Privacy of the Mind

Frequent readers will remember I’ve been talking about returning to Ruby Beach for quite some time. With a free Saturday and nothing else pressing, Matt and I hopped in the car and set out with cameras at the ready. Our plan was to circumnavigate the Olympic National Park following Highway 101 all the way around. All told, it’s just over eight hours of driving.

I hoped to set out fairly early but that’s a challenge with a teen-aged son who likes to sleep in. We did manage to hit the road before noon so I guess that’s good! I do the driving and Matt normally acts as DJ, queuing up tunes using his PSP.

We headed down to Tacoma, WA and took the Narrows Bridge across to the Kitsap Peninsula then headed up and across the Hood Canal Bridge to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped in Sequim, WA for lunch at a little burger joint I know and then proceeded west to Lake Crescent for our first photo stop (see photo above!).

The weather is often very interesting on the Olympic Peninsula because of the interaction of the mountains, coastline and ocean. We saw that today as we skirted from brilliant blue skies to gray overcast and everything in between. It made for dramatic scenery at times as we saw clouds clinging to the tops of mountains and hills.

It was during a gray period that we finally arrived at Ruby Beach. Fortunately a little overcast suits the Washington coast pretty well. These aren’t the bright, sandy beaches you might imagine. In most places they are lined with rocks and driftwood and surrounded by towering cliffs. Frankly, I prefer it.

The parking lot for Ruby Beach is just off Highway 101 as you turn and start to head south down the west side of the Olympic National Park. A short hike down a groomed trail that winds from the bluff down to the beach provides several opportunities for great photos. And once you reach the shore you’ll find something interesting no matter where you look. Matt and I spent around an hour and a half wandering up and down the beach shooting away. We were in good company too, it’s rare to see anyone here that doesn’t have a camera.

After hiking back to the car we continued on south with a brief stop at Kalaloch Lodge for cold drinks and snacks. Our final photo stop of the day was in Grays Harbor. We hadn’t planned it but as we were driving through town we spotted a sign that mentioned a public observation tower with views of the harbor so we thought we’d give it a try. There wasn’t a lot to see, but it was still a nice stop.

From Grays Harbor we motored back east to Olympia, WA and then home. It made for a long day and I collapsed into bed shortly after our return.

As usual, more photos on Flickr!