Day 51-July 15, 2016-To Port Angeles, WA
Drove 76 miles in 2 hours.
Warmer, sunny 72.
We’re still driving on Route 101, heading north and east. I feel like we’re on our way home because everywhere we have gone as far west as we can, every place we go now brings us east. Of course we’re still in the Olympic National Forest. We see more logging trucks now that we’re inland a bit. Came upon a crystal clear Lake Crescent, a glacier carved 12 mile, 625’ deep lake that’s smooth as glass in some places and choppy in others. Sometimes it’s aqua and other times it’s deep blue. Surrounded by big pine mountains, the tallest Mount Storm King at 4534’. Got into the campground about 12:30, set up, had lunch and drove to the local Ford dealer for an oil change. They got us in and out in no time, then to Wal-Mart to stock up on things they didn’t have in Forks (or wanted too much money for). Olympic Cellars Winery is across the street from the campground so we went in for a tasting. Nice wine, some grapes they grow there and some are imported from the Columbia Valley. Back to campsite to get ready to meet Mickie, Jennifer and Gretchen’s sister. She kindly invited us for dinner. And what a dinner it was. As we pulled up to her home we were greeted by three deer grazing on the lawn. Mickie welcomed us into her home and showed us around. She is surrounded by happy memories in the pictures and momentos, very comforting and reassuring. The wonderful dinner consisted of Dungeness crab and shrimp, accompanied by delicious side dishes. And fresh picked blackberries for dessert. We ate outside and watched hummingbirds flitting around Mickie’s feeders and beautiful flowers while a Douglas squirrel sat in a Vermont maple tree near the patio. And the deer moved to the backyard so we saw them again. But better than the dinner was the company. We had never met Mickie but felt like we knew her forever. We reminisced about Jennifer and Gretchen (yes, Gretchen, we talked about you, were your ears burning?). But only nice things, nobody can say bad things about Gretchen. Well, maybe Mickie can, but she didn’t.