August - 2018

The Journey is the Objective

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 13: Cape Flattery

On Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from Mariah at Wilder Honda letting me know the CV-axel had arrived, the repair was completed, and Ellie was ready to be picked up. After five days of exploring Olympic National Park in Ansel, the black Honda Insight on loan from the dealership, it was time to get back on track. I transferred my gear from Ansel back into Ellie, paid the $800 repair bill and got back on the road. The breakdown put me a little behind schedule. I made the

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 12: Olympic National Forest, Lake Quinault

My first full day in Quinault was probably going to be my last. Wilder Honda in Port Angeles is expecting to have Ellie fixed up by tomorrow so I wanted to spend the day hiking through the forests that border Lake Quinault. I made morning coffee, then stopped by the Ranger Station to nail down a hiking plan. I walked next door to the Quinault Lodge, hoping to get a beer before starting my hike. It wasn't open because it wasn't even 11 AM. I returned to my campsite to get m

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 11: Olympic National Park, The Drive to Lake Quinault

I woke up early, but this morning I didn't go back to sleep after my morning walk. I was moving to Falls Creek near Lake Quinault for the next three days. Lake Quinalut is on the south end of Olympic National Park, about 4 hours away. I made reservations months ago on Recreation.gov but considered canceling while Ellie was still out of commission with a broken rear axle. I decided to make the drive to Quinault in Ansel. I wasn't doing Ellie any good in Port Angeles anyway.

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 10:Olympic National Park, Crescent Lake to Sol Duc

From the Elwa Valley, I continued on US Highway 101 toward Crescent Lake. By accident, I pulled into the East Beach area of Crescent Lake. I soon found myself on a small piece of lake shore with only a few people on the beach. It was beautiful. I walked around and took several pictures. I wanted to get in the water so I rolled up my pants and walked out into the shallow beach still wearing my flip-flops. The water was cold and my senses sharpened as the water started lapp

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 9: The Westfalia Store

I was driving through Port Angeles on US Highway 101 and noticed a fenced area with several Vanagon Westfalias on display. There must have been 6 or 7, all with their pop-tops raised. I pulled in and asked a girl in the office if I could have look around. She gave me the okay, and I spent the next 30 minutes checking out their Westies. The small lot was packed tightly, with just enough room between each vehicle to walk through. I've definitely never seen that many Vanagon

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 8: Olympic National Park, Deer Park to Elwa

I woke up and took a short walk, then passed on breakfast in favor of getting into Port Angeles to get the repairs moving forward. There had been road closures on the two-lane road into Port Angeles, but the roads were open and I made it to the dealership a few minutes early. Ellie was already outside and the service department garage door were open for business. Mariah wasn't there so I talked to her co-worker and got the options. It was the driver's side rear CV axel that

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 7: Port Angeles, Not a Total Disaster

I left the Honda service department determined go with the flow. Ellie was down but hopefully in good hands. Mariah, the Wilder Honda service advisor, offered me a loaner car for $25 per day. I took it. I moved the bare necessities into my new loaner. For at least a couple of days, I'll be driving a hybrid Honda Insight. My first concern was getting a tent, because now I'll be without my camper top. I found Brown's Outdoors, a local gear shop in downtown Port Angeles and

Summer Road Trip 2018, Part 6: North Cascades to Port Angeles

After three days in North Cascade National Park, it was time to move on. I could have done more, but I felt well-rested and ready for the next phase of my adventure. I left through the west side of The Park on State Route-20, passing through the towns of Marblemount and Concrete. There were several little restaurants that looked quaint and inviting. I didn't stop because there was some uncertainty a few hours down the road. I continued through Sedro-Woolley and Burlington,