We drive down the entry road for the Hoh Rainforest and eventually run into traffic on the road that's completely stopped. We aren't sure how close we are the ranger station and aren't really sure what's going on. We get to move up a little bit and see a sign hanging on a road marker that indicates from here the wait is one and a half hours. Wow. We had gotten here at 11 thinking that since they opened at 10, it would be reasonable but clearly that was a mistake. Since this was what everyone was excited for though we wait it out. People all around us get stir crazy and are getting out of their cars and walking around on the shoulders of the road and such. There is one woman from one of the cars near us that refuses to get back in and just walks along near the cars of the group she's with. The problem being when the line moves, I need to move past her and she refuses to walk on the grass part of the shoulder like everyone else is doing, she must stay on the pavement. At one point while waiting this out a Bald Eagle soars overhead.
Fortunately, it's not nearly as bad as the signs indicate for wait time and the park service is doing a car out for a car in so we know that there will be parking for us when we get there. We drive up past the station when we are allowed and notice that there's a lot of on street parking to allow as many as possible here. Now, I'm driving because of Court's hip issues and I'm not super familiar with driving the van so the thought of parallel parking van is not high on my list. Especially not after the harassment I faced for parking the rental in Chicago last time. Unfortunately, since parking was at such a premium, that's exactly what I did. After doing the back and forth shuffle for what felt like 10 minutes and some extra guideance from Court we get parked and walk towards the visitor center to use the restroom and see if Court feels like she can do a walk. Wouldn't you know it, as we approach the visitor center the same "I must walk on the pavement" woman and her crew are all just huddled around the one path in making it difficult for everyone to get down the path to the visitor center. We empty out and Court bows out of a hike but the kids and I opt to do the Hall of Mosses. This trail is amazing and truly looks like a rainforest. Moss is inches thick on these trees and the ferns and other plants are thick as well. We get to see a momma duck and her ducklings on the way in as well as a woodchuck. There are a lot of pictures taken between Abigail and I and Gideon has started trying to take pictures like he use to, having the camera on and pressing the button at what seems like random times. I still haven't seen the outcome of Gideon's pictures but they should be interesting. At one point a bird lands on a branch right in front of us and I try to point it out to Abby and Gideon when another one of the birds comes swooping down and nearly runs into my hand before landing on a branch even closer. For those of you that haven't been looking at them, Abigail's pictures have been really impressive and during the walk even inspired some other photographers to take a picture that they had initially walked right past when they noticed what she was shooting. We complete the trail and head back to the car. Court is asleep so I carefully tap the glass so that she doesn't freak out when I open it and we get in.
From here we go to what people call the tree of life or the root cave. The drive has more of the pea and foxglove on the side of the road and eventually we get a view of the ocean which Courtney always loves. The first beach that we drive past is so full that people are parking on the main road and I start to worry that we may need to pass by this spot. The next couple of beach spot parking are completely full as well. The special thing about this cedar is that it's been growing on the beach but due to erosive forces in the area the soil under its main root base has been eroded and it is left hanging there between two bluffs but still very much alive. We get to where I read we need to park for this and there's tons of parking! Abby and I walk out to it and it's so cool! It looks very much like a bonsai. Court made it partly down to see the sea and enjoy the smell before her pain stopped her.
We start the drive back to Tacoma for the hotel for the evening and Court informs that she needs to go to the bathroom. We see a sign for a Chevron in 2 miles and decide to go there. We never find a Chevron. At one point we find a place that advertises bathrooms but they are clearly port-a-potties on the side of the building so Court opts to wait it out. After a long round-about path, we get to a gas station to looks it might be decent and stop. The next order of business is dinner and we see that there's a lot of traffic on the path so we decide to stop before the traffic. The option decided in the car is Olive Garden. We use this time as well to pick up some more pain killers for Courtney. After dinner the traffic has cleared up so this worked out exactly as expected.
The hotel we have for the night is the Marriot Downtown Tacoma. For some reason Google Maps won't bring us there but rather to a Courtyard which Court was able to determine is like a block away but when we arrive the Courtyard is the only obvious place. After almost getting out Court spots the Marriott and we do a big loop around the block to pull up infront. There isn't any obvious parking so we let Court check in to see if she can figure out what the parking situation is and make sure that this place is where we are reserved. The person at check in is not at all helpful and generally indicates that we can park in the Marriott parking garage, which I found out later has no signage to indicate that that is what it is until you get inside the garage. We decide to leave our van in the check in spot while we bring up the overnight stuff so we all pile stuff on and head to the elevator. Court says that our room is on the 21st floor so we get in the elevator and press 21 and nothing happens. We decide that maybe it's on the second floor? We go there and it's obvious it isn't the right floor. We pile back in the elevator and see that one side has a room key reader hidden lower and off to the side. We scan the key and get to the 21st floor. I take the key and head back down to move the van. On the trip down in the elevator there's a loud banging and squealing noise and the other people in the elevator get nervous but we make it to the ground floor without incident. I move the van and head back in but forget the drinks for the night. I start to head back down to get the drinks and the elevator again makes a terrible noise but I make it to the floor and back without incident. Some cleaning and off to sleep.