In the Evergreen State, the Olympic Highway was the chosen route in 1926 to carry the new U.S. Highway 101 shield.  Beginning in Olympia at the historic juncture with the Pacific Highway (U.S. 99), 101 behaved rather erratically by first heading north, then west before dropping south on its journey to the mouth of the mighty Columbia River.  

    Following Puget Sound to the Straight of Juan De Fuca out of Olympia, 101 skirts the edges of the Olympic Mountains.  Indeed, near the town of Sequim (pronounced 'sqwim'), one can go from snow & ice at Hurricane Ridge Park in the Olympics to Dungeness Spit out into the straight in 45 minutes!  Port Angeles might be a good stopping point near here.  Plenty to see and do here, with some of the frontage road offshoots being short sections of bypassed 101.  Port Angeles also has a good number of surviving vintage motels, a couple of good diners, and many antiques.  Support the local folks if you can.

    Heading west, 101 passes by the edge of beautiful Crescent Lake.  The lake's crystal clear, emerald green waters are best enjoyed on the rare sunny day, but the drive along it's edge is still a beautiful drive reminiscent of days gone by.  However, once past the lake, evidence of one of the states prime industries becomes all too evident: logging.  Now I'm not going to be a tree hugger and say logging has got to stop...let's be serious.  But...does everything have to be stripped bare??  Many portions of 101 along the NW edge of the Washington peninsula look as the highway is going through a war zone.  Naked hillsides, muddy creeks, and ripped stumps are all that is left of vast swaths of the surrounding countryside.  I realize we will always need to use trees, but can't the logging be accomplished in a more non-destructive manner?  

    Finally, the run down the west side!  Ol' 101 skirts the Quinalt and Hoh Indian reservations, and passes through Olympic National Forest and National Parks.  Be sure to check out the rocky Washington coast near La Push and a photo of Destruction Island should not be missed!  I love the chattering rocks as the pounding surf recedes before the oncoming onslaught of the next wave.  Be sure you have your umbrellas!  You are in America's only Northern Temperate Rainforest.  Precipitation here averages over 200 inches a year as evidenced by the soft green mossy coverings on anything stationary!

    Finally, the industrial port towns of Hoquiam and Aberdeen approach.  Old logging towns, these cities are somewhat depressed now due to the exhaustion of the local product.  Regardless, they are interesting in their own right as there are a few remaining establishments, and the junction of 101 and U.S. 12 in Aberdeen represented the extreme western terminus of this transcontinental highway.

    From here, you can almost here the clash of the fresh water of the Columbia colliding with the ocean's relentless surf.  The mouth of the Columbia was, and remains an extremely dangerous navigational hazard to shipping.  Over 100 ships lie scattered on the sandy bottoms of the rivers mouth, the remains of which still occasionally wash ashore after strong storms.  Lucky for us, a ferry crossing is no longer required as it was when 101 first was established.  The 4.1 mile long Megler-Astoria bridge will carry us speedily along as we say goodbye to the Firs, Cedars and Spruces of the Evergreen state.

        I took a little holiday road trip Thanksgiving weekend the Fall of 2001.  As is typical of the Northwest at this time of year, it was drizzly the whole time.  But we have to work with what's available, and I've learned to take a picture even if I know it may not turn out.  I may never have the opportunity to cross that particular path again.  With this in mind, I present to you some photos from a little 101 excursion in Washington, dated November, 2001:

Highway 101 begins in Olympia, Washington's capitol.  As mentioned in Dale Sanderson's Ends of U.S. Highways web page, it's numbering scheme is fraught with inconsistencies.  For example, as you leave Olympia on 'south' 101, you actually head north and west across the Olympic peninsula before you head south towards Oregon!  Here is a shot of the historic beginning of 101 at it's juncture with the Pacific Highway (Highway 99) in Olympia (post 1949 earthquake...note the one-way on State St.)

    On the west side of the peninsula, 101 for a short time wanders through Olympic National Park.  This area is home to America's great Northwestern temperate rainforest.  Don't believe me?  Check out this 1931 bridge over the Hoh river.  That's not green paint, it's moss!  Here's also an example of the road itself through this area.  This portion of Washington State near the Hoh rainforest averages over 200 inches of rain a year.  So, as you can imagine, these are very typical views of how 101 may look in this area.

    Further south near the industrial/logging areas of Hoquiam and Aberdeen, the constant dampness sure doesn't allow an old roadside attraction to last long after its abandonment/demise.  And unfortunately, the somewhat economically depressed nature of this area has caused quite a number of businesses to call it quits over the years.  Although perhaps not as plentiful as they used to be, there are, however, a couple of 'hanger-on-ers'.  For example, check out the 'Y' motel north of Aberdeen.  That old motel moniker on the pole harkens back to a time of chrome bumpers and AM radios, doesn't it?!

    Highway 101 then heads south along Willapa Bay.  The oyster industry is big around here as evidenced by the piles of shells scattered all along this stretch, and the quaint town of South Bend sits right in the middle of it.   South Bend still has that cozy, laid-back feel to it.  Some good antique shops here, and a couple of restaurants serving up---you guessed it---great oyster stew!  Take a look at this pic of highway 101 here in South Bend.  It's still the main drag, and you're glad it is.  I don't recall the date of this Lumber Exchange building, but I believe it was 1902.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

    Before we leave the state of Washington on the old Olympic Highway, you pass a couple of reminders of a time when this was still the frontier.  When threats to the west coast were a real possibility.  Forts Canby and Columbia (see picture) still stand guard.  Their guns long gone or immobilized, the massive revetments serve as a reminder that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.  Lewis and Clark may have explored the area, but it was these forts that helped secure the Northwest for a growing United States.

    Just past the Lewis & Clark monument pictured above, cross the the 4.1 mile long Megler-Astoria bridge and follow Highway 101 into Oregon!