Fall is ideal accompaniment to Kalaloch on the coast

  • By Jeffrey P. Mayor The News Tribune
  • Friday, November 9, 2012 1:48pm
  • Life

Take off for the Washington coast. Fall’s a better time to take the drive than you might think. You can indulge in a romantic getaway with walks on solitary beaches, dinners before the fire and windswept vistas, or take the family to romp on the sand and watch for a far-off whale spout. If you use the Kalaloch area as your base, there are plenty of things to see and do this time of year.

“During October and November, gray whales begin their migration south,” said Judy Lively, an Olympic coast interpreter at Olympic National Park. “The park’s coastal areas are right along their path.”

The best place to whale-watch is from the beaches and high ocean overlooks along U.S. 101: Destruction Island Overlook, Beach 6, Kalaloch Lodge and South Beach.

Lively recommends bringing binoculars since the whales are farther out than when they migrate north in the spring.

If the whales are not cooperating, you can admire the Big Cedar Tree, walk the Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail or play at Ruby Beach.

Look for the 174-foot-tall Big Cedar (hard to miss) just off 101 near Beach 6. The original western red cedar, which has been dead for many years, is being used as a standing nurse log for hundreds of trees and plants.

The hollow base is roomy enough for several people to stand in it. Photo op!

A groomed trail with boardwalks, the Kalaloch Creek trail is a 1 1/2-mile loop with 200 feet of elevation gain. You might see some elk as they escape upper-elevation snow.

Ruby Beach is a great place to play — when the weather is good — and to watch the power of nature as storms roll in.

Both Kalaloch and Mora campgrounds are first-come, first-served this time of year.

Kalaloch Lodge offers hotel rooms and cabins, and a nice place to eat, Creekside Restaurant, which has a view and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For more information, see nps.gov/olym and thekalalochlodge.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.