Photos from the Olympic Coastline

Photos from the Olympic Coastline

I had the fortunate chance to live in Washington state between the summer of 2010 until the summer of 2012. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t see everything I could have possibly seen, but the really nice thing about Washington is there are so many exciting day trip options.

My mom came out to visit several times and we would always plan several different things while she was there. Her first trip we took an entire day and drove over to and up the coastline of Washington. While chilly and usually always overcast, if anyone ever tells you this area of the country isn’t nice any other time than the summer, is a fool. You learn to embrace the drizzling, cold side of the state after being there for a while.

I lived on Fort Lewis, which is just outside of Tacoma. We drove west through Olympia to Aberdeen. From Aberdeen, we drove up Highway 101 which runs into Olympic National Park at the coast.

While my photography was not great several years ago, here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.

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Sunrise behind Mount Rainier
Sunrise behind Mount Rainier
Ranger Station
Ranger Station
My dog, Isabelle, playing in the waves.
My dog, Isabelle, playing in the waves.
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We saw tons of these little guys on the trails.

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Love the feeling of driving through these trees.
Love the feeling of driving through these trees.

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Ashley Hubbard
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This Post Has 27 Comments

  1. Casey

    Ooo gorgeous photos! I’ve never been to the PNW, but I have hopes of visiting once we’re living back stateside again. It looks so beautiful there!

    Thanks for linking up with the Fresh Face Friday Blog Hop! Cheers to a great weekend! πŸ™‚

    1. Ashley Hubbard

      Thank you! It’s absolutely gorgeous there and I hope to make it back many times. Definitely put it on your list…there’s such a wide range of things to do and see.

      I’m so glad I ran across your blog today of all days…it was too perfect and I love your blog by the way. Look forward to reading more πŸ™‚

  2. Brittany @ Paws for Beer

    I was thinking about headed up the the Olympic National Park this summer – I see that you had your dog with you – any tips on good spots?

  3. Calli

    Great photos Ashley! I was just looking at some older pictures from a few years ago and they are nothing compared to these sadly. I really love the shot of your pup playing on the beach, the movement in it is awesome, as well as the foggy shots up the coast!

  4. Brianna

    I love, love, love the Pacific Northwest! So much to do and a relaxed, natural vibe.

  5. Marissa

    Looks very peaceful! My kind of place πŸ™‚

  6. Sammi Wanderlustin'

    Lovely photo’s what a great trip!

  7. Hi Ashley, great photos. The Pacific North West is one of my favourite regions in the world. On another note, I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! I have been following your blog for a while and love reading your articles. fidn out more details here

  8. Wow, stunning pics Ashley! I knew thanks to your pics that the South of the US has some amazing stuff to see, now I have to add Washington to the list!

  9. I have a friend camping in that region now and the pictures look amazing even with the rain they’ve been experiencing. That region is on my travel wish list – though I think I could be happy living around there, too.

  10. Rachel

    Lovely photos. I really like seeing wonderful scenery like this in overcast, drizzly conditions – it seems to make everything so much more mysterious and dramatic!

  11. Dave Cole

    Thanks for sharing these coastal shots, Ashley – I’m dying to get to this part of the US soon. It looks like a perfect place for dogs, too. The walking/hiking options must be pretty incredible there.

  12. I wholeheartedly agree that the Olympic coastline is so beautiful. You are lucky to have lived near there, as I have only ever spent a week in the area. The photo of Mt. Rainier is so beautiful. Is that a photo of Rialto Beach from the parking lot? I have a similar photo on my personalized credit card.

  13. Nice photos! I have only been to the state of Washington once (a brief layover in Seattle) but I definitely have to visit again πŸ™‚

  14. Alli

    I also love the feeling of driving between trees like that πŸ™‚ Reminds me of New Zealand a bit! What is that on the leaf under the photo of your doggie? Please don’t tell me that’s a giant slug!!!

  15. Angela Travels

    My parents are coming to visit Seattle in August. My plans as of now are to take them to the Olympic Peninsula. I am glad to hear you took your mom whenever she visited. I hope my parents enjoy it as much as you guys did!

  16. Bekka

    This looks like such a lovely place to go Ashley! Being from England I have to completely agree with you, people need to embrace the drizzle! πŸ™‚

  17. Claire

    Goodness, these are such stunning photographs! Breathtaking! ~ Claire

  18. Rachel@safari254

    Beautiful shots … and yes we do need to embrace the drizzle.
    Those little guys (slugs) on the trails – I can’t stand them, and they seem appear during the wet weather.

  19. Syd

    Soooooooooo beautiful. I love the Pacific coast but I’ve never been to this part of Washington. California coast is beautiful too, but very different.

  20. Dennis Kopp

    You are right Ashley, the coastline of Washington state does look great! I love especially your sunrise photo, but I am not quite sure if I can agree to your drizzling statement. Maybe I would also have to live there for a while to fully embrace the weather… πŸ™‚

  21. Adelina // PackMeTo

    It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I had become aware of the Olympic coastline and the Olympic National park which is so so gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

  22. Chaitanya Shah

    Some really nice photos, especially the sunrise picture of Mount Rainer! πŸ™‚

  23. Stacey Veikalas

    WOW these are gorgeous! I will have to add this to my bucket list when we come back to the states! Really beautiful pics and place! thank you for sharing! πŸ™‚

  24. Jessica

    I want to visit the Pacific Northwest so badly. It’s such a pretty area, and your pictures capture that beautifully!

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