Howard Johnson Philadelphia In Springfield

... ending at the ridgeline)
Stay at Sol Duc hot Springs Resort where you'll find three spring-fed soaking pools that hold steady at 99, 101, and 104 degrees

Day 2:
Drive the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway Loop (past Forks) which connects with Upper Hoh Road. This scenic road will take you to Mount Olympus's blue Glacier.
Stay at Lake Quinault ...

I pulled this itinerary from Shape magazine's April 2009 edition. I was immediately drawn the the picture of mountains and pine trees - seems like it could be a fun weekend away.

Friday:
From the hotel - walk to Quayside Marina and take the $4 ferry to Granville Island.
Go to Granville Island Public Market
Take the Passenger Ferry ($3) across the inlet to ...

... had a few shops that were open so early in the morning. 1st stop of course was the Choc shop where we got multiple selections for tasting.......
Then it was off to Dunkin's for a coffee so we could get the breakfast underway. I had to also grab a choc frosted donut while there...but that should be of no surprise to anyone reading these blogs at this time.

After loading up with enough sugar for the whole trip we hit a couple of small shops. We ...

Got up at approx 7am with the mobile phone alarm going off......
Linda decided to stay in bed as I had a shower and warned up a little before heading to the tourist sites again before the bus loads of tourists all got there.

First up was the Whitehouse with a coffee from Macca's of course as a stopover of course.
When we got to the gates we started to take some pics. I decided to set up the tripod (all of 10cm high ...

... a sign that said all "Crown Access" tickets needed to check in at this building.
Too many people heard her and 1 dood jumped in front of here and when at the counter advised them he was with 24 others all behind us........so yep you guessed it.....they all went before us. We decided it would be better if we just grabbed a coffee and brekky and waited the 15 mins or so to get checked in.
We grabbed some brekky and it was the worst ever on the island......A coffee each which later ...

Just a quick one to say hi to all my mates from another US city of the revolution (a couple of hundred years ago) now the city of Brotherly Love & soft cheese ! Have spent a few days eating and drinking and catching up with Andy's former life / acquaintances etc - lots of rowing talk and seemingly collecting specimens for a stacked boat at Henley 2010. Back to London on Monday night and work shortly thereafter yeuck.

... aside, I'm fairly physically fit so it wasn't because I couldn't hack it.) If you are a runner or enjoy biking, that might also be a good way to explore the park since you'll see more of it. Also, if you are a fan of wildlife, the place is crawling with deer and birders will have a field day checking out the many species of birds who call this hallowed ground home. Enjoy my pics and if you go, enjoy the park!

... and non-wrinkling. Then it was time for dinner at The Garlic Rose http://www.garlicrose.com/madison.htm. I had something called the Stacked Chicken: boneless breast sautéed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, fresh garlic, & basil, in a lemon veloute sauce, topped with melted brie, and Debbie had the Baked Garlic Harvest Stuffed Chicken: Boneless breast stuffed with sun-dried cranberries, fresh rosemary, green onions, and roasted garlic cream cheese. Topped with a garlic and herb ...