May 31, 2014

63°. Cloudy
Mike made pancakes and sausage this morning. What a nice treat. I know pancakes are common but we don't have them at our house often; hence, they were a treat. 
 
Took a short drive so we could check out the beach on the East side of the Peninsula. Went for a long walk on this beach:



After lunch at Bentley's we headed back to the timeshare for a quiet afternoon. 

Tonight Mike made pasta and meatballs.  He added bell pepper, black olives and onions to the red sauce.  Served with garlic sourdough toast. Boy, was it good. The vegetables turned the dish from ordinary to extraordinary. Thanks Mike. 

May 30, 2014

61° Sunny
Awoke to a beautiful day. The tide was low and the ocean was calm. 

Perfect day to continue our exploration of the Olympic National Rain Forest. Arrived at the ranger station in about 1 hour and 15 minute drive, then continued on to the Pony Bridge trailhead. Soon it became a dirt road with lots of potholes.  Then the road narrowed to one lane.  Very uncomfortable ride and scary.
 
This was a   5.4 mile round trip hike through the rain forest to the Pony Bridge pack-in campground. We met a lot of hikers headed for the campground on the trail. Here, Barbara and Mike are crossing Graves Creek on a log across the water. 


On the road back we saw two herds of elk cross the road in front of us. I was ready with my camera for the second herd but only got one decent photo.



May 29, 2014

59° Cloudy
Special request:  Lynne made us a Dutch Baby for breakfast. It's like a puffed pancake. Made with eggs, flour and milk.  Served with maple syrup and wedges of lemon. Very filling. 

Then we went for a walk on the beach. Kind of cold (51°) with a brisk wind. The tide was very low. 





Our timeshare


Enjoyed a quiet day in the timeshare. 


Returned to the Quinault Casino for their Sunset Dinner special. Only $5.98 for a meal. Mike and I had meatloaf (very good), Barb had salmon (also very good) and Lynne had Chicken Marsala.



May 28, 2014

59° occasional showers
Rained heavy last night but clear with a little sun when we got up so our venture to the Olympic National Forest is on. Quinault Lake is on the southern border of the park and is about an hour and 15 minute drive.

 
Stopped at the ranger station and got great directions to some hike options.

We chose the 4.7 mile Quinault loop trail. This trail had many water falls and magnificent tall Douglas Fir trees. Just a delightful hike.
 
 



 



Cedar Bog
 
 
The second half of the trail was along side the south shore of the Quinault Lake

Then checked out the Quinault Lodge
 
 
Before returning to the timeshare we had to take the 0.3 mile path to see the World's Largest Spruce Tree. This tree is 1,000 years old, 191 feet tall and almost 59 feet in circumference. 
 
Time to rest our feet while listening to the waves crash outside our window.
 
Ended the day with a wonderful dinner prepared by chef Mike. Wild Salmon u Poivre with Maple Balsamic Glazed Strawberries, fried zucchini and cornbread. All cooked to perfection. Just delicious.
 

May 27, 2014


59° partly sunny
Enjoyed a sound sleep in the fresh air with soothing waves rolling onto the sand outside our window. Awoke early and went for a walk on the low tide beach. 


After our walk, I had a visitor while getting dressed.

 
 
Today we explored the Penninsula. Especially enjoyed visiting the Interpretive Center. I was surprised to see remnants from the Japanese tsunami that have recently washed up on the beach. Like a well preserved wooden Buddha carving. 

Happy 9th anniversary Steve and Barbara. Celebrated with a romantic dinner at the local Indian casino. 



Spotted many deer grazing by the road side on the way home. 



May 26, 2014

60° partly cloudy
Crossed the street to Penny's for breakfast. Turned out to be a grab and run kind of place. But the lattes were wonderful. So we went next door to the Imperial. A fancy place. The chef had won top chef in 2010. That should have been a warning.  I ordered the pastrami hash. It was not hash. It was more like a concoction of roasted potatoes, and chunks of fatty pastrami with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and arugula mixed together with 2 nicely poached eggs on top (which I did not eat only because I'm not a fan of runny eggs). Barbara said she liked her Sesame Date Granola and yogurt, 

Before leaving we visited the Japanese Garden. This may end up being the highlight of our trip because Mike shared his vast knowledge of the significant garden features and how they relate to the Japanese culture.


We also did a quick tour of the famous Rose Garden followed by a delightful lunch at the Elephant Delicatessen. Then it was a 3 hour drive to Ocean Shores. Rained a little on the way.

Our timeshare is outstanding. Right at the end of the Point Brown Peninsula. VI has several timeshare buildings in this area. We think we got the best location...right on the ocean shore. 









Pizza at Red Genie followed by ice cream at the Peppermint Parlor was perfect for the first night.


May 25, 2014

70° partly cloudy
After breakfast at the lodge, we drove into Ashland and went on an hour stroll in the wonderful Lithia Park along the babbling Ashland Creek.

Drove to Portland. Stayed at the Benson Hotel.
Very old stately hotel in downtown area.

We had a great room.


Despite threatening rain we had to make the pilgrimage to a shop called Mother Goose. Alas it was closed.

Lynne made reservations at Jakes Crawfish Restaurant. Good thing too because it was packed. Had a wonderful dinner and then retired for the night.


May 24, 2014

Road trip to Ocean Shores, WA.  With Lynne Carberry and Mike Pavitt for a one week stay at the Vacation Internationale Point Brown timeshare. On the road by 8:30am.


First stop:  Black Bear Dinner in Redding where we met up with Lynne and Mike for lunch.

Arrived at Callahan Mountain Lodge about 3:30pm. It's about 8 miles south of  Ashland, kind of in the woods. Not a great location if you want the Ashland experience.

Our room was in the basement with a nice patio next to a water fountain. 

Really enjoyed the jet tub after a long drive. Unfortunately, the restaurant was above us with music until 9:30. We found out later that this 19 room property is up for sale. You can have it for $5,250,000. It's a bargin considering its advertised profit is $420,000 on gross revenue of $1.5M per year.