- Hike in the Hoh Rain Forest on the wonderful Hall of Mosses Trail
- Another hike along the coast at Ruby Beach
- Drive south-east to Centralia
- Outlet shopping in Centralia
- Mexican food and spend the night in the Motel6
We start with a morning hike through the fairytale Hoh rainforest. The trees here are literally clad in a coat of moss and lichen. Due to the dense foliage, very little sunlight penetrates the forest floor, which is overgrown by ferns. Nowhere have we seen the temperate rainforest as impressive as here. Only the deciduous trees, which slowly lose their foliage, interrupt the lush green. The highlight of the beautiful short hiking trail is a completely overgrown tree, which stretches in an arch over the path.
Now we are leaving the Hoh River Valley. Right on the road we get to see a herd of stately elk deer twice. In particular, the male with the giant antlers is a feast for the eyes. The route now leads back over to the separated coastal section of the Olympic National Park. Here we meet the Pacific again at idyllic Ruby Beach. The pictures are very similar to the impressions from Rialto Beach the day before with the rough sea, the sandy beach, the rocks in the surf and enormous amounts of driftwood.
We are now leaving the Olympic National Park for good and continuing south to our next destination: Mount St. Helens. The route via the little-see-towns of Aberdeen and Oakville is a bit long. Finally we reach Centralia, where Niki catches the sign of an outlet center in the eye. So we stop for shopping here and add a few fashion items at bargain prices to our luggage. Since it is already 8 o'clock and we both don't really feel like cooking and camping, we go out to eat and find an inexpensive place to stay at Motel6. Niki struggles with a Mexican pizza (quote: “I actually kill me”) while I enjoy a classy ceviche. Halfway through the insane calorie bomb, we both surrender and pack up the leftovers.
