Road Trip

I did a lot of driving today! After my drive from Texas to Washington I haven't been in much of a hurry to explore. But the sun was shining and it was a perfect day for a road trip. I forgot how relaxing a long drive in beautiful scenery can be.

I took Hwy 101 North in a big loop from Tacoma to the Washington coast and back down again. I put back the sunroof - listened to some music on my ipod and coasted. I had packed a lunch and when I got the beach I ate on the rocks. My first view of the Pacific Ocean. I don't think you can get a good view of the drift wood on the beaches but big stacks of it run as far as your eye can see. It apparently falls down from excessive rain and glacier slides - travels along the rivers that feed into the ocean and then the surf washes it back to the beach. To get down to the water you have to climb over the mushy slippery logs - it's really awkward - I saw one older lady just crawling on her belly to get over them. Unfortunately my manners kept me from taking that picture and posting it here.

What I wish I could convey most and can't through words or pictures are the smells of the day. In the morning it was mist and wood smoke from Saturday morning fires. Through the forests it was of earth and soil and green. Closer to the ocean it was of fresh and cool air. It was my favorite part of the day.

My drive took me through so many different scenes. Mountains, beaches and forests. Past a surprise lake in the Olympic National Forest. I got the chance to hike and saw a huge cedar tree. There were other people out enjoying the views but not too many to make it crowded - mostly just enough to make me feel safe.