I recently changed my cover photo, for the first time since we had the ability to make one, and found myself lost in the photos of our epic vacation this summer. We saw so many new places in such a short time that it has taken me months to process it all.
The cover photo comes from our last long stop of the trip- Forks, Washington. Located the farthest North and west you can be in the US before entering Canada, it served the dual purpose of seeing a part of the country we may never get a chance to visit again, and doing something special for my daughter since it was her last trip with the family before starting her independent life. If you're asking yourself why it would be special for my teenage daughter, google the town and you'll see...
I'll get to the tourism part of the town in a later post, for now I'll show you exactly why it's a spectacular place to visit even if you're not into Vampires and Werewolves.
Second Beach, La Push-
This is where we spent the majority of our time, mostly due to it's wild and dangerous beauty, but also because it is a rock hound's dream and my daughter- in addition to being a Twilight fan- is an avid rock collector.
Here's a small sample of the rocks she gathered in this magical place (and these are actually second rate compared to the ones she selected to take with her when she moved to SC).
For myself, I could simply sit here for hours on end and not grow bored.
I spent the first part of my childhood on Long Island and spent many summer days at the beach, I lived in Florida for a number of years and did the same, I even spent a number of weeks in a Condo right on Myrtle Beach, and as lovely as those places were, none compare to this.
There is something about the rocks I think, that lends to the fierce beauty of this place that sandy beaches just don't have.
Looking at these now I can almost feel the spray of salt water as the wind whips my hair around my face.
The second day brought grey and gloom, but unlike I usually feel about the absence of color, here it simply transformed the place into a compelling, mysterious world. One could imagine a pirate ship sailing around the island.
We learned later that blue skies in this area are actually a rarity. Those with any knowledge of the Twilight series will recall that the reason the Cullens chose this place was for its abundance of rain and clouds.
And the driftwood. My God, the driftwood. It would be apt to call them drift trees.
There was a sign in the parking area that I unfortunately did not get a photo of, because on the sign was a warning for people enjoying the beach to be mindful of what is tumbling in the waves. You would not want to be standing too close when one of these came rolling in.
Obviously we did not take careful heed of this warning...ha!
I had been walking along the shore thinking too myself that the water itself was a living organism,
and then this happened to confirm such thoughts. Don't eat me ocean!
I should also point out the deep dark woods. And it really was deep and dark. Another thing that is noticeably absent at all of the other beaches I've been to in my life- a forest lining it's shores.
And not just any forest...
...a rain forest! The Hoh rain forest to be precise.
And as the water appeared alive, I was also struck with how like bones the driftwood was, carcasses of redwoods washed up on the shore.
A truly fantastical, magical, astonishingly beautiful place that I would recommend everyone visit at least once in their lifetime.
Hope you enjoyed the first leg of my Forks Washington tour, stay tuned to check out First and Third Beach, Mora Campground, the Quillayute River and more!
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