Late January Road Trip...

We have only driven the new car to work, errands and a couple trips to see my dad and Elliott.  So, we decided to take advantage of me having a Saturday off and it being a rain free day, with a day trip up to Port Angeles and Port Townsend.

There is a Coast Guard air station in Port Angeles. It's on a spit, you have to drive through a pulp mill factory to get there. We checked out the Coast Guard Exchange there...and added another CG hoodie to our collection. 

This is a huge root ball from a tree that had washed ashore!  We found 4 rocks, the size of footballs that are very interesting, and managed to carry them and ourselves over the washed up trees and rocks back to the car...I forgot to take a picture of the rocks! Dang it!  They are now on our front step.  From here, you can see Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

The view from this base is insane, the Strait of Juan de Fuca on one side and the Olympic mountain range on the other.

From Port Angeles, we headed to Port Townsend for lunch at a Mexican restaurant we love.  It's totally worth the hour long drive!!

Port Townsend takes care of their older buildings, and on many you can still see the old signs that were painted on them. It also has lots of beautiful Victorian homes.

Recognize this building???  Port Townsend is home to Fort Worden, where they filmed the movie Officer and a Gentleman.  This building and other locations close by, are in the film.  The grounds are beautiful, the older buildings seem well preserved and are still used by the community. Fort Worden was an active Army base from 1902 to 1953, after that the state bought it to use as a juvenile detention facility, and then it became a state park.

The Point Wilson Lighthouse, built in 1879, and used until 1975.  

A short walk east of the lighthouse brought us to this beach, that edges the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  

It was a nice day, good to get out and explore a little. I love that Lee puts up with my stopping to take a pictures here and there.  We have already tossed around the idea of driving the whole Olympic Peninsula and I want to see the view from Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park.  Maybe someday, we will venture over to the eastern side of this state...I don't think it can compare to the western side though.