16th Day (Forks - Ocean Shores)

After a non-existent breakfast, we head south directly - but before that, we visit Bella's car at the end of the village. Bella is a character from the 'Twilight' film adaptation, which is unknown to me, and her Ford pick-up truck with flat tires is parked in front of the Forks Timber Museum, which also serves as the tourist information center. A small group of Asians is obviously waiting for a guided tour - we, on the other hand, only take a few souvenir photos and continue on our way.

We continue on Highway 101 before a sign on the left announces our next destination - the Hoh Rain Forest. After about half an hour of driving through increasingly magical forests, you come to a ticket booth where you have to pay $30 (credit card only). You will then receive a 7-day pass for some areas of Olympic National Park, but if you only take advantage of this one opportunity, that's personal bad luck. We accept it and after 10 minutes we reach the visitor center, from where several trails lead into the rainforest.

The traffic flow is still not high, and after parking our car, we take the 'Spruce Nature Trail', which Google recommends as a less crowded yet impressive trail. The next 90 minutes are more magical moments on my journey through the USA. You really can't capture the fascination of this forest in pictures. It's a fairytale forest where every 'Lord of the Rings' film could have been perfectly staged. Incredibly tall pine trees alternate with jungle-like fern landscapes and moss-covered deciduous trees, leaving you amazed in every direction you look. And as Google predicted, the trail is really not heavily used, and you often feel completely alone in this fantasy adventure. The fact that you can also see animals lingering at arm's length adds the magical touch to the viewing experience.

Completely enchanted (in the truest sense of the word), we return to the starting point of the trail, and by now the number of visitors has drastically increased. There is no more parking space available (except along the road in front) and noisy children indicate that it is better to arrive here early if you want to enjoy this place in the necessary silence. Accordingly, we quickly make our way back to Highway 101 and head to Ruby Beach, another beach in Forks and one of the filming locations for 'Twilight'. Just like at 2nd Beach in La Push, the sun unexpectedly shines here, and the crowds of people also get lost in the vastness of the beach, making it still feel lonely enough to experience plenty of moments. Once again, countless amounts of driftwood have been washed up in the back, giving the scenery its unique character.

Before we finally continue on to our final destination, Ocean Shores, all the way south of the peninsula, we enjoy an iced latte at Kalaloch Lodge, where the friendly service recommends getting the drink at the shop next door and then sitting on their terrace - because it would only cost half as much there. A service that is unimaginable in Germany. In addition, we take a side trip to Beach 1 at Kalaloch, which has an immense expanse and is not interrupted by bays. Kilometers of fine sandy beach on the northwest Pacific. Beautiful.

After another 90 minutes and a short inland drive, as the coastal road runs through Native American reserve territory, which is not allowed to be driven on, we finally arrive in Ocean Shores, one of the southernmost points of the Olympic Peninsula. The sun is still shining, and our room turns out to be an apartment under Ukrainian administration, and due to the relatively low price, one is almost inclined to think of a depreciation model. However, even the center of Ocean Shores is a few kilometers away, and the beaches down here are not as spectacular, so tourism has not advanced as far as in the north. We end the evening at Bennett's Fish Shack, enjoying Clam Chowder, Crab Sandwich, and Cranberry Salad - called Best of the Best. For the Best.