Cabin Fever

With the weekend ahead of Dylan and myself, we planned a trip back to the Olympic Peninsula. It is our most favorite place to go and we both had products to shoot, so we were excited to get in our environment. I was shooting for a shoe company called, BANGS, as well as card business called, Little City Love. Both small businesses thrive off the idea of adventure, so my placement in the Olympics was just perfect. Dylan was shooting for a handmade leather goods shop called, Bradley Mountain, as well as for a new Canon camera. This was my first time shooting for a brand, so I was so excited to put my visions to work.

We started our trip by taking the last ferry of the night from Coupeville to Port Townsend. We rushed down to Coupeville, thinking we would be late to the sailing after I got off of work. When we arrived, we were surprised that there was no one there. The ferries in Washington are commonly a hassle-with huge wait lines that span hours before the sailing. Once we boarded the ship, we took a few laps around the decks-it was so much fun there was no one there. We even started to piece together an eagle puzzle; we did not get far. 30 minutes later, and around 9:45pm, we arrived in Port Townsend and headed West to Port Angeles. Believe it or not, our plan was to sleep at a Walmart parking lot. This was something I was hesitant about, but when we got there, we chose a spot on the side that was nicely light with neighboring RVs and campers. It was surprising that people actually slept at these lots, but was totally perfect for our schedule! We even picked up a morning sandwich from Walmart's Subway and then hit the road towards Hurricane Ridge.

Hurricane Ridge is only a few miles out of Port Angeles, but we when got to the ranger station, we were extremely disappointed to find out it was closed. Dylan and I really could not believe it. We were forced to come up with plan B because our main plan for our shoots was within Hurricane Ridge. Dylan brilliantly thought we should head towards Sol Duc Falls, and I agreed. As we drove further and further into the mountains, our eyes started grow larger, as we saw sights of valleys, lakes, and greenery. As we passed Crescent Lake Lodge, we realized that we actually needed to make a U-turn and go back there. This is a cute area on the lake with a beach, a dock, a lodge, and cute little ducks. We grabbed our gear and products and started walking. It wasn't long before these two ducks wobbled right over to our feet. We took this opportunity to take pictures of them. After that consumed our time, we then headed towards the dock and kayaks. It was a gloomy day, with good light, and no rain. We were able to capture some shots that we absolutely loved. After a successful and unplanned stop, we continued back on 101 towards Sol Duc. Sol Duc did the same damage to us, it took us 3 hours to hike two miles round trip-mainly because we stopped halfway to take long exposure shots of a mossy and rocky hillside waterfall. When we got to the falls, we were in love with the heavy flow of water which encouraged me to keep taking long exposure. I had always admired the soft look of the effect, and was so happy to have played with that feature.

Upon exiting the falls, our plan was to head to our favorite diner, the In Restaurant, to send photos off and grab a late lunch. Dylan and I enjoyed our grilled cheese sandwiches while the employees talked our ears off. We believe we are slowly becoming locals in Forks-it's working. After a tasty stop, we checked in at our cabin in La Push. This spot is the same as when we camp. It is an amazing Native American reservation that is always booked to the fullest capacity. But this week, I was sure to reserve a cold water running A-frame in advance. We were nicely greeted by the check in hosts, and grabbed some hot coffee. We got the keys to our home for the night and couldn't be more excited to relax! We had big plans for our cabin stay, Scrabble in the loft, microwave burritos for dinner, editing pictures in front of the fire, and ending the night with candy and a movie. It is our dream to build a cabin, so every time we are in one, we are constantly critiquing and designing what we want. We loved the clean and contemporary look of the cabin, and the loft with a vertical ladder brought us back to our childhood years. The reservation supplied us with bundles of wood for our indoor fireplace, this activity occupied us for a good amount of time. It was a perfectly cozy night, and I am already planning for the second stay. I highly recommend this accommodation for couples or groups. The amenities are extraordinary considering the rural area; and the price is unbeatable.

We were pleased to wake to the buckets of rainwater pounding down on steel roof. This indicated to us that the climate is too wet to bring the cameras out. We slowly woke up with coffee, enjoying our cabin fever and never wanting to leave. We sadly packed up the car and headed into Forks to grab breakfast. We, of course, went to our usual diner to grab bacon, eggs, and country browns before our day out. Because we had to head home that day, we started to drive East. We quickly made a turn down an unmarked road. When Dylan saw a massive mud puddle, his first priority was to get a picture of his Jeep plowing through the mud. After two good tries, we were stoked with the outcome. Detour done well. With time ticking down, we made one more detour. We took a forest road that led us to the top of a mountain ridge. Right as we parked, a bald eagle flew right over us. The eagle eventually perched itself on top of a nearby tree. After a few classic shots of the surrounding, we were forced to rush back to the ferry. We joined hundreds of other cars and enjoyed a tiring trip back home. It was once again, another amazing trip to the coast. But we are still searching for snow.