dark.
Unfortunately, the ranger’s calculations were significantly off, and it took me about 2.5 hours to reach the lookout at Shuksan. Once I realized it was going to be longer than what the ranger had said, I decided to go through with it anyways and just adjust my plans as best as I could.
After a very wind-y mountain road, I finally pulled up to Picture Lake. I knew that Mount Shuksan was the most photographed mountain in the world and that Picture Lake was one of the most popular viewpoints of it, so my expectations were pretty high. However, I was frankly kinda disappointed at what I saw: there was no snow on the mountain! I stood there taking pictures, trying to convince myself it wasn’t so bad.
It wasn’t until I started driving onto the next viewpoint that I realized I had been looking at the wrong mountain! I looped back around and walked to the opposite side of the lake. Now that was much more like it!
Next I drove up to Artist’s Point to get a different view of Shuksan. It was Labor Day weekend, so there were tons of people, but I was somehow able to frame them out in most of my pictures.
I was able to see Mount Baker from here! Pretty crazy cool to think that my dad once summitted both Baker and Shuksan… I am not nearly in good enough shape for that right now!
After a while, I pulled myself away from the vistas and started the drive back. I was racing against the sun setting, but I decided to stop really quickly and grab this shot of Lake Diablo.
I got to the Rainy Pass Trailhead, threw supplies into my pack, and put on the PCT as the sun was setting. I was a little nervous but (foolishly) very determined to hike the four miles and reach my campsite for the night. Long story short, I have decided not to ever try backpacking in the dark again: I realized after about a half hour in that I was going north rather than south. I doubled back, a little more desperate at this point.
When I got back to the trailhead parking lot, I approached two gentlemen to ask for directions to the southbound trail. They introduced themselves as Paul and Gary, offered me dinner and quickly talked me out of trying to hike any more that night. I finally admitted defeat and decided to spend the night in my car.
The coolest thing about Paul and Gary, asides from their amazing hospitality, was their journey on the PCT – on horseback! They had done all but some 23 miles when I met them, spread out over the course of several years. They had some really interesting stories! I insisted on getting a picture of them the next morning.
I decided to hike a few miles on the PCT Monday morning – this time in the light! It did not disappoint.
Next up was driving back out to Marblemouth and then back in to Cascade Pass, my next hike. I stopped on the way, however, to look at an interesting hydroelectric plant and a nearby “town”. Apparently the plant still powers much of Seattle!
I also stopped at this little viewpoint on my way to Cascade Pass, and some very nice gentlemen offered to take my picture.
After a long bumpy drive, I finally made it up to the Cascade Pass trailhead. Cascade Pass was absolutely beautiful, with only one caveat – 37 switchbacks over 3.7 miles. Thankfully I knew this going in, but they were still pretty brutal. Those views though… worth it!
When I got up to where I had intended to stop, I stopped to breathe and struck up a conversation with a guy about my age who was coming down after having been backpacking further up. He introduced himself as James, and I soon found out that he knew where to find the campsite I had booked for that evening. Even better, he was willing to show me where it was! First, however, he recommended I keep hiking a little way further up. Despite my very tired muscles, I decided to go up the next little bit, and it was really pretty despite the sun starting to set.
I hurried back down to where James was waiting, and we began the long descent together. We hit it off really well and ended up talking all the way down those 37 switchbacks! And we caught some pretty amazing views.
The dashing James really ended up being a lifesaver – he refilled my water, showed me where the campsite was (which I never would have found!), and even gave me maps for the other National Parks I was going to! I had been planning on going to bed pretty early and leaving early for Mount Rainier the next morning, but I instead stayed up to chat more with him and look at the stars. It was a pretty great night.
We ended up sharing a tent site (two tents squeezed into a tiny space!), so I was able to say goodbye and grab a selfie with him in the morning.
I’ve been really fortunate to be able to keep in touch with James and his adventures since I’ve gotten back. What an awesome (and kind!) guy!
We parted ways, and it was off to Mount Rainier for me.
