WA – Salt Creek County Park

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My new grandpup accompanied my son and me one day of last year’s Washington tour.  The ranger at the Olympic National Park Visitors Center said most areas of that park were off-limits to pets due to bears in the park.  She suggested that we visit Salt Creek County Park to fill out our day.  My son and I both though Salt Creek was beautiful.  We had a good time with his new dog, too.  Looking at these photos brings back lots of nice memories.

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WA – Point Wilson Lighthouse

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I feel old and worn out, like the Point Wilson Lighthouse.  This lighthouse marks the entrance to Admiralty Inlet from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  The lighthouse is owned and operated by the U. S. Coast Guard.  The property is in Fort Worden State Park.  Washington state considered buying the lighthouse, but that was put on hold due to budget constraints.

This was the first west coast lighthouse I visited.  So far I am more impressed by the eastern lighthouses.  Ironically, most are older than the Point Wilson Lighthouse.

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WA – Olympic Game Farm

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I did a driving tour of the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, WA with my son and his parter.  If you ever visited one of the Lion Country Safari drive-through parks where the people are contained (in their vehicles) and the animal wander (mostly) free, this place is similar.

Olympic Game Farm supplied wildlife for the Disney wildlife films that Walt Disney enjoyed making.  Much of the filming occurred on the farm and the Olympic Peninsula.  The Incredible Journey was my favorite film of this genre.  The wildlife in that film lived on this farm.

The studio moved away from nature films after Walt Disney’s death.  By agreement in 1972 with Disney, the animals continued to be cared for by their caretaker and the park opened to the public.

I had mixed emotions when I toured the park because I was not familiar with its history.  After I read the background of the farm I felt better.  These are semi-domesticated animals who would not survive on their own.  The whole concept of nature films is dramatically different today than it was back in the 1950s and 1960s.  I probably would have enjoyed the tour more if I had been aware of its history.  This is a chance for people to get a bit closer to wildlife.

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My rental car was a black Toyota Camry SE that had less than 500 miles on the odometer. I questioned my decision to not buy the Collision Damage Waiver when this big guy stepped out of line and rambled towards the car. Luckily for me he must have decided that he preferred Chevy trucks.

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