After Portland, we headed for Shelton, in the state of
Washington. The choice of destination was not linked to chance. First we had to get our eldest daughter back to Seattle and then we took the opportunity to visit the surrounding area. Like a large part of the US, the Washington area is large; So we touched the discovery of these landscapes. We first moved into our two-day accommodation. A beautiful discovery and a nice surprise. We had chosen in part because he was on a farm and because the guests showed their desire to share their activities. Located between Puget Sound and Olympic Park, Rhonda's farm and her daughter Naileena is a good example of resilience and human adaptation. Both families chose to live under the same roof and share daily tasks to produce their food autonomy. Rhonda, a veterinary technician, is in charge of Noah's Ark. Two cows, two horses, a few sheep, a herd of about a dozen goats, hens, ducks, cats and seven dogs peacefully join for the greatest pleasure of children and adults who love proximity to animals. For the reception of travelers, they reserved two rooms from their home and share common rooms. When you enter the house, the look is drawn to a flick of objects, small American flags, photos and pious messages. For those who love sobriety, tidy and aseptic spaces, pass your way. For those who love
We spent two days waiting for Maëlle. We will keep an excellent memory of this place and the exchanges we had with our guests.
We then joined another house a little further to get closer to the Olympic Park. It is one of the largest and most visited in the United States. Its particularity is to be composed of high mountains and « rainforests ». It is very wild, and punctuated with many lakes. It attracts many hikers, fishermen and campers looking for « wildness ».
We had the opportunity to talk to you already about the few wetlands we have crossed, but the Olympic Park is another level in terms of surface and density. Except for some places in Redwood National Park. In this more northern region, Redwoods are no longer found, but Western Red Cedars (Thuya plicata). They are known in Europe in two forms. The first rather glorious, under a dark green linear that surrounded our houses, and the second noblest in the form of a slate in the finish of some wooden houses. Even if there are some very nice specimens in European parks, nothing comparable with the subjects that can be encountered in this region. We only visited a tiny part of the park, it seems that more to the west, as we approach the coast, the trees are even larger.
Our journey to Seattle allowed us to travel along the Puget Sound. Between fjords and rias, the landscape alternates between beach, forest, industrial and marina. The place is beautiful and offers superb views of the port of Tacoma with Mount Rainier in the background.
We will regret the lack of public space to approach the sea. Most of the space is occupied by private properties that have appropriated the view. By driving, we were able to observe seals resting on a pontoon. The area seems very fishy, and it is a very popular spot for divers. We have had too little time to discover the region better but it will remain a very good memory.
