Everyone deserves a special getaway place. A destination that’s off the beaten path yet still reachable within a few hours. A venue with cozy and familiar accommodations, along with a nice restaurant or two. Throw in a healthy dose of privacy and gorgeous scenery, and what more could one possibly want?
For partner Carol and me, Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula in northwest Washington suits this bill just fine. The drive, just slightly over three hours, is quite civilized, and by driving clockwise on Highway 101, one enjoys miles of Pacific Ocean coastline on the way home. The grand and rustic Lake Quinault Lodge never disappoints, with entrances to rainforest hiking trails literally right across the street. Plus, in the offseason when guests at the lodge are fewer and those who show up bring books instead of children, there is plenty of solitude to be had in its historic lobby with its majestic fireplace.
After a two-year hiatus, Carol and I returned to Lake Quinault last weekend for an all-too-brief escape. Weather is always iffy in the Quinault Rainforest, which averages almost 12 feet of rain each year, but we luckily avoided the wet stuff (which would have seriously dampened my photography prospects). With camera gear on board, we decided to drive the 31-mile loop around Lake Quinault under cloudy – but dramatic – gray skies. There were some minor disappointments, as the largest unmanaged herd of Roosevelt elk in the Pacific Northwest proved elusive yet again, and there was likewise no Sasquatch sighting. As shown by the featured image taken near the North Shore Road, however, our vigilance paid off in other respects, as a fleeting cloud break – with an assist from a hiding sun – produced some remarkable lighting in the sky and shimmering reflections in the lake. Thanks to that moment and several other rewarding photographic opportunities that arose during our stay, we were content to leave the Roosevelt elk and Sasquatch for another time!
We have a wide selection of images from Lake Quinault at our gallery on Bainbridge Island, as well as an excellent assortment of metal prints, canvas prints, custom-framed black-and-white prints, and fine art acrylic prints. If you happen to be on our side of the water, do please stop by as we are just a short walk from the ferry terminal. For gallery hours, please consult our Contact page.
Ciao for now,
Andrew (“Andy”) Bergh