Unfortunately, the drive to Rainier took much longer than I was expecting; I didn’t really get there until 3:00 or so. Thankfully, there was no need to stop and pick up back country permits here – they actually had to be reserved and approved a few weeks in advance, and I just hadn’t had time for that. It ended up being pretty nice not having to deal with it!
Unlike North Cascades, which had several high peaks and ranges, Mount Rainier NP essentially just had Rainier. For this reason, I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed by Rainier. However, it ended up being my favorite Park of the three, even in spite of some unfortunate mishaps (more on that later)!
Here’s a map of the park – Rainier smack dab in the middle!
James had recommended a few hikes here, and one of them was a hike to Tolmie Peak, which had one of the Park’s four fire lookouts. I decided to go for this one first since it was on the closest corner (northwest) of the park to me. If you do this hike, be forewarned, the drive up the mountain is a good hour or so! Also, if you’re spending time in this general area, know that the road past the Carbon River entrance is permanently closed, so don’t try to access this hike from there.
Once I got up to the trailhead, I paid the entrance fee and put on the trail about 4:30. This hike took about 1.5 hours one way and had pretty decent elevation change, though thankfully not the 37 switchbacks that Cascade Pass had! Towards the end of the hike, you come upon Eunice Lake, which was really pretty.
The truly killer views, however, are of Eunice Lake from above.
It was just stunning.
I stayed up there for a good bit, just soaking in the views and talking with a ranger who was installing solar panels in the fire tower. I had planned to drive out of the park and spend the night in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Park, but he encouraged me to check out the Molwich Lake campground, which was right next to the trailhead. He also backed up James’ recommendation to hike the Sunrise trail and encouraged me to hike it at sunrise and go to the Mt. Fremont lookout, even though it might be crowded.
I finally tore myself away so I could get back down and set up camp before dark. I definitely caught some good views going back down.
Near the end of the hike, the sun was starting to set, and I could tell it was going to be a pretty sunset, but I just couldn’t find an opening through the trees to get a good shot. Finally, I came across one!
Once I got back down, I checked out the Molwich campground, and they had a few walk-up sites open! It was pretty nice, because you could park pretty close to the campground, but you couldn’t take your car into the campground. They even had big bear lockers for your food!
I set up camp in the dark and made a late dinner.
I also had fun playing with my headlamp and water bottle before turning in.
Very early Wednesday morning, I packed up and headed out with the intent of watching the sun rise from Sunrise. I drove back out to civilization, only to find that my wallet was nowhere inside my car. Long story short, I had apparently dropped it sometime around when I had paid the entrance fee. The next few hours involved frantically calling my parents, driving back up the mountain and searching for it to no avail, and finally making a plan to drive back up to Seattle and borrow funds from a cousin who lived there. Talk about stress! It was a definitely a very humbling experience that made me realize just how dependent I was on money and how vulnerable I was with only $60 to my name (I was incredibly fortunate that I had taken out the remaining cash in the wallet when I paid the fee, so I wasn’t penniless!).
On top of this, there was a wildfire blocking the road to Sunrise, so there apparently was just no way I was going to make it there that day.
At this point, however, I was really determined to get there. The roads essentially form a loop around the outside of the park, and I figured out I could go the long way around and still get there, though it would mean about a three hour drive. I did some calculations to figure out if I could get on there on my remaining money, and I decided to go for it.
I was actually really glad that I ended up going the scenic route – I felt like I got to see a lot more of the park. And of course, more views of Rainier!
I was able to make it to the White River campground just before dark, and I decided to sleep in my car so it would be quicker to pack up the next morning and go watch the sunrise.
Unfortunately, I slept through my first alarm, so I got the short drive to Sunrise started later than what I had planned and put on the trail just as it was getting light in the east. I was headed to the Mount Fremont fire lookout this time – two out of four fire lookouts in the park checked off!
I finally got there about an hour in, just a few minutes before the sun popped over the horizon. It was crazy beautiful.
I got this shot by looking into the windows of the fire tower – you can see the sunrise in the reflection, the inside of the tower, and Rainier behind. It’s definitely unique, but one of my favorites.
