Date:         Tue, 18 Apr 1995 07:25:56 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti>
Subject:      re: GNATT update (fwd)

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Date:         
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         
Subject:      re: GNATT update

some local comments based upon a portion of your itinerary.

>Friday, June 09
>        Drive through to Patricia Bay (Alistair's place!).  Take the ferry
>        to Victoria?  Stay the night in Alistair's orchard (Thanks Al!!).
>
>Saturday, June 10
>        Take the ferry from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend.
>        Stop by Poulsbo for a look-see (Norwegian town).
>        Visit USS Missouri (where the Japanese surrendered in 1945).
>        Head back up route 3 to 104 West to 101 West.  Stop at Sequim
>        to see the Dungeoness National Wildlife Refuge.
>        Camping options include KOA at Port Angeles - $22/night - hot tub!
>        Also tons of cheap/free campgrounds in the local mountains.
>
>Sunday, June 11
>        Stay in the Olympic penninsula area.  Lots to see here, including
>        the Hoh rain forest, Solduc hot springs, Hurricane penninsula.
>        Drive out to La Push, where there are supposed to be great beaches
>        and a rain forest.
>
>Monday, June 12
>        Down 101 into Oregon.  Stay at one of the State parks on the coast,
>        such as Honeyman or Sand Dunes.  Supposedly there is a "Dunes hike
>        every Monday at 10AM in the Oregon Dunes Nat'l Rec Area.  I don't
>        anticipate a problem finding a place to stay - I called the Oregon
>        Parks and Rec. dept. *and* Honeyman state park and they both said
>        I wouldn't need a reservation, and to save my $6 (costs extra to
>        reserve).  Fees for Honeyman are $18/night with hookups, $16 without.
>        They said they are right next to some huge sand dunes.

Poulsbo is an overly-quaint touristy kind of town. You'd be better off
staying in Port Townsend cruising the town and going up to Fort Worden
(make sure you go up to the battlements on the cliff above the parking
lot!) Or perhaps going down the road a little ways and camping out at Fort
Flagler (it's on a smaller island East of Pt Townsend but I don't recall
the name at the moment.)

Also, I think that the USS Missouri is closed to the public, and has been
since 1992 when she was taken off tourist duty and added to the mothballed
fleet.
(There was just a story in the paper last week about moving the 'Mo
somewhere else which is why I think this so.)

Also, the 'Mo is in Bremerton which is a couple of hours south of Pt
Townsend. And Sequim is at least 30 mins West of Pt Townsend so you're
taking one hell of a side trip to see an old battleship. And you'll have to
drive through Silverdale which is beginning to look like a giant parking
lot these days.

More advice: drive on ferry from Victoria to Anacortes goes through San
Juan Islands. Be prepared for lengthy waits although school may not be out
yet so it may not be too bad. Just be prepared. Alternative would be to
take the Black Ball Transport ferry from Victoria to Pt Angeles. You can
still head over to Pt Townsend and Ft Flagler. Or camp at 'Heart of the
Hills' at the foot of the road leading up to Hurricane Ridge. Or drive west
to Sequim - I think there is camping there as well.

Solduc hot springs is a private resort. There is another hot springs thats
on park land -you have to walk about a mile though on an old paved road.
clothing optional. (at the springs that is.)

La Push has some places where you can park a van for camping. It's a funky
old indian town - get your groceries and water in Forks before you head out
there. And do take the hike down the 2nd beach - it's the best. Alternate
camping is at Rialto Beach which is north of the river there, you have to
turn right at the 3 Rivers Resort on your way out.

I'd go all the way out to the tip of the country - Cape Alava - there is a
cool Makah museum there too. Plus you can say you've been there.

The Hoh is definitely worth a trip. Don't be afraid to get off the paved
nature trail and hike in a few miles. It's very flat and easy going. You
may get to see a herd of Roosevelt elk. Of course they feed out near the
parking lot at dusk so you may get to see them anyway but its just not the
same you know?

I think it will take a very long day to get from the Hoh down to Honeyman.
I've always given up before making it that far - but then I always start
late! There is a good campground at a place called Beverly Beach - another
one North of that one if you don't make it - up near Seaside I think.

Crater Lake is cool. And they've just restored the old lodge there which
might be interesting. I don't know what camping is like there though.

well, that's enough on your itinerary I guess. Hope this helps.

-rick


Rick Gordon
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
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