Hurricane Ridge

Today you can say that we found the jewel of the Olympic Peninsula. Hurricane Ridge is a 17 mile drive outside of Port Angeles. You drive through a lowland forest and wind up high to mountain ridges. The vistas are spectacular. You are treated to glacier-covered peaks, subalpine tundra and steep river valleys. The pictures just cannot do the views justice.

We were there on an absolutely beautiful clear day. Wildflowers were blooming everywhere providing colors of lavender, white, yellow, pink to name just a few.

We watched a movie at the visitor center that was very interesting telling of the glaciers and harsh winters that have scuplted the area over millions of years. The beautiful meadows that can be seen are the result of natural fires from hundreds of years ago. All of the dark green you can see in the pictures are trees: millions of trees.

A line from the Sound of Music just resonated with me: the hills are alive with the sound of music. John and I can only imagine that this is what Switzerland must look like. The beauty almost takes your breath away.

As we headed back to the truck, we saw this doe standing in the parking lot. She was not the least concerned with the public all around her. From one of the viewpoints on one of the hikes you can take, you can see Port Angeles and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the background.
Spectacularly beautiful: well worth the drive.