07/26 to 07/27 Olympic Peninsula KOA, Port Angeles, WA

 07/26 to 07/27

To Olympic Peninsula KOA

Port Angeles, Washington 

My last stop in the state of Washington will be the Olympic Peninsula/Port Angels KOA located in Port Angeles, WA. The sights and scenes along the way make up the bulk of this blog so I'm proud to share my collection of WOWs. Enjoy the ride. I'll meet you in the campground.

Steep cliffs break the view of rolling hills and sparse vegetation on the opposite shore of the Columbia River.

As I descend, I see I-90 continues on the other side of the river.

And then I see my route ahead.

 The Vantage Bridge. This bridge carries Interstate 90 across the Columbia River and connects Grant County to Kittitas County.

The scene looking south.

As I ascend to the top of the ridge, I see one of the many wind farms here as well as in the Midwest. These belong to the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility,

The site covers approximately 10,800 acres of open range.

The wind farm is operated by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and was officially opened in 2006. It features 149 wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 273 megawatts (MW), which can power about 70,000 homes.

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility provides economic benefits to the local community through job creation, land lease payments to property owners, and tax revenues.

Had to research this: The sign you can't read, "Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail", was previously known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. It's a major rail trail that runs across the state of Washington. This trail follows the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) route. The trail stretches over 285 miles from Cedar Falls (near North Bend) in the west to the Idaho border in the east, passing through diverse landscapes, including farmland, forest, and high desert.

Having never heard the word "Palouse", this is what I found: The Palouse is a distinct geographic region located in the northwestern United States, primarily in southeastern Washington, north-central Idaho, and, to a lesser extent, northeastern Oregon. Known for its rolling hills and rich, fertile soil, the Palouse is a major agricultural area, particularly renowned for its production of wheat and legumes. Did you know that?

Another common sight in my travels are the tandem truckloads of huge baled hay. More common than these, however, are the thousands of rolled bales of hay occupying the landscape as far as the eye can see.

The most common use of baled hay is to feed livestock, especially during the winter months when pasture grazing is not possible. Different types of hay, such as alfalfa, timothy, and clover, provide essential nutrients for various animals such as cattle, horses and sheep.

Farmers store hay bales in barns, under tarps, or in hay sheds to protect them from the elements, ensuring a reliable food supply throughout the year .

Off in the distance, I couldn't help but notice, a majestic member of the Cascade Range. Mount Stuart. Mount Stuart is particularly prominent due to its significant height and rugged appearance. It stands at an elevation of 9,416 feet) and is one of the highest non-volcanic peaks in the contiguous United States.

This wildlife overpass in Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass is part of a system of established and planned over- and underpasses along I-90. The Federal Highway Administration awarded the Stillaguamish Tribe an $8,495,000 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant through the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program for the project. Stillaguamish was one of four Tribes included in $110 million in grants for 19 wildlife crossings projects in 17 states. The project is expected to take up to four years to be completed. Read about it HERE

Driving through the Snoqualmie Pass, a part of the Cascade Range, on I-90 I was presented with loads of post card opportunities. Pretty good shots considering I was just clicking through the window while watching the road ahead. Wish I knew all the names but a picture is worth a thousand words.

I eventually reached the The Tacoma Narrows Bridges which span the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound connecting the city of Tacoma to the Kitsap Peninsula.

The current Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened in 1950. In addition to this, a second bridge was built parallel to it, opening in 2007.

The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, often referred to as "Galloping Gertie," opened on July 1, 1940. It became famous for its dramatic and fatal collapse just four months later, on November 7, 1940.

Fortunately, there were no winds and bridge engineers have since learned all about "aeroelastic flutter," a phenomenon where wind-induced vibrations cause oscillations in a structure. The bridge's design and its susceptibility to these vibrations led to its failure. Watch the classic video HERE

Looking north.

And finally, at the end of a long driving day, I reached Port Angeles, home of the Olympic Peninsula KOA and my overnight stay. 

I just needed water and electricity again so the no-frills campsite was okay. 

I stood in the middle of the road and look to the east and then...

...toward the west. Everything dry and barren. Many of the sites were occupied.

Concrete (immovable) picnic tables were on each site. This came in handy as the high fire risk warnings were in effect. With the heat, I didn't want to further heat up my RV so I boiled and cooked my spinach ravioli outside on the concrete table with my small butane burner. I'll have to show you that great little device in a future blog.

Later that afternoon, a young couple became my next door neighbors as they backed in for the night. If you can read the window on the back door, you are able to rent these small vans for camping.

The next morning, the very hazy sunrise and the smell of smoke in the air was a reminder that care must be taken as I now journey to my last state, Oregon. 

"In the presence of greatness, the mountains in Washington State are majestic and inspire awe in all who behold them." – Unknown