Seattle and Olympic National Park

A couple of years ago when Kristi was completing her intern years in Pietermaritzburg, she volunteered as a medic cyclist in the Berg & Bush mountain bike race. She met loads of awesome people during the grueling endeavor, and one of them now lives in Seattle. She reached out to Tayrone and inquired whether we could possibly stay over with him at his place. He immediately said yes, which was very kind of him. 

Seattle like most of the bigger American cities has a great public transport system. We conveniently only had to take a single bus from we where got dropped off by the Bolt bus to his neighborhood, Kirkland, and fortunately his place was walking distance from the bus stop. So the two pack donkeys didn't have to walk very far! 

His condo is situated right on Lake Washington with great views of the city skyline across the water. We went for a stroll along the lake after dropping our stuff and headed to a nearby grocery store to get some breakfast things for the next couple of days. 

Just outside Tayrone's condo in Kirkland, next to Lake Washington

When we returned Tayrone was home and we spent the evening chatting about traveling and the realities of moving abroad...We also made some dinner at his place and enjoyed a bottle of chardonnay - we only had a week left of our trip so we thought we may as well start getting back in the habit! 

The next morning we headed to city, the skies were cloudy and grey and a light drizzle of rain was falling. Seattle is renowned for its rainy days so it was probably an apt welcome! 

He headed straight to the famous Pikes Place market and stopped by the original Starbucks Coffee shop to get our favorite fix for the day...the cold weather definitely helped us savour the moment! 

At the original Starbucks store - where it all began 104 years ago!

We then strolled through the market place, tried some of the famous Pacific Salmon and enjoyed the colourful look and feel of the place! 

Pike's Place Market

The rest of the day was spent walking around the city, taking in the sights and enjoying the laid back vibe that we've come to love on the west coast... 

Space Needle!

That evening Tayrone took us to one of his favorite restaurants, a nice and trendy Thai place, with really good food, just around the corner from his apartment. 

When we got back to his place we had to start packing for the final adventure of our journey, a weekend camping trip  to the nearby Olympic National Park. Tayrone unfortunately couldn't join us but we were thankfully returning to his place afterwards so we could leave some of our stuff at his place. 

The next morning we strapped on our backpacks for nearly the last time and headed to the bus stop to take a ride to the airport where we picked up our rental car. It is only about a 3 and a half hour drive to the park and the road there is really beautiful, driving by the many lake and seaside areas that make up the North West region of Washington state. 

Map of Seattle and Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park fills up pretty much the entire north west corner of the state, with only a few isolated towns sitting on its perimeter. 

The snow-capped Olympic mountain range runs from North to South down the eastern section of the park but what makes this park unique is the seemingly out of place, though indigenous, rainforest that covers the lower stretches of the mountain range, as well as the wild and remote coastline to West. We booked a camping spot in the Sol Duc campground that is located as close to the heart of the park as you can get. Having read about the rainforest aspect of the park we came somewhat more prepared than usual, we brought along an extra tarp and some rope, which proved prescient as it was raining when we arrived at our campsite. We made quick work of setting up our rain shelter and then plonked our walmart tent underneath. The shelter seemed to do the trick and we had a much better (and dryer) than usual sleep on our first night in the walmart tent. 

We're ready for you this time rain...so bring it!

The next morning the rain had stopped and it looked like it was going to be nice day out. When we emerged from our tents we got to see for the first time  how beautiful the campground was, with lush green trees and a river running along the outskirts. We wasted no time in getting ready because we wanted to take advantage of the favourable weather and go out and explore the park. The previous evening a ranger gave us some valuable tips on which hikes to do and where we can go to see the famous feat of the Pacific Salmon spawning in the rivers after having swam upstream from the ocean! 

We headed out to the Deer Lake trail which is an 8 mile round trip that runs through some of the characteristic Olympic rainforest, while climbing 1700 feet to the lake. 

Right from the get go we were completely awestruck by the lush and green scenery of the rainforest. It looked like something from a fairytale, with the cold morning mist lurking in the low ground and the slivers of sunlight piercing through the canopy of the ancient trees all around us... 

