Saturday, August 24, 2013

Behold, the most beautiful place on Earth...

Welcome to Lake Crescent.  It is even more stunning in person than it is in these photos.

Some of the fam flew up from the dirty south for a vacation (relief from the heat was a large factor in that decision).  We went to the Lake Crescent Lodge for three nights and while we were there stopped at a lavender farm, went out to the Pacific, went kayaking, and went on some hikes.  Good decisions all around.

Dinner at Ray's Cafe the last night in Seattle before heading out to the mountains in this pic.

Later Seattle.  Westward bound.

Sequim lavender festival

There were a lot of happy bees.

The view from our balcony at the Lodge

Lake Crescent




A little loop trail next to the Lodge

Jen found a hollow tree!


Looking out from inside a hollow tree

Where Barnes Creek empties out into Lake Crescent


Walking up to the Lodge

Sunset the first night.  These clouds showed up every night at about the same time.

Heading down the trail to Shi-Shi Beach

Our first glimpse of the Pacific from the trail to Shi Shi


Shi Shi Beach

Sea stacks 




CREATURES!!!

MOAR CREATURES!




Looking toward Point of the Arches

Back at Lake Crescent. Not a bad view from the balcony

Full moon over the Lodge.  Looking back from the dock.

Bambi!!!
 
On the hike out to the Marymere Falls.  So many huge trees...

Marymere Falls


The sunroom at the Lodge

Fighting the wind while kayaking w/ mama.


A post kayaking beer


Franklin the Marmot.  A gift from Jen after we heard his brethren whistling to us on the trail to Shi Shi

The last sunset at the lake

Squatch!

Sasquatch is a fantastic music festival that happens every Memorial Day at The Gorge in George, WA (zing, pioneer town namers!)  It is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I've seen.  The music wasn't bad either!
-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-The XX
-Sigur Ros
-Chvrches
-Mumford and Sons
-Edward Sharpe
-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
-Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Elvis Costello
-etc etc etc

Heading east out of Seattle on I90

Crossing the Columbia River

Tent city

Our brave camp leader

No comment.

My first view of the Gorge

The first of many amazing sunsets

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Camp stove of champions

Day 2 - Waiting on Preservation Hall Jazz Band

So Amazing



Trying very hard to stay warm...

Breaking camp on our last day

An impressive collection of wristbands accumulated over the weekend.

The best sunsets