Take in the wonders without the crowds

Summer is winding down, the kids are back in school and most of the summer frivolity is becoming a vague memory. Many Northwest natives generally consider the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend the beginning of the end -- the beginning of a long, wet fall and winter and time to stay indoors.

Nonsense. If you have any vacation time left, or just want to get away for a weekend before the monsoon season sets in, it's time to visit the Washington Coast. From mid-September to mid-October, hotel and resort rates are cheaper, campgrounds and beaches are far less crowded and ferry rides, although still not cheap, are much less crowded than during the peak summer crunch.

Overall, a trip to the coast this time of year is bound to be much less stressful. Be mindful that summer ends precisely at 2:23 p.m. on Sept. 22. And if memory serves me, fall weather in the Pacific Northwest isn't half bad. Indian summers aren't unheard of. However skyrocketing gas prices could be a limiting factor on any trip this month or next.

A couple of weeks ago, I revisited the coast to refresh my recreation senses dulled by the summer heat and to update what activities are available on the section between Aberdeen and Forks. By the way, gasoline cost way less than $3 a gallon back then.

To spice up my trip, I drove what I would call a "modified loop" -- mostly utilizing U.S. Route 101, with Seattle as my starting point. Besides U.S. 101, my "loop" would include state Route 109 near the coast north of Hoquiam and the towns of Pacific Beach, Ocean City and Ocean Shores on into Hoquiam. Some purists might argue that the loop should include a jog back to U.S. 101 at Shelton and up the west side of Hood Canal and back to the floating bridge to complete a true recreationally rich circle.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A fog bank rolls in along the Washington Coast just north of Kalaloch.

I decided to drive the northern part of my relatively short loop to the ocean first, so I caught the 7:20 a.m. Kingston ferry at Edmonds. Even with several stops planned along the way, I hoped to reach Pacific Beach a couple of hundred miles west by midafternoon.

By the way, I was delighted to find that food service on state ferries is back. In July the ferry service finally reached an agreement with a food vendor and food is available on most of the major ferry routes, depending on the boat. That hot cup of Tully's coffee early in the morning tasted mighty good during the 35-minute run to Kingston.

After I crossed the Hood Canal Bridge, I drove past the cutoff to the quaint Victorian seaport of Port Townsend. After I intersected with Route 101, I drove past another turnoff to Port Townsend, past the serene Discovery and Sequim bays, and past Sequim proper. Much to the town's dismay, the state rerouted Route 101 around downtown Sequim several years ago. Watch it, though -- the speed limit is only 45 mph in a number of stretches of 101 as you bypass Sequim.

About 15 miles farther west in Port Angeles, I passed the turnoff to one of my favorite haunts, Hurricane Ridge situated in one of the more easterly portions of the Olympic National Park. The 17-mile-long road twists and turns into the heart of the Olympic Mountains to a spectacular vantage point at 5,240 feet.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

Ruby Beach is a pleasant walk during low tide any time of the year.

I continued west on 101 from Port Angeles, past a hopping Granny's Cafe just west of town, toward Lake Crescent.

For more than 40 years, Lake Crescent has been like a monument for me. I've photographed it during every season. Every time I drive that miserable, winding part of Route 101 around the lakeshore, I stop at one of the shore-side pullouts just to pay homage to the grandeur of one of the deepest natural lakes in the country. As usual, a speeding logging truck spoiled the moment.

West of Lake Crescent I passed the turnoff to Sol Duc Hot Springs, also part of Olympic National Park. When I was a kid, only old folks visited the hot springs, for their therapeutic value. Today, families enjoy the natural energy of the springs, as well as the nearby campgrounds and numerous hiking trails.

The ocean beach access really begins after the small town of Forks. One neat side trip from Forks is to take the state Route 110 turnoff to the fishing village of LaPush, several ocean beaches, including one of the few really scenic beaches motorists can drive right up to in the state -- Rialto Beach -- and a major state campground. Unusual for such a small town, Forks has one of the most helpful Web sites for the region.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A lone tourist focuses a digital camera on the large moss-covered trees along the Hoh Rain Forest's Hall of Mosses Trail.

But the must-see before you reach the coast is the Hoh Rain Forest -- also part of Olympic National Park. Reminder: The $10 entry fee to the park is good at any of the gated entrances for seven days. An annual pass costs $30. Be sure to spend some time and enjoy one of the most unique environments in the country. While I was walking the Hall of Mosses Trail, a fellow in front of me stopped suddenly, whirled around, looked up into the trees and yelled "Isn't this spectacular!" That reaction kind of sums it up.