And the wildfire blocking the northern entrance meant that I had the whole place to myself!
Even as the sun came up and the colors faded, the beauty remained.
After a little while longer, I decided to hike back so that I could get on the road to the next destination. The hike back down was also gorgeous.
All in all, not a bad way to start off a 23rd birthday!
I also made a little buddy! He was pretty much the only wildlife I saw most of the trip… go figure. At least he was cute.
The lodges at Sunrise looked really neat, though unfortunately they were closed due to COVID.
I made a few stops on the long drive out of the park. First, for this view…
…then at Longmire, where the gift shop and the Wilderness Information Center are. It was a pretty neat place, though unfortunately the museum was closed.
And of course I had to get a picture at the sign!
After Longmire, I hit the road, planning to make a detour up to Seattle to borrow enough money to get me through the rest of the trip. I stopped along the way, however, to check my email, and I had an email from someone who found my wallet! And even better, they lived in Olympia, which was right on the way to Olympic National Park. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it was to have my wallet back in my hands. Best birthday present yet!
As for Olympic National Park, the wallet/wildfire fiasco meant that I was getting to the park much later than anticipated, and a backpacking trip that I had planned and booked campsites for was looking less and less feasible by the minute. After some thought, I decided to ditch the backpacking and explore more areas of the park.
Speaking of the park, if you’re planning on coming here, know that the layout is kinda wonky. Most of the park is clustered in the center of the Olympic Peninsula, but there’s also a few patches along the coast… Very unique! Most of the land in between is State Forest property.
Again, travel time to the park was significant, so I didn’t get to Olympic until an hour or so before dark. I decided to try to stay at Graves Creek Campground near the southwest edge of the park, so I headed towards the small but pretty town of Quinault.
It was a bit of a drive back to the campground, so I was really glad when there were spots left open! Staying here was actually really neat because my dad had taken a trip out to Washington (we figured out it was almost thirty years ago to the day that I was out there!) and had stayed at Graves Creek campground. He actually sent me a picture of where he was (below) so I could look for it!
I located about where it was, but a group was already staying there, so I picked out a different spot (below).
With that bathroom in the background, my site might be a little easier to find in 30 years! Super stoked to share that experience with Dad.
I didn’t do much that night, just set up camp and enjoyed a gourmet birthday dinner of cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and spam.
The next morning I packed up and tried going on 1 mile loop hike around the campsite. Unfortunately, the trail quickly became very hard to follow, so I turned back pretty quickly, but not before I got this shot!
Next I headed out for the Hoh Rainforest, but not before stopping at the world’s largest spruce tree!
58 feet around… big fella!
I also stopped at a beach real quick… Wasn’t the most beachy weather, but it was still pretty.
The Hoh Rainforest was kinda neat, but not quite what I was expecting. It was probably just the time of year, but it was actually very dry. Believe it or not, the time I spent at the rainforest was the only time it was sunny all day.
I decided to go for the Hall of Mosses Trail, which is a 0.8 mile popular loop trail. It was definitely neat, but I was itching to get a good vista!
One of my favorite parts of the trail was getting to see the aftereffects of nurse logs. These are giant trees that have fallen and served as a “nurse” for seeds that fall on top of them and sprout. Eventually the nurse logs decompose, but you can still see their influence in the living seedlings – some of them appear as if they’re on stilts.
Another one of my favorite parts of the Hoh Rainforest was meeting Brad. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of Brad, but I met him when he offered to take this picture of me with a nurse log tree.
We got to chatting and quickly hit it off. I learned that he was also trying to travel to as many National Parks as he could, though he found hotel rooms better suited his age than campgrounds. I hadn’t planned on spending much more time in the rainforest, but I ended up tagging along on a longer hike with him, and we had some really great conversations about everything from the voting process to family. I’m almost always grateful when I end up connecting well with someone from a different generation!
After parting ways with Brad, I headed to Rialto Beach, which my Dad had been to on his trip 30 years ago. Brad had specifically recommended hiking to Hole in the Wall here, so I decided to go for it.
