Friday I read the inside cap of my tea bottle, it said that I wasn’t a winner, and I should try again… that was a sign of things to come!

We left Ocean Shores Friday later than I thought we would.  It was almost 2 pm.  We hit the road and the weather was OK, not raining yet, and we were praying it wouldn’t start.  We headed northeast to jump onto Hwy 101 and head for Forks.  We had a tenative reservation at some placed called the Hard Rain Cafe.  But we thought we would check things out along the way and maybe find something else.  So we stopped at the Bogachiel campground and saw one or two sites that looked pretty good, but no, we didn’t take them, after all this was just the first stop, what if there was something better down the road!  (Hind sight, we should have taken one and thanked our lucky stars for being settled in before 5 pm!)

On down the road we go into Forks.  (Forks is a very nice little town.)  Thank you Lord for giving me the sense to bring my camping book with me.  As we drive through Forks I’m reading about 3 lovely campgrounds out at LaPush.  So through Forks we go and the 10 or 12 miles towards the coast to LaPush.  (Now as we were driving through Forks I didn’t see the Hard Rain Cafe & RV park, but I’m not too worried.) 

The first place is not at all what we wanted.  The next campground is Mora.  I liked this place, no power or water hook ups, but it’s set in the trees and looks very nice.  Most of the spaces looked small and cozy.  Rick didn’t buy in to this place and wanted to see what else was out there.  Quickly before driving on to the third site at LaPush I called on my cell phone the number in the book, and they are full.  We were spared the trip out there. 

Next on to Sappho, and the next campground (I use this term loosely), it made a good turn around to go back to the Hwy that would take us to our next destination… Clallaham Bay.  Now if you have ever been to this area feel free to laugh at us now.  We first made a quick stop in Seiku for gas ($2.85 gal) not too bad for the middle of nowhere.  Yes, there was space available, and if you like to feel like a sardine (row camping – not enough room between you and your neighbor to hardly open your door!) then this is the place for you.  It is right on the water, and a very interesting place.  If we were here to go out fishing and not spend time in the camper, then this would have been fine, and that’s what this whole area is all about.  Party time and Fishing time!  Next!

OK, now we have to decide do we go on to Joyce, which might be the same kind of thing we just left or do we go back to Hwy 101 and turn left and head for Port Angeles.  I know there are lots of nice places along the way there, but the hour is now getting a little late, and it is Labor Day weekend.

We turned right when we got back to Hwy 101. (the road back to Hwy 101 is is not a nice straight stretch of road to drive either – at one point Rick asked be if I knew where the nearest WallyWorld was and we had a laughing attack so bad we had to pull over!  With tears of laughter in my eyes I told him Aberdeen – now looking back that would have been not such a bad idea.)  Zipping back down the road toward Forks I am thinking that we had just better find this Hard Rain Cafe and get settled in.  Mr. Rick is getting a little grumpy because he’s hungry – as if everyone else wasn’t – and I didn’t dare tell him I needed to make a pit stop.  Bumming around Forks turned up no Hard Rain Cafe.  We stopped at the Information Center (closed) and I looked on the board for a clue.  A very nice woman that worked here came over and asked if she could help.  (If you are ever in this area, stop in at the Information Center.) She told me that the nicest place to camp would be at Bogachiel (the very first place we stopped!), she said if they had anything there we should take it.  But she also gave me directions back out of town 15 miles to the Hard Rain Cafe.  You see is up the Upper Hoh River road.  The stress is really building at this point.  When we pulled into the Hard Rain Cafe I thought Rick was going to have a stroke.  We didn’t stay.  A side note here… this is an absoultely beautiful area and by all means go all the way to the end to see how beautiful it really is, but not if you are in a hurry to find a campsite on Labor Day weekend!

Driving like a crazy person now (just kidding, a little) we head back out to Hwy 101 and make a dash to Bogachiel.  Funny thing, there isn’t a spot open that we would fit in now.  The time is now getting close to 8 pm!  Next stop….

HOME!

The drive back home was pretty quite, the dogs settled down, Cassie always likes to go to bed by 8.  The sunset was spectaular as we drove by Kalaloch Beach.   The clouds have now all gone!  The rest of the drive home was by moonlight and stars.

We made it back to our home in Ocean Shores (a very nice place on the lake!) by 10 pm!!!

Lesson learned – do not leave the house on Labor Day weekend without knowing exactly where you are going, and make sure you have a reservation.

No pictures… I didn’t have the nerve to get the camera out at any point in this adventure.  Now looking back I should have, because it was a very pretty trip.  Just no camping!

Next camping weekend is September 14th!  We haven’t picked where yet, that’s what I’ll be doing the rest of the weekend, looking for a campground and KNITTING!