We
were talking what to do on 4/15, our 51st. Wedding Anniversary, and came up
to an idea to make a trip, as we did not make any long distance traveling
since our Florida Trip in March last year for more than a year. Because we
visited most of famous national parks, we came up to a plan to visit Olympic
National Park, which we have never been to, not too far from our house but
well known as a beautiful National Park at northwestern corner of U. S. A.,
just south of Vancouver, Canada and west of Seattle, U. S. A..
We drove 2 days
to the Whidbey Island where Mrs. Sooja Nehrlich lives who is a few years
junior of Jane at Ehwa Women's University and has been a ham radio operator
in Korea by the influence of Jane. Her Korean ham radio station was HM1CC.
We drove total of 2,064 miles for round trip to Freeland, where she lives in
Whidbey Island, just west of Seattle, and to drive around Olympic National
Park on 4/15 (blue line in the map below). It was too early to visit Olympic
National Park and there were two routes closed due to snow yet (red line).
We were told the beach is also very beautiful but could not go because we
didn't have enough time to go there.
Because Whidbey Island is an island, you have to take
car ferry to go in and to get out from island.
We had to take another car ferry to go to Olympic National Park.
In front of
Sooja's house. Her husband is German origin and there are 3 welcome signs in
3 languages - German, English and Korean. They built this house in Freeland
city in Whidbey Island about 10 years ago and we first visited them right
after they built this house. This time, we stayed 3 days 4 nights at their
home.
The
first day was to visit Olympic National Park. The following is to show how
we drove around.
At the visitor center, I asked why the park is named Olympic National Park.
Any relation to the Olympic Game?
The lady explained : The
first immigrants to the Washington state landed to the west of the park from
Cananda and named the mountain "Mt. Olympus" as it was very
similar to the "Mt. Olympus" in Greece. The name of the Olympic
National Park came from this Mt. Olympus and has nothing to do with Olympic
Game.
On
the way to the Rain Forest, there was a big Crescent Lake along Highway 101.
Visitor
Center of Rain Forest was also closed. We walked around Visitor Center as
there was no enough time to return to Ferry. We had no time to go to Beach.
Suggestion to
future visitors : Plan at least 2 days. Visit Deer Park, Hurricane Ridge,
Elwha, and Sol Duc in the first day, stay one night at Hot Spring Resort at
Sol Duc, visit Hoh Rain Forest and Beaches (#1 - #4) next day and return to
Seattle or wherever you want to stay.
There
were many trees covered by moss as the moisture is very high here always
and
this moss is the specialty of Olympic National Park which you can not see
anywhere else.
Next
morning, we toured huge Boing Plant in northern part of Seattle. Korean flag was at the center
of the reception room together
with North Korean flag. No photography was allowed during the tour.
After
the lunch, we went to Seattle Tower called Space Needle.
After
the Tower, we took 2.5 hours cruise sailing around Seattle. We found a
sea lion on a buoy during the tour.
The
tour is called Lock Tour because there was a lock on the way.
The boat was lifted by the water to move to higher level inland water.
On
the 3rd. day, we went to Mount Vernon City, about 50 miles north of Seattle.
Whole city was Tulip City with so many huge tulip farms. Even the road was
decorated by tulips beautifully.
The photo below is not a Tulip farm but a Daffodil farm.