Southwest of the Hoh Rain Forest turnoff is Ruby Beach, one of the north coast's signature scenic beaches. Check the tide tables at the information center in downtown Forks to make sure you catch the low tide so you can enjoy a walk on a truly spectacular part of the coast. As you travel farther south on U.S. 101, the beach accesses are numbered, not named like so many other beaches in the state.

I finally arrived in Pacific Beach around 4 p.m. and stayed overnight at the delightful Sand Dollar Inn, owned by longtime friends Tom and Pam Rasmussen. The beach was only about two blocks from the living room window of my cottage, so I was able to doze off that night to the sound of the surf.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

Two young ladies protect their heads from a departing flock of seagulls at Pacific Beach.

Besides the popular oceanfront state campground at Pacific Beach, several other oceanfront resorts and campgrounds dot state Route 109 between Pacific Beach and Ocean Shores.

I think the flattest stretch of beach on the coast must be the section from Ocean City, which is south of Pacific Beach, to Ocean Shores. For miles the beach is unaltered by any geologic rock formations -- just sand as far as the eye can see.

Ocean Shores is the lodging hub for the region with major hotels, restaurants, a major casino and hundreds of condominiums for rent near the beach. And, if you care, Ocean Shores is the home to the only McDonald's restaurant between Forks and Hoquiam.

Well, my short "loop" drive to the ocean and back turned out to be just over 400 miles, including the few side trips. But the beauty and spectacular scenery on the coast only improves the deeper into fall we get, so I suggest you enjoy it while you can -- and before gas prices hit $5 a gallon.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A stuffed gorilla and bear make an interesting photo op for tourists at Peak 6 outfitters on the road that leads to the Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rain Forest.

Forks Chamber of Commerce -- 1411 S. Forks Ave.; 800-443-6757; www.forkswa.com

Olympic National Park -- www.nps.gov/olym/

Washington State Ferries -- 2911 Second Ave., Seattle

Hood Canal Bridge information -- 800-419-9085

Ferry information -- 464-6400; in Washington State, 888-808-7977 (automated), 800-843-3779; for Sidney, B.C., reservations, 888-808-7977. www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

Washington Coast Chamber of Commerce -- 2616-A state Route 109, Ocean City; 800-286-4552; washingtoncoastchamber.org/

Visit Sequim -- www.visitsun.com/

Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce -- 121 E. Railroad Ave.; 360-457-0411; www.portangeles.org/

Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce and visitor's center -- 800-762-3224; www.oceanshores.org

Olympic Peninsula Loop

The term "the loop" has come to be known over the years as the route around the Olympic Peninsula from Bainbridge Island or Kingston via a Washington State Ferry from downtown Seattle or Edmonds. From the Kitsap Peninsula, drivers can access the Hood Canal Floating Bridge and state Route 104 that intersects U.S. Route 101 just south of Sequim, drive north through Port Angeles, around Lake Crescent, to the coast and return on Route 101 through Hoquiam and Aberdeen. From Aberdeen you can catch state Route 12 to Olympia, which eventually intersects with Interstate 5 northbound.

One curious nuance about the loop is that as you drive south on U.S. 101 through the small town of Forks and past gorgeous ocean beaches just beyond, the highway eventually veers away from the ocean just beyond Kalaloch and Queets and stays inland all the way to Hoquiam. The drive and scenery on that stretch (a lot of forest clearcuts) is a little boring and depressing, especially with beautiful ocean beaches just a dozen or so miles west.

To reach those ocean beaches, southbound motorists on U.S. 101 need to watch carefully for the Moclips Highway sign, which is just south of Neilton and north of Humptulips. The road, built by the Quinault Indian nation, is the quickest route to the coast and a direct way to hook up with state Route 109. With no direction sign apparent, I drove right past the Moclips Highway turnoff. For some weird political reason, signs that could indicate to motorists that the road is a direct route to the beaches aren't allowed. Directions to northbound state Route 109 and the beaches (including Ocean Shores) from Hoquiam are very prominent. I eventually discovered my mistake and backtracked to the highway.

When you have the gas money and time, a much bigger "loop" is to continue on U.S. 101 from Aberdeen south through Raymond and South Bend, all the way to the Long Beach Peninsula. To complete the loop, catch state Route 4 eastbound along the Columbia River to Longview/Kelso. The highway eventually intersects with northbound I-5. To shorten the loop headed south, you can turn east at Raymond, north of Long Beach, on state Route 6, which eventually intersects with I-5 at Chehalis.

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