These are the beautiful Olympic Mountains as viewed from the bridge over the Hood Canal. I stopped the car just past the bridge and walked back to take this shot.
And THIS photo is a view of Hurricane Ridge. Well, I think it's Hurricane Ridge. I was just past Sequim (pronounced Skwim - does that make sense?) which is only about 15 miles from Port Angeles and took this when I detoured off the road after spotting a Starbucks sign.
Hurricane Ridge is not to be missed in the summer if you're ever over on the Olympic Peninsula. Breathtaking views. The road is closed right now because of a large slide of some sort...not sure if it's mud or rock or what. But there's lots to do there in winter, too. This link to Hurricane Ridge gives an overview of winter sports to enjoy if the mountain is open. But check it out, anyway...there's a webcam with a view from the ridge plus more photos.
Stacked Rocks at Ediz Hook
There's a 3-1/2 mile spit of land in Port Angeles Harbor. It's called Ediz Hook and back in 1862 driftwood was placed on a tripod at the very end of the spit and burned as a navigation light for ships coming into the harbor. Port Angeles Harbor is the deepest harbor in the Pacific northwest. How deep I do not know...I just know that it's the deepest.
Nobody seems to know when it started but there's an interesting impromptu art exhibit out by the Coast Guard station on the Ediz Hook. Balanced upon the rip rap along the shore are stacks of rocks here and there. There are dozens of them. So now whenever people drive out to the end, they'll stop and build a little piece of stone sculpture of their own or they'll rearrange one that's already there.
Just a couple of shots of the driftwood and rocks along the shore. It's easy to find nice flat stones in all sizes which explains why building these little stone temples is a popular pastime. Incidentally, I took these last three pictures on my last visit to Port Angeles (aka PA.)
I didn't take any photos of downtown but we'll be going back there from time to time so more to come...
10 comments:
Lovely tour - thanks!
Wish you had a picture of the drawbridge in the "up" position - that always looks so cool!
Those little rock piles resemble inukshuks (sp?) - the markers that Inuit people used up north.
Great pictures. How does a floating bridge work--does it bob up and down?
When I toured Iceland, the countryside was littered with ancient cairns. Big stacks of volcanic rocks were the only way to mark trails across the featureless wasteland. I built a small one on a ledge near a glacier. I like to think it's still there.
Looks so beautiful and serene out there... I can just feel the peace from your photos!
Lady B, I will try to get a picture of the bridge up...just for you. How about that? And that is so cool about the inukshuks...I had no idea! Wonder what they marked?
This is a small world, for sure. The Inukshuks were probably related in some way to the stacks of rocks in Iceland. I mean, it is REALLY a small world! Love it.
Hannah, it is SO peaceful. These mountains are spectacular.
These photos look amazingly like they were taken in New Zealand. I've been told that Washington has a lot of similarities with NZ. In fact, we even have these little stone towers all over the place on the tracks around Mt. Cook (The mountains of which you'll have seen if you watched the Lord of the Rings Series). Someday I will visit to see for myself!
That's so interesting, Shanti, about your mountains and stone towers. More evidence that this is a really small world. It would be interesting to learn more about that...maybe I'll do a little research.
Beautiful tour, Cheryl. Thanks! Stacked stones are also found on Hawaii's Big Island. It's local lore that if anyone takes a lava rock h/s will be cursed. Stories abound about lava rocks being mailed back to the hotel where a guest stayed. You're right, it's a small world.
Beautiful!!!
Well, if I'm ever back on the Big Island I will definitely NOT pick up any lava rocks!
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