We were thrilled to wake up to a bright sunny morning at Lyre River Campground. The weather had been overcast and damp the last few days. We were planning to break down camp and move on which is much more pleasant on a dry day. We made coffee and a nice breakfast while we gave the sun some time to dry out our tent and sleeping gear. We chatted for a bit with some fellow campers. They had converted an ambulance into a camper and were taking it out for a test run. They gave us a tour and it was actually very nice inside and well designed. They gave us some tips for must-see places in Oregon.

Energized by the beautiful day, we got on the road with our first planned stop being Salt Creek Recreation Area. The park was once Camp Hayden, a World War II military camp, and you can still see some of the military structures. The park offers gorgeous views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, tide pooling, hiking trails, a campground, and a picnic area. We walked on the beach first then hiked the trail through the forest back to the parking lot.

Our next stop was Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. It had been suggested as a must see by several people and the road to it was about to be closed for construction so we wanted to go while we had the chance. The view of the sun sparkling on the lake was spectacular. I could wake up to that view every day and never get tired of it. There were a few brave souls swimming in the chilly water but we opted to enjoy it from the beach.

After a fantastic day of exploring, it was time to find a place to camp for the next few days. We wanted to find another DNR managed campground because our Washington Discover Pass allowed us to camp in those for free. A quick look at the map helped us find Bear Creek Campground. It was in a good location to serve as a home base for some of the places we wanted to go. We got lucky again and got one of the last couple available sites. There was no running water at this one but it was a pretty forest setting and had an outhouse so that was fine with us.

We decided to head over to nearby Hungry Bear Cafe for dinner. After seeing the huge quadruple cheeseburger served to another diner, Francis decided that was what he was having. The evening had turned cool so I went for a bowl of chili. I overheard other customers raving about the ice cream which comes from a company in Portland, Oregon so I made sure to save room for dessert, The “small” scoop of Moose Tracks ice cream was actually a very big serving and deliciously rich and creamy. The service was great and our waitress even took the time to mark some places to visit on our map and told us about a place we could take showers.

It was great to have our campsite just minutes away. We were ready to kick back and relax after another wonderful day in Washington.