Friday, July 23, 1971

July 23, 1971

Quinault, Wash

Dear Clarice

I got this far on this letter this morning and then as things worked out I used my time for other things so hardly got started. Now we’re settled in a motel in Port Angeles after another day of sight seeing and I’m sitting by the pool while Laurel has a swim (an adult is supposed to accompany a child under 12 — in my case Laurel knows a lot more about swimming than I do & what I’d do in an emergency isn’t quite clear in my mind, but here I am to fulfill the rules). This choice of a motel with a swimming pool is a concession to laurel, who is getting tired of this traveling & sightseeing and would like to get home shortly; hopefully a good swim session will mollify her for a couple of days. We still have two weeks scheduled, but the traveling aspect tapers off now and perhaps when we stay “put” a little longer when we stop each time she’ll be a bit happier.

Today has been a continuation of our exploration of Olympic Park on the Olympic peninsula in western Washington. Yesterday we started on this by driving up along one of the rivers which originate in the park & flow to the Pacific. We drove in as far as the last housing accommodations and there rented a house keeping cabin for the night — left Laurel to read & play while Jean & I drove in further thru the “rain forest” typical of the park. Later in the day Jean & I took another short hike into an area of big trees — Douglas fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce etc towering some 300 ft & perhaps 500 years old — really peaceful & lovely in the late dusk (which is after 9 PM this time of year in this latitude). Today we took another drive into the park along another river (the Hoh river this time) thru similar forested terrain, but I thought even more impressive and scenic. We also took a couple of short hikes down to the Pacific (there is a non-contiguous portion of the main park that lies along the coast). The shore was still foggy when we were there but the drives into the park were in sparkling clear weather. We’ve been fortunate in the weather we’ve encountered here in Washington according to the daughter & son-in-law of a member of my ride group, who are living in Seattle. We had planned to drive into an area of the park caller Hurricane Ridge late this afternoon but the park ranger thought tomorrow morning might give us a better view from the ridge (of Mt Olympus, the highest in the park, and also such topographical features as the river valleys in the park & the the adjacent parts of Puget Sound) so we put it off till then and gave Laurel a chance to swim instead.

My initial impression of Washington when we entered it yesterday wasn’t too favorable but it has certainly improved since, and I think the Olympic park is truly one of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen in all the west. The rain forest is really beautiful, whether it’s shrouded in fog or in sunlight. Both give it a kind of beauty which is quite breathtaking. And of course the Washington beaches, as present in the park, are similar to the Oregon beaches and just as spectacular. Makes me wonder why anyone keeps on living in California.

Tomorrow in addition to driving up to Hurricane Ridge we plan to visit an historic town of this area — Port Townsend — which is supposed to have some interesting Victorian houses. Then onto Seattle where we’ll see some friends of Jean’s on Sunday, plus a museum-viewing that’s available on the side.

All for now — could you send this on to Vivian.

With love,

Carl