Quinault River

 When I think of a rainforest, I always think of somewhere tropical. Today’s adventure brought us to a rainforest of the Pacific Northwest.

We left early this morning and followed the fern lined path the meandered through the forest. The trees were so tall that it was at times impossible to see the top. Where trees had fallen, new growth covered the stump. We heard birds everywhere and the air felt cool and crisp. The trail did not have too many steep climbs so it made it manageable for Danny. In total we walked around 3 miles and loved every step. Danny was very excited to encounter a banana slug or centipede.

(some one else did this, but M + J with a heart around it)

Hunger drove us to the finish, as it was 1 pm by the time we got back to the truck. We feasted hungrily on left over pizza and Danny enjoyed watching the Sorcerer’s Apprentice for a bit.

When we finished, we headed back to the Quinault Museum. This eclectic place covered the rich and diverse history from a bit of the Native Americans, to the homesteaders, to the tourists of the 30s and 40s that helped develop the Quinault Lodge.

We learned that the Quinualt tribe is actually made up of 7 tribes and that they control the lake. Each 4^th of July they have a special gathering where they celebrate their culture and have canoe races from the Ocean to a point on the lake. There was a bit about the logging industry and how that shaped the area, and also about the local military folks who had served in the various branches.

Upstairs they had an interesting exhibit on textile, one example was a sock rug, and a quilt dress. They also had artifacts from homesteaders.

We returned to the RV by mid afternoon for a much needed break, Danny explored the campground while James and I did some chores around the RV.

For dinner we had take out from the Salmon Restaurant and it did not disappoint.

Tomorrow we are going to the Ocean.