Lake Quinault Lodge and The Hall of Mosses

On Tuesday, Dad and I left Astoria, Oregon and drove across the big bridge that connects Oregon to Washington state. The Columbia River is massive and we both talked about how there was a time when we thought the Mississippi River was wide... no chance.

It was a lovely drive to Forks, and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and forests. The trees are so tall that you feel walled in as you pass through them on the highway (Highway 101). Peering into the trees from the road showed me how deep the forests here truly are. One second you are standing in the light but the next you're covered in moist darkness after crossing through the line of trees.

This is definitely Sasquatch country and I am loving every minute of it. I do wonder if those who look for the legendary creature believe there is a family or just one or two. I guess we will never know.

Halfway to Forks, we turned off on a road that looked interesting, and boy were we surprised at what we found! Located on the shore of Lake Quinault is Lake Quinault Lodge, a beautiful building that was built in 1926 by Mr. Frank McNeil. It is a dark building with green accents and two boathouses with guest rooms. The restaurant inside is called The Roosevelt Restaurant because FDR ate lunch at the lodge in 1937 on a tour of the area which inspired its becoming a national park in 1938.

The inside of the lodge is beautiful with windows that overlook the lake and a large, cozy fireplace. We stopped in the gift shop and I was pleased to find casts of Bigfoot prints and other fun things. Dad really wants to take Mom there so I hope we are able to return someday soon.

We got back in the car and consulted our trusty map only to find that the Hoh National Rain Forest was on our way to Forks.

I can't begin to tell you how amazed we were when we began our hike into the forest. It was like stepping into a fairytale.

We did the loop hike through the Hall of Mosses and I will tell you the truth, never in my life have I seen shades of green like the ones I saw yesterday. The moss hangs off of the trees and drapes on everything while the dark green ferns cover the forest floor like grass. The soil is dark and moist and every surface is slippery and wet. There was a small creek with a bridge over it and I took lots of pictures and just stared into the crystal clear water, watching the almost neon green plants wave back and forth with the flow of the stream.

There are massive trees that have fallen on each other and are covered in green and brown moss. One has grown over the path in such a way that it arches perfectly which makes for a lovely photograph. I stood underneath it and Dad took my picture.

We enjoyed hiking the trail and standing among the other-worldly greenery surrounding us. I felt the moss several times and took such pleasure in admiring the almost microscopic leaves growing out of the fungus. We had such a hard time leaving because we enjoyed being in another eco-system for the afternoon...

More to come.