Typically luch rainforest growth - Deer Lake trail, Sol Duc

We walked by many waterfalls and rushing rivers, the white water shining almost luminescently against the moss covered stones. 

Those who, like yours truly, are fans of the Star Wars movies will share my delight in learning that the scenes from the epic battle in the "Return of the Jedi" on the forest moon of Endor (the one with the Ewoks) was shot in this very location! I tried to explain it as best I could to Kristi but we struggled to get past the scientific anomalies of inter galactic travel, 'jedi', the 'force' and a little green creature with large bat-like ears...show her the movies I must ;)

It was a sturdy hike up to the lake, which appeared almost out of nowhere! The water was still and calm which allowed for a beautiful reflection of the surrounding pine covered mountain slopes. 

Deer Lake

We were completely alone at this isolated and tranquil location so we found a nice spot on the furthest section of the lake to have some lunch - turkey, hummus, cheese and spinach wraps, we added a few more toppings seeing as though it's our final hiking adventure! 

The hike down went nice and quickly, but we couldn't resist the urge to stop a couple of times to admire the magical beauty of the lush green forest. 

The beautiful Sol Duc River

Afterwards we headed back to Sol Duc lodge where we treated ourselves to great post-hike reward...a relaxing dip in the hot springs! The lodge is situated right next to a geothermal pool and has fashioned it into a series of convenient swimming pools a la Goudini Spa...Great way to work out that muscle fatigue ;) 

After simmering to about a medium rare, we got out, much to the protest of my wife, ran through the showers, grabbed some coffees to go and headed out again. We still had to go try find those salmon! The ranger suggested we head to this trail that runs about a mile and half through a beautiful section of old growth rainforest to a very secluded section of the river where the salmon can spawn in peace. It was already mid afternoon when we arrived at the trail head so I suggested we pack in our gas cooker and dinner stuff and go have an early dinner by the river. The trail is not that well known and somewhat hidden from the road, so we walked completely alone the entire way. 

It was an amazing trail, faint and overgrown in sections with lusciously thick undergrowth which gave it a wild and untamed feel and instilled in us a glimpse of what it must have felt like when this place was explored for the first time! 

North Fork trail - Just had to clear the path for my wife...

When we reached the river we immediately spotted two massive salmon close to the bank fighting steadily against the stream. 

At first they skirted away when we approached the river bank but then after we made ourselves comfortable they returned and went back to their business. These guys have endured an arduous upstream journey to the very spawning ground where they hatched out years ago. They usually die a couple of days after spawning which makes the process all the more surreal. The hatchlings will usually spend a year or so in the freshwater before following the stream down to the Pacific where they will spend most their life before making their final journey back up the same river. 

We decided that it was the perfect spot to cook our meal - the river flowing swiftly next to us, the lush forest surroundings and of course our two salmon compadres...

A little bit further downstream but it shows what the salmon have to swim against!

Our mushroom risotto meal, that we looked forward to all day, unfortunately turned out to be a serving for one and even by American standards wasn't big enough for the two of us. So it was more of an hors d'oeuvre! Regardless it was a memorable setting, cooking our food and enjoying it out there in the wilderness...

Can't ask for a better setting!

On our way back to camp we made a pit-stop at the lodge to grab a quick meal at the restaurant - a shared cheese burger and fries, which did fill us adequately for the rest of the night! 

The next day we planned to drive out to some of the other recommended spots further away. Our first stop was the furthest north west region of the park, called Cape Flattery which is situated along wild and scenic Pacific coastline. 

Lake Flattery coastal road

The drive out there was really beautiful, the road runs adjacent to the ocean and we passed some small native American fishing settlements along the way. It gave us quite an impressionable look into the way of life in this isolated part of the world. 

Neah Bay - Small, remote fishing village on the way to Cape Flattery

When we arrived at Cape Flattery we parked the car, packed in our lunch supplies and headed to a trail that takes you right up to these rugged sandstone cliffs that overlook the coast. The views were remarkably wild and beautiful and made you feel like you truly were on the edge of the world!

