Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Old Faithful Inn

This historic cabin facility is located near Old Faithful Inn and includes a one-story main lodge built in the 1920's featuring massive logs and stone pillars.

Tremendous views of the Old Faithful Geyser can be seen from the bakery and cafeteria-style food court. The large gift store is also located in the lodge. Basic cabins are equipped with or without bath and grouped nearby.The lobby of the hotel features a 65-foot ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of contorted lodgepole pine. Its incredibly large space can be experienced on many different levels and from many different vantage points. The visitor can stand in the middle of the lobby and look up at the exposed structure, or climb up a gnarled log staircase to one of the balconies and look up, down, or across. Wings were added to the hotel in 1915 and 1927, and today there are 327 rooms available to guests in this National Historic Landmark.

The rustic-style lodge, with log and wood shingle exterior is located adjacent to the world famous Old Faithful Geyser. The original part of the Inn, known as the "Old House" was completed in 1904 and includes an immense lobby with a huge stone fireplace.

The East and West Wings were added in the teens and the twenties, with many rooms having been remodeled in recent years. Guest accommodations include rooms with private and shared baths. Additionally, a full service restaurant, deli, gift store and interpretive tours are available at the Inn.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail

Tree Root Cave - This incredible tree is easily accessible on the beach at Kalaloch campground.  In fact there are quite a few amazing natural features in this area.

Kalaloch, meaning "a good place to land" in the Quinault language, has no shortage of natural areas to explore. The Pacific shoreline just below provides ample habitat for marine life: tide pools reveal crabs and sea urchins at low tide; sea otters float on the surface of submerged kelp beds; shorebirds nest on beaches; and whales and dolphins occasionally emerge offshore. Beyond the national park's 73 miles of coastline lie three national wildlife refuges and one marine sanctuary.

Near the campground and lodge, trails and steps descend about 40 ft. to the beach. There are several beaches, tide pools, scenic overlooks and trails to explore. The Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail is a mile-long walk through the forest along Kalaloch Creek, which drains into the ocean. There are accessible lookout points at Ruby Beach and Beach Trail 4.

Olympic National Park has much to explore, including temperate rain forests, ocean shores, sub-alpine mountains, lakes and more. The lush Hoh Rain Forest, as well as the towns of Queets, Quinault and Forks are within a 45-minute drive.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cummins Falls State Park

Cummins Falls State Park is a 211 acre park located nine miles north of Cookeville on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River. In the rolling hills of Jackson County where Putnam and Jackson counties meet, the stream gives way to a 75 foot drop.

This park is located in the Cordell Hull Watershed. The forest that borders the river includes a variety of oaks, beech, buckeye, sycamore and hemlock. Woodland plants include October’s lady tresses, star chickweed, liverleaf and Allegheny spurge. The property’s long forested streamside protects turkey, quail, eagles and other birds; soft-shell and other turtles; fox, mink, and myriad insects including damselflies and dragonflies.

Cummins Falls was named one of the top 10 best swimming holes in the United States in the “America’s Best Swimming Holes” article in Travel and Leisure magazine.  The article reads “It’s a hard-earned scramble to the bottom that involves hiking to the overlook, wading across the ankle-deep stream, climbing up to the ridge, and using a rope guide to walk yourself down to the water. This is not a swimming hole for lightweights. Translation: expect a younger crowd. But if you’re agile (and sure-footed), the descent into the cavernous pool is worth the effort."