Here is when I really started to realize that effects from the Oregon and California wildfires were creeping northward. Though it may have been partly cloudy, I could see the sun as a small orange ball through the clouds, which made me suspect I was seeing more smoke than clouds.
Unfortunately, the tide had risen since Brad had hiked that morning, so I wasn’t able to hike into Hole in the Wall, but it was still neat.
I also got to see someone surfing. Little chilly for me, but you go dude!
Dark was creeping in, so I started the search for a campsite. I saw on my map that there was a campground called Klahanie just a few miles down the road in Olympic National Forest, so I set out there. It was a Friday night, so I wasn’t too hopeful there would still be a spot open, but when I got there, it looked deserted: most of the campsites seemed overgrown, and I didn’t see any type of bathroom or any facilities. It was also dark at this point, and I was honestly pretty freaked out, so I decided just to sleep in my car and lock the doors until I could head out early the next morning.
Come to find out, after getting back, this campground has apparently been closed for over a year! Definitely very strange.
The next morning, I fired up the car and got the heck out of there. This was my last full day in Washington, so I was determined to make the most of it. My first stop was Sol Duc, which is known for its hot springs and its waterfalls. I didn’t have time to investigate the hot springs, but I decided to do the short hike to the falls. They ended up being really pretty!
Next up was Marymere Falls, close to Lake Crescent. I was not nearly as impressed with these falls, but thankfully it wasn’t too time consuming to hike to them.
And of course, I had to stop and get a picture with the sign!
The day before, Brad had recommended doing this hike called Hurricane Ridge, so I decided to try it out. Very unfortunately, however, wildfire smoke had completely rolled in at this point. Despite being told that visibility and air quality were very poor, I decided to drive up to the top anyways and see what I could see.
Spoiler: it wasn’t much.
The air was definitely smokier at the top – I actually wore a mask the whole hike, but to protect against smoke inhalation rather than COVID.
I had to laugh when I reached the top and found this sign elaborating the mountain peaks I should have been able to see in the distance… Oh well.
I was also pretty disappointed that the trail was paved – I understand if it’s for accessibility reasons, but this seemed far too bumpy/steep for a wheelchair. Definitely made it feel like more of a stroll and less of a hike.
To ease my disappointment in the lack of views, I decided to take pictures of the flora.
This hike was the last must-see item on my list for Olympic, so I bid it adieu and exited the park in an attempt to catch a ferry to Whidbey Island. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage logistics very well for this part of the trip, and the ferry ended up being booked up. I was kinda disappointed, as Dad had been there and had requested I bring a special liqueur back for his birthday if I went. I decided instead to start the long drive back to Seattle.
Of course, along the way, I spotted a coffee shop that served ice cream, so I just had to stop. I got a coffee-whiskey-cherry-chocolate chunk kind – very good!
By the time I got back to Seattle, it was clear that the smoke was not just in the peninsula area. I stopped to see a distant cousin and found out that the sky would have been completely clear that day if not for the smoke: that’s how bad it was.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed that I hadn’t gotten to see much of Olympic under normal circumstances, but I’ve been reminding myself that “normal circumstances” for Washington means lots of rain, so it honestly was probably little different than if it had rained all day. Also, it was kind of neat to be there at a somewhat historic time. I was definitely grateful that I was ending my trip at that time rather than just starting it, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for wildfires and the people who have to endure them.
I closed out the trip the same I way I started it – the Green Tortoise Hostel. This time around I got to interact with guests a little more, which was a lot of fun.
That next morning, I stopped back by the market to get me a bouquet of flowers, and I also managed to grab a letterbox before flying out.
I was able to pick up my dad’s liqueur, by the way! A store in Seattle carried it, so I was able to get some. Good stuff, though quite expensive…
Overall, despite the craziness of losing my wallet and just traveling solo in general, it was a good trip. I definitely learned a lot that I’m looking forward to applying in future trips!
Speaking of future trips, I hope to be taking one to Florida this winter to knock out another three parks, so stay tuned! Thanks for hanging on through this gargantuan post – I’ll see you next time!
Ray of Sunshine Travel 