Cape Flattery - It's a wild place

 We found a nice spot to make lunch and enjoyed the sound of the waves breaking against the big rocky outcrops that stood resolutely in the bay. 

We even spotted a lonesome fishing boat heading off into the vast blue horizon, in search of that next big catch...  

After lunch we drove back along the coast and headed to a little logging town that has claimed a lot of fame over the last decade due to its central role in the very popular Twilight novels and movies...I'm talking of course about Forks... 

This one is for my sisters...#Twilightfanatics

We stopped at a small diner in town for a quick cup of coffee and some pie, a spell of rain was working its way overhead so we decided to wait it out before heading to our next spot.

Small diner in Forks 

When the rain finally dissipated we headed back to the coast to a trail that takes you to a series beaches lying on the western reaches of the park. It was a short walk through the forest and when we reached the beach we were greeted with clear skies and a welcomed sun hovering over the western horizon. The beach was really something out of this world. We first had to make our way over this graveyard of giant, washed out tree trunks to get to the sand. But what really made the setting unique were these mounds of rock, towering in the breakwater along the beach. 

2nd Beach, La Push

Most of them have trees growing on top of them, giving them an island like look, but with the jagged harshness from enduring years of relentless waves beating against the rock. 

The place just had a completely wild and remote feel to it which was great to experience. We found a nice big old log on the beach to sit on, opened a beer and watched the sun descend behind the idle rock formations towering in sea. It was the perfect setting to end off our adventure, both in the Olympics and for our journey as a whole. 

What a special place!

It perfectly personified our love of adventures, of nature and of exploring those remote, untouched corners of this beautiful world of ours. 

On our way back to camp we again stopped by the Sol Duc lodge to have quick dip in the hot springs - one last time - and went back to our campsite to make some dinner...

The next morning we had to get up early and make our way back to Seattle to drop off the rental car at the airport.

After dropping off the car we headed back to Tayrone's place where we had a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon, watching a movie and having pizza...

The next day we just headed into town to do some shopping - just to make sure we spent all our savings at the end of this trip ;) 

We had such a great time in Seattle and the Olympic National Park. It really was the perfect way to end off our adventure, with both the friendly hospitality of Seattle and our mate Tayrone - that we've always seemed to be blessed with - as well the wild natural beauty of the Olympic National Park - that we've always sought to discover....

We've come to the end of the road but like the legendary Louis L'Amour wrote, "there will be a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning."

And so it is with full hearts and many cherished memories that we head back to our beloved homeland, to our family and friends, ready to plant our roots, and to start a new chapter of our lives! 

Thanks to the Lord for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us over these last 6 and a half months and for all the support from back home - it really kept us going! 

Adios for now! Really looking forward to see everyone again... 

God bless and greetings America! Thank you for all the great memories!

Portland and Mount Hood

Now we did take a train ride back in Peru, when we traveled from Aguas Calientes to Ollayantambo, but we had not yet taken a proper overnight train trip...We found a prime opportunity to take one when we needed to get from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, which is quite a way up. We had some time to kill, the train fare was quite a bit cheaper than a flight (and not a lot more expensive than the Greyhound) and we heard the "Coastal Starlight" train offers some great scenery along the way! We didn't need much more motivation than that and booked two tickets to Portland. Our train departed Emeryville station at 10:00 pm which meant with the approximate travel time of 17 hours we were expected to arrive in Portland by 15:00 the next day. 

Ready for our train ride!

We found our seats, jerked all the reclinable pieces in place and settled down to sleep. The rhythmic sounds and movements of a train as opposed to the usual buses actually make quite a big difference in allowing for a semi comfortable sleep! 

When I woke up, at around 06:30 am the next morning, we were greeted with the most amazing sight on either sides of the train. The sun was just appearing over the eastern horizon and a whole world lit up before our eyes! 

Early morning view from the train

Thick groves of Oregon Pines as far as the eye can see, mist laden meadows of rich golden color and this massive and majestic snow covered mountain standing proud in the pink morning light...I literally had to rub my eyes to make sure I was awake and then when assured I proceeded on jumping on Kristi to wake her up! 

