For our November mini vacation we ventured deep into the Olympic Pennisula to Lake Quinault.

This is a Native American lake nestled on the foothill of the Olympic National Park and its glorious Olympic National Forest. The lake receives its main inflow of water from the Quinault River with the surface elevation of 190 feet. We overheard the clerk saying that the Quinault Indian Nation still holds jurisdiction over the lake, so it is entirely up to them to decide whether to open the lake to water activities every Summer, and apparently, last year, it was the first year they didn’t open the lake to the public. The Olympic’s West side valley is drenched in an average of 12 feet of rain every year, which is attested by our visit over the weekend. We took a easy hike on the Quinault Loop Trail close to the place we were staying- Lake Quinault Lodge during a rain break and saw an abundance of mushrooms, an unknown species of beetle, the Cascade Waterfall, and the amazing beauty of one Temperate Rain Forest.

Ohh, dinner is served at the Salmon House. Yelp reviews rave its pan-seared oysters but Ri said they were just ok.