We left Leavenworth around noon, having decided to take the southern route past Mt. Rainier. The drive out of the mountains down route 97 was quite spectacular, and then we were on the eastern Washington desert. I noticed lots of Eriogonum - food plant of the blue butterfly genus Euphilotes, but we didn't stop to examine them. Followed the interstate down to Yakima, and got our first glimpse of the north Cascade volcanoes - Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. It was awe-inspiring! Leaving Yakima along U.S. 12, we wound through the mountains and saw much spectacular scenery in the form of big lakes and forest and meadow vistas. At one rest stop, we saw an impressive waterfall. Rounding one corner, there was Mt. Rainier in all its glory. I suspect the pull-out where we stopped to take pictures is the one used by every photographer to capture the mountain, as the view looked almost familiar. We visited Mt. Rainier National Park briefly - long enough to see some amazing trees along the grove of the giants. Then it was time to press on. We found a motel in Centralia and settled in for the night.
The next morning, we had a box of clothes to send home to try and lighten the load, so we asked directions to the post office and off we went. On the way out of town, we spied a yard full of "outsider art" and stopped for a look. The artist - Richard Tracy (aka "Richart") was there and gave us his whirlwind tour of his yard. You can google "Richart" and find him, but of course we have tons of photos. The experience was quite moving - and unexpected. After stopping for cherries, we drove on to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped at Lake Quinault and visited the world's biggest Sitka Spruce and the historic lodge, vowing to come back for a tour of the Quinault Rain Forest. As we got back on the road, heading for our ultimate destination - Kalaloch Lodge right on the beach - we noticed a beautiful view of Lake Quinault with the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. I turned around to go back to a turn out where we could get some photos. As I turned left to get into the turn out - it happened. A pick-up driven by a non-English speaking Hispanic attempted to pass us and smashed right into the driver's side of our beloved Vibe. Colleen's window was shattered, and her door and my door could not be opened. However, no one was hurt, except for some minor bruises. We pulled to the side of the road and awaited the authorities. First to arrive were the Quinault tribal police (the accident took place on Quinault tribal lands) who were quite nice and helpful. Some Washington State Dept. of Transportation workers also pulled over to give us a hand in the form of duct tape to tape up Colleen's broken window. Next, a sheriff's deputy showed up and after about an hour a Washington State Trooper pulled up. He'd driven 100 mph for about an hour to get to us - did I mention that the area is pretty remote? He was a great guy - older than me! - and gave us some nice tips on the Peninsula. The other driver was uninsured, and was ticketed for no insurance and improper passing.
Fortunately, the Vibe was still drivable, so after we got everything cleared up, off we went to Kalaloch Lodge. It was a beautiful spot - and I will post on that area next time.
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