That small white cone is the volcano Mt Shasta 

A train ride really offers a great way to enjoy the scenery, relax with a good book, and dine in style as the train gently churns on ahead...Can't believe we haven't thought of this before! 

The girl on the train

We arranged to stay with a friend we made back in Minca, Colombia, Bryan, who lives in Portland. He generously agreed to come pick us up at the train station, give us a quick tour of the city to help us get our bearings and take us back to his place. 

Oregon and Portland especially, definitely has a unique vibe to the rest of the US. It's a very prosperous city but has managed to still hold on to that small town feel, it bestows a great sense of civic duty, has a characteristic progressive and libertarian feel about it and displays a rich passion for culture, style and taste...It's a very wholesome place and any city that prides itself on good coffee and beer has got it right in my book! 

After dropping off our stuff, Bryan took us out for a round of beers at a nearby joint in his neighborhood, a very cool old English-style pub. We caught up on the past two months since we last saw him and it struck us then how little time we have left on our trip! 

We have only had good hosting experiences on our trip but Bryan really went out of his way to make us feel at home! He gave us heaps of information and tips about what to do around Portland, helped us plan our excursions and even went so far as to let us have his room for our stay! It was truly generous of him and we cannot thank him enough! 

The next morning we headed out to explore the city which has got a very convenient bus system to navigate around with. We wasted no time in trying some of Portland's renowned cuisine and headed to a brunch spot to enjoy a couple of scrumptious breakfast sandwiches and some of that famous Pacific Northwest coffee! We then just strolled around, visited some shops and explored the world's largest book store, Powell's Books. 

and the book thief...

You apparently cannot visit Portland and not try some of its famous donuts, so we headed to Blue Star donuts to pay our dues and see what all the fuss is about...The cold, rainy weather definitely plays it part in luring you in to the cozy comforts of warm baked sugary goods and fresh coffee! 

Words to live by

Bryan invited us to have dinner with two of his close friends at their place later that evening, so after a quick afternoon drink at the Lucky Labrador beer hall - het so aan my swaer Thiam gedink - we headed over to Chris and Carly's place. Bryan prepared a lovely meal for us and together with some good wine and conversion really gave us a taste of home again and beats what any restaurant in the world can offer! 

Dinner at Chris and Carly's place

The next day we planned to take a short weekend road trip to the nearby Mount Hood area, to do some hiking and see some of that classic Oregon wilderness! 

After picking up our rental car we made a quick, or we thought it would be quick, stop at the Danner boot factory store which was situated near the rental agency. Now just for some background, ever since watching the movie Wild, where Reese Witherspoon does the famous Pacific Crest Trail in a pair of Danner boots, has Kristi wanted a pair of these hiking boots. 

They are unfortunately hard to find and difficult to order online when you're moving around all the time. So expectations were high to say the least when we arrived in the city where they are made!  We visited the retail outlet in town the previous day, where Kristi tried on and looked great in the pair she wanted but fortunately we didn't buy them then because later that evening Chris told us about the Factory store and that you can get them for nearly 50% cheaper over there...Anyways long story short we both walked out with a new pair of Danner boots at the end of the day! Lekker bederfie! 

Happy days!

That night we stayed over in a small town, called Sandy, at the edge of the Mt Hood national forest to get a nice early start the next morning for our hike. We planned to do the Paradise loop trail which is part of both the popular Timberline and Pacific Crest Trails - so it promised to be a good day outing...man, we didn't know the half of it! 

The trail starts at the famous Timberline ski lodge and then skirts along the slope of Mt Hood via the timberline...The ski season only starts at the end of November so we thought that we'd only see some snow on the higher reaches of Mt Hood...Imagine our surprise when we neared the Timberline lodge area and found the whole place covered in snow! Proper fresh, couple of feet tick, soft, white, wonderful snow! 

Talk about a change of scenery!

