Fred spends a morning at Kalaloch Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula after camping in the rainforest.
040818.1044 — Kalaloch Lodge, Olympic Peninsula, WA
Got a little bit of a headache going, woke up with that. Otherwise my campsite last night was beautiful — in a rainforest, beside a river, in a nearly deserted national forest campground 13 miles down a gravel road from the highway.
Spent most of the day yesterday just driving. Interesting scenery, but nothing compelling enough to stop me for long. In the little town of Westport I got to hear the daily announcement of winning fish — 150 lb halibut, for example must have been fun to haul in. Oysters didn’t sound appetising to me as I passed through Raymond — I’m also feeling a little queasy at the moment; could have to do with hardly eating yesterday other than potato chips and orange juice and — yes, it was what looked good out of the food cabinet last night — Spam. I don’t think Spam ever goes bad, but that could explain headache and upset stomach.
Grapefruit, english muffin, bacon, coffee. And feeling about 90% better. I slept very well last night, actually, from just before dark, to just after sunrise. The beach in front of me is literally covered with driftwood, should make for a good after breakfast constitutional.
And I’m trying to figure out the people at the next table, who appear to be speaking Russian or Ukrainian but the guy speaks English like a gringo and apparently the kids understand English but prefer to speak native. And had a little discussion with the surrounding guests about the benefits of stealing internet while travelling.
This would have been a somewhat different trip, if I’d taken the Pinzgauer, I think. To begin with, a day like yesterday where I spent the whole day in the car, would have been fewer miles and more tiring. About the same comfort level in the bed, but a lot messier and harder to get stuff arranged. And lots of yahoos to talk to — could be good sometimes, I guess, but I’m just as happy to be left alone. Then there’s the prospect of having spent hours trying to dig myself out, having gotten stuck in the sand in Long Beach, perhaps.