My wife, Deb, and I like to boast that our sons, Joey, age 11, and John, 12, have visited nearly every national park west of Mississippi. Yet for all of our trips from our home in Spokane, we had to admit that our family had yet to explore Olympic National Park, on the far edge of our own state.Last summer, we decided to change that. In early spring, we began planning a road trip through Olympic National Park along Highway 101 and its off roads. (We started planning early, as accommodations can fill up quickly on the Olympic Peninsula.) Our idea was to spend two days exploring the 922,651-acre park and a third hiking at Lake Quinault in the adjacent Olympic National Forest. We also chose to visit in August, one of the drier months of the year. (We brought rain gear just in case.)
What we found was one of America's most scenic and ecologically diverse regions, boasting Alpine meadows, unspoiled ocean beaches, and rain forests with some of the world's largest trees.
For an added treat, we brought along our six-year-old niece, Nicole, who lives in Seattle. When we got to her house, we found Nicole waiting for us.
"I'm ready for Olympic National Park," she chirped. So were we.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
