2014 Exploring The Northwest – DAY 30 – Aberdeen, WA
We are now traveling on US101 that traces the coast of Washington and Oregon. The road took us along the northern coast of Washington before turning south. Olympic National Park is more difficult to experience than other parks we’ve visited. One basically travels around the perimeter, with only a few paths to the internal areas – mainly to rain forests – and very limited campsites. To see some of these on day trips would require we add 2-3 days to our trip. The mountains are generally shrouded in fog or clouds, with frequent rain. Residents tell us that it is overcast, rainy most of the year. The only time we saw the Mt. Olympus peak was yesterday, when Carmine and I were flying on the seaplane.
For those of you that are fans of Twilight, we traveled through Forks. Other than a sign about the series, there was nothing noteworthy.
Our campsite
We tried to get in to the Kalaloch campground, which is beautifully situated on the edge of the park and along the coast, but it was full. So we proceeded further south towards Aberdeen, and camped at Grayland Beach State Park. It is a beautiful park, with large and very private campgrounds. It was just a short walk across grassy sand dunes to the beach and ocean. The coastline and beaches are more like what you would find on the east coast.
Strolling on the beach
Sand dunes behind our campsite
Birds just hang in the air with the strong breeze
We had intended to stay two nights but changed that to one. While the park is a gem, the sole attraction is the beach. There is nothing of interest anywhere in the area. In fact it is an economically depressed area. The little hamlets we drove through were run-down shacks or old, run down mobile homes and trailers. The economics of Washington and Oregon area along the coast are difficult. The primary driving force historically has been lumber. While lumber is still part of the economy, it is just a fraction of what it was. Fishing and seafood industry is present, but not significantly. There is an attempt to increase tourism, but it’s a struggle. Both Washington and Oregon have made serious investments in their parks in order to attract campers. Unfortunately there are a very limited number of things these tourists can do beyond the park – sort of catch 22.
Driving through Washington and Oregon, the forests are lush and beautiful. But about every half mile, you’ll see a 40-80 acre parcel clear-cut of all trees. I believe that the whole area is a patchwork quilt of clear-cut and old growth parcels. Looking at this makes us not want to use wood products. I believe the industry is trying to be responsible by making it self-sustaining. We saw an equal number of parcels where you’ll find new trees growing – some 5-10 years old, and some older – but still years away from being harvestable. A difficult situation when you consider both sides of the economy.
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