This was a perfect spot to stop towards the end of the day for our family. It was a drizzly day and finding something to do inside was a blessing. The self guided tour was excellent. It progressed you throughout the cheese making process and gave you some great information along the way. The samples were great and the ice cream was even better! We LOVED the ice cream! Enjoy!
We didn't have a chance to devote the proper time needed for Cape Meares, but what we did see was outstanding! We arrived towards the end of a drizzly day and the views were still stunning. The viewpoints around Otter Rock are to die for. The pictures just can't do it justice...
We really enjoyed seeing the Haystack Rock. It was very beautiful along with the other rock formations near it. Be sure to park the car in the public parking lot and walk through the residential/commercial areas until you find a beach entry in between the homes. Once on the beach, it is wide open and there is plenty of sand! Many visitors were taking nice walks along the beach and taking photos as they passed the Haystack. Beware there are a few dogs running around the beach without a leash and crabs as well. Enjoy!
Youngs River Falls is a MUST SEE if you are in this area. It can be hard to get cell coverage while enroute to this destination, but keep driving as they do eventually provide some signs to the falls. Once you are there, the falls is very close to the parking lot. All you need to do is walk down a very beautiful pathway to the water. This falls is amazing and it is very powerful YEAR ROUND. Guaranteed to get fantastic photos and videos! Enjoy!
Our family loved visiting the Astoria Column! This was a perfect stop during our trip. There is a lot of beautiful detail in the design of the column and it was greatly appreciated. The column was open to the public and we were able to climb to the top and enjoy the outstanding views. There are quite a few steps to the top, but they do provide small areas to rest during the climb. The payoff at the top was definitely worth it! You will be able to see the Lewis & Clark River, Young's River, and the mighty Columbia River along with the beautiful Astoria-Megler Bridge! The park staff working were such nice people. Be sure to stop by and say hi to Fred for me! He gave us some good information on the surrounding area. Enjoy!
Lake Quinault Lodge provided a great anchor for our trip as we spent a few days in and around Olympic National Park. The lodge itself is very beautiful and there is a little bit of everything for everyone here. The main area of the lodge is home to a great fireplace with plenty of cozy spots to enjoy each others company and drink your favorite beverage. Here you can order food at the restaurant, grab a drink at the bar, or play board games as a group. The store in the lodge is very nice and you'll definitely find some items to take home with you. I highly recommend this lodge if you have children as the pool area is outstanding. It also has a game area where they can play foosball, ping pong, shuffleboard, or even relax watching sporting events on tv. If you wanted to stay longer than a few days, the surrounding area is full of incredible trails to hike, boats to take out on the lake, and great fishing spots. The rooms we had were fairly basic, but we did see some nicer accommodations if we had reserved earlier. Enjoy!
Our family really enjoyed Hurricane Ridge! There certainly was plenty of snow up there. While planning our trip, we were intending to do the cool trails out to the Sunrise View Point, but the snow was too deep and you would need snow shoes during this time of year (March). After talking with the park rangers, the area is converted into a skiing area during the winter months. They did advise you could do parts of some trails, but it would be difficult. The views were breathtaking at the top. ***DO NOT*** get discouraged while driving to the top if it is foggy down below. You will drive through fog and eventually it clears up at the top. The park rangers are extremely friendly and helpful inside of the building at the top. The hot chocolate was fantastic! Lastly, this area is very cold and windy. Dress accordingly. Your hands will freeze without gloves. Enjoy!
Lake Crescent is absolutely beautiful! The road surrounding the lake provides great photo opportunities. We stopped several times while enroute to Hurricane Ridge. This lake demands your attention and is definitely worth visiting!
Ruby Beach is absolutely worth stopping for while in this area. The pictures don't really do it justice. There are excellent photo opportunities both up near the parking lot and down on the beach itself. When we arrived, the tide was coming in and we decided to stay on one side of the water and forego the walk down the beach. The views are fantastic here and the kids loved climbing on the driftwood. If you can catch the tide at the right time you can see some cool sea life and seashells.
We really enjoyed visiting the Tree of Life. It was a lot of fun climbing on the downed trees trying to get up and under this beautiful tree. There is a small cave with some water falling underneath it as well. Great photo opportunities! Definitely worth a short stop.