East or West side of the Olympic Peninsula?

[DanaCleg]

Hi all! I need some advice on this years trip. I can't make this loop work because I'm not finding much info...or not as much as I want anyway. We're leaving Portland OR going as far north as Whistler BC. From there we're back to Vancouver BC and over to Victoria then we land in Port Angeles WA.
From Port Angeles, do we got east or west? I'm leaning towards the west side because the east seems so busy & we'll see it from the other side of the sound when we start up. I'm just not sure what to do on the west side once we're south of Hoh. Any ideas? Suggestions on lodging, which there seems to be little of? We like anything except shopping! I'd like to go on down to Tillamook (only because I want squeaky cheese) but could be led towards Olympia. Thanks!

[DanaCleg]

As soon as I posted this, a suggestion at the bottom of the page led me to this wonderful post!

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum...mpic-peninsula

[Olympic Peninsula Visitor]

Hi DanaCleg: Definitely head West! There's so much to do that direction. How many days will you be able to stay? Neah Bay for a couple great hikes: Shi Shi beach and Cape Flattery. Also see the Makah Museum. It's world class. Highway 112 is a scenic byway with opportunities to see lots of wildlife. Many places to stay along the way. Lake Crescent hanlf an hour west of PA is LOVELY. Lake Crescent Lodge or Log Cabin Resort, hike to Marymere Falls. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Sold Duc Falls. Hoh Rain Forest, one of the few remaining temperate rain forests on the planet! LaPush and Rialto Beach not far from Forks, the Twilight capital of the peninsula! Really, we don't have vampires and werewolves! Ruby Beach is one of our total favorite places to go. Kalaloch Lodge and Lake Quinault Lodge on your way down the coast. Going the east direction is lovely, too, and I would go that way if you are going straight to Portland. (I lived in Portland for years and always drove 101 down the canal.) It's a gorgeous drive along the water. There are some waterfalls along the way to explore and a few places to stay. Call us if you would like more info. 800-942-4042. Have a great trip to the Peninsula!

[DanaCleg]

In one section of our trip this year, we are driving from Olympia WA to Forks WA (staying the night there), then from Forks to Port Angeles the next day. On the way to Forks we plan on stopping at Ruby Beach, maybe Kalaloch and definitely the Hoh Rain forest, possibly drive out to La Push before going to the hotel.
What I am looking for are things to do on the day we leave Forks headed to Port Angeles. We only have the 1 day and there are SO many things. Should we do (1) Lake Ozette area, (2) Neah Bay/Cape Flattery or (3) Lake Cresent area? My real question....is it feasible to do two of these areas in one day?

Moderator Note: Please don't create multiple threads about the same trip

[DanaCleg]

Thank you Michael! How do I look at my personal posts to know where to go back?

[AZBuck]

The easiest way is to simply bookmark this page in your browser. Short of that, simply note that your thread is in the 'Planning Summer RoadTrips' Forum, which you can reach from the homepage of RTA by clicking on 'Forum' -> "Planning Summer RoadTrips'. If it's not in the list of visible threads there, there is a search function that looks just through the 'Summer RoadTrips' forum.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

Thank you Michael! How do I look at my personal posts to know where to go back?

Dana, you mean I am not the only one who strikes those difficulties.

Now I subscribe to all threads in which I post and then you only need to click on 'quick links' above, to find the thread. But I have forgotten where and how to subscribe. I think it is through general settings. Someone else is bound to know. lol

Lifey - computer illiterate

[AZBuck]

Assuming that you're heading to Port Angeles to catch the ferry over to Victoria and depending on when your ferry leaves, you should have ample time to head out to Neah Bay and double back past Lake Crescent with time for some short hikes and photo ops at both sites. Driving time should be in the range of 3½ hours or so (plus stops). Unfortunately, trying to get to Lake Ozette would add considerably to that driving time since the roads in/out are not of the best quality. Note that adding Ozette Lake would require another 2 hours or so plus the time you'll spend there. Only you can make the final decision as to whether such a side trip will fit into your time frame or would be worth it even if it does, but to me, that seems like a lot of driving for a quick stop, look, and more driving.

AZBuck

[DanaCleg]

AZ - Thanks! I'm taking your suggestion for Neah Bay/Lake Cresent. That will give us some evening time in Port Angeles to piddle around. Or nap.

Here's the finalized route:

Day 1 - Fly into Portland, OR
Day 2 - Portland to Olympia
• Multnomah Falls
• Mt. St. Helens
Day 3 – Olympia, Wa to Forks, Wa
• Kalaloch and Ruby Beach
• Hoh Rainforest
• La Push
Day 4 – Forks, Wa to Port Angeles, Wa
• Neah Bay/Cape Flattery
• Lake Cresent
Day 5 – Port Angeles, Wa to Victoria, BC
• Crack of dawn ferry then in & around the city all day, various museums, attractions
Day 6 - On Vancouver Island
• Pacific Marine Circle route/Big Trees (anyone ever visited these? Avatar Grove? Red Creek Fir? San Juan Bridge Spruce? Would like a better idea of the hiking conditions)
Day 7 – Victoria, BC to Vancouver, BC
• Crack of dawn ferry then in & around the city all day
Day 8– Vancouver to Whistler to Vancouver
• Sea to Sky Highway
• Spend afternoon in Whistler
Day 9 – Vancouver to Seattle
• Anacortes – whale watching tour scheduled, Chuckanut Drive
Day 10 – Seattle
• All day in the city
Day 11 – Fly home
Anyone visit the Big Trees on Vancouver Island? Open to suggested stops or variations of attractions along this route. We leave in two days & after the planning hit the first city (Victoria) I kinda lost momentum. I never know what to do in a city although I can look and see many things, it's just not a comfort zone. We have older kids (teens) so ideas would be great. This route seems doable, it will be the fewest miles we've ever driven on a road trip, but I would like a sanity check from a been-there-done-that (or similar route) member for peace of mind. Thanks, Dana