We got off to a great start on the first full day of our trip to the Olympic Peninsula—we woke up at 5:00, just before the sun rose over the pier in Port Angeles. We decided to head down to the water for a better view and spent about an hour and a half wandering around and taking pictures. We returned to the hotel and enjoyed a bit of breakfast before showering and getting ready for the day.We packed the car and made a quick stop at a grocery store for some fruit, pretzels, and water before heading up the mountain to Hurricane Ridge.
The drive up to the top of the mountain was beautiful. We stopped a couple times on the way up to photograph the lush landscapes and random wildlife. We even encountered a socialized deer that rushed toward us (hoping we had food to give) when we stopped to take a picture. The weather has been unusually cold, and Hurricane Ridge was covered in snow. So much so that the hiking trails were covered and off-limits for us. We spent some time wandering around the top of the mountain and playing in the snow before heading to Lake Crescent. The road to Lake Crescent was beautiful. 
The lake itself is emerald green, and contrasts beautifully with the surrounding area. We drove around the perimeter of the lake and made our way to the Lake Crescent Lodge. We strolled around the edge of the water and spend a few minutes relaxing on the dock—looking out at the beautiful water. We considered renting Kayaks at the Lodge, but the clouds were beginning to look gloomy, and we still had a couple hikes on our itinerary, so we passed and made our way to the Marymere Falls hiking trail.
The ¾ mile trail to Marymere Falls was beautiful and definitely worth the effort. The waterfall is relatively small, but the hike and the surroundings make it a must-see.
After hiking back to the car, we made our way a little further west to the Sol Duc Hot Springs. Again, we went to the Lodge (which, in this area, is usually the only sign of civilization). We were SO disappointed that this natural wonder had been converted into a pavement-filled tourist attraction. The hot springs themselves have been channeled into man-made pools that look like any other hotel swimming pool. The best part of the resort was the small stream of water running alongside the parking lot. The smell of sulfur and the steam rising in the cool air was pretty interesting.
We decided to head further into the Sol Duc area and look for the Sol Duc Falls. We made a few stops along the way to explore a beautiful emerald stream running alongside the road. Breena and I both braved the hill and climbed down to get a closer look and some photos.
A few minutes later we arrived at the Sol Duc Falls hiking trail. Again, the path itself was beautiful and we enjoyed the journey at least as much as the destination. The Sol Duc Falls were much larger than the Marymere falls, and we spent quite a bit of time wandering in the immediate area.
After a long day of driving and hiking, we decided to head to Clallam Bay, where we planned to stay in a B&B before our drive to the scarcely-populated Neah Bay and Cape Flattery area. We arrived around 7:00 and after a brief tour of the B&B we made our way to Sekiu—a small fishing town about a mile away, and ate at the only restaurant in town.
After dinner we returned to the B&B, and since we were the only guests for the night, we commandeered the living room and watched Twilight until bedtime.
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