Amazing Sign!

Day 33:
8900 miles and counting.
I slept in Elam Washington, and got my start this morning by heading to Aberdeen. I spent quite a while walking around town and taking in the history. I am the perfect age for Aberdeen Washington to mean way more to me than it actually should.
I also visited a giant graveyard on a hill. Of course. You can always count on me, visiting graveyards. If I am not finding a geocache there, I am stealing water. Probably both, and a third thing, that you know what.
After that I head straight to the coast. My intentions were to find the cache across America, Washington state version. Then from there I wanted to get all the way to the north and west while going through Forks. My wife made me promise that if I did this trip, I would make it to Forks. She apparently thinks that I can bring back the ability for her to be a vampire? Not sure what that means, but it means something to her.
Currently I am having to kill a weeks worth of time around Seattle. I have a window repair on my van scheduled in Bellingham next week. So, I can’t get too far away, or I’ll just have to backtrack. I’m hoping to make it all the way to the top left of Washington. Spend some time in Olympic national Park. And at some point, I still must make it east of Seattle to Monte Cristo. That is the hike I was looking forward to most, when I left home with a loose itinerary.
I drove the full loop around the lake in South Olympic National Park. I drove out on the South Shore and then back on the North Shore. I stopped for pictures a few times, including about an hour of climbing up and down rocks taking pictures of a waterfall at the geocache. I guess that’s not inside the park if there is a physical container? I stopped for a couple virtuals as well.
Once I left on the South Shore road I was finally attempting to get to Forks.
I never did make it to Forks today. I was driving along the 101 and saw a sign that said HOH Rainforest: make a right. I couldn’t turn down the offer to see a rain forest. I didn’t know anything about it. I called a buddy back home who is a big nerd. He said that if I have the opportunity to go, I needed to go. So, I made my way down that road, through the entrance gate, and I went into HOH rainforest. I didn’t see but maybe 10 other people the whole time.
I got into the rainforest, I parked and did some hiking. Very little of the rainforest is actually traversable, which I am sure is a good thing. Reminded me of the Galapagos Islands… you are really only allowed to see about a millionth of a percent. I did the two loops by the campground and checked out both of those earth caches. I’m so excited about the spot where the rainforest meets the lake. I plan to go back there in the middle of the night to photograph the sky. It faces the perfect direction south southwest. Fingers crossed for great results there. After the hikes just enough time for a shower and a quick bite before hopefully I’m heading back into the pitch-black woods.
I hiked back to the forest/river intersection about 10pm and spent 3 hours there taking pictures. I watched the stars, listened to music, and maintained an overall gratitude for this unbelievable life I get to live. What a day. Cool towns, rainforest experience, watch the milky way dance. That sounds like a well balanced diet.

I did start an album of this trip that I am updating as I process. HERE.