After a quick, 'niks gewoont nie', freak out session, it struck us that our hiking trail that started at the lodge might not be doable given the snow...Fortunately we ran into three trail runners who were on their way to run the trail - they assured us we'd be fine and that the route will be very visible! That settled that and we grabbed our hiking gear and headed to the trail. 

It's a 12 mile hike so relatively long with considerable elevation loss and gain. You drop and climb both getting to Paradise Park and returning. There are really some incomparable vistas as you hike from Timberline Lodge west along the Pacific Crest Trail via Zig Zag Canyon.

It was a really stunning day with crisp blue skies that accentuated the fresh white snow remarkably. We counted ourselves lucky considering that the previous couple of days' weather were atrocious! 

Walking in a winter wonderland

Hiking through the snow was definitely a highlight for us, I think since it's such a foreign concept for us South Africans. It was a really exciting and thrilling outing! 

The mighty Mt Hood!

After a couple of miles we descended into more heavily timbered areas with occasional views. 

There were these occasional small canyons that we had to skirt through and one river crossing before we got to the Paradise loop section. The furthest section of the loop, before you start heading back, had a very nice sunny spot with a great view of Mt Hood - we fortunately found some friendly people there who could help us capture the moment! 

Paradise trail turnaround point

The walk back went relatively smoothly, slightly more elevations but we stopped for a nice lunch break which helped us refuel! 

This hike is one of the most outstanding hikes available on Mt Hood due to the incredible views of the mountain and the surrounding landscapes. We couldn't believe our luck with the snow and thoroughly enjoyed the wholly foreign element it provided! I mean just when you thought you've seen and done every type of hike possible you get to experience something new - we were so grateful for the experience! 

What a hike!

After completing the hike we headed to the beautiful Timberline Lodge for some coffees to warm us up! We were staying at the nearby Government Camp that evening, at the Best Western hotel - managed to get a room at a special rate! Just across from the hotel there was a very nice craft brewery, Mt Hood Brewery - Oregon is littered with them. We went there for dinner that night and had a really nice meal and some good beer, and we got to see the Chicago Cubs baseball team make it to the World Series (American for final) - last time they won it was in 1908! So it was quite a defining and special moment for Chicago, and having particularly enjoyed our stay there we kind of felt a connection to the celebratory occasion! 

The next morning we did a short hike to Mirror lake, which was situated close to our hotel. 

Mirror lake

It was a beautiful walk in between the Oregon Pines and the lake looked idyllic with the mountain perched in the background. 

Mt Hood in the background

Afterwards we headed east and then north behind Mt Hood to the town of Hood River lying on the bank of the dominant and powerful Columbia River. It was along this river that the legendary explorers Lewis and Clark finished their epic expedition from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Northwest... 

That night we stayed in a nice little hostel in town, and treated ourselves to a delicious dinner, at a cozy Thai restaurant just a short walk from the hostel. 

The next morning we drove all along the Columbia River Gorge, and stopped by the many waterfalls that flow into the river. 

Horsetail falls

The most spectacular of the lot was definitely Multnoma Falls, which is a narrow but tall waterfall, and surrounded by the most beautiful display of autumn trees. 

Multnoma falls

We hiked all the way to the top which was a steep 1 mile vertical ascent but the views of the Columbia River were really beautiful from the different viewpoints along the trail. 

Columbia River in the background

It was our last scenic stop before heading back to Portland so we spent some time there and just enjoyed the typical Oregon scenery. 

After dropping off our rental car - an apple red Kia Soul, which was a very nice little car - we headed back to Bryan's place to drop off our bags. We didn't wanted to impose on him any more so we arranged to stay at a airbnb that night, we did though take him up on a proposed visit to his favorite pizza parlour in the neighborhood, Apizza Schols. People from New York pride themselves on knowing good pizza and Bryan didn't disappoint! It was a good way to end off our stay in the lovely city of Portland, with quality food, a friendly, laid back vibe, wholesome conversation and off course some craft beer! 

Great Pizza!

The next morning we headed to the bus stop to take the 'bolt bus' to, wait for it...the final destination of our 7 month journey! Seattle, Washington...

Thanks for the great time Portland!