We started today with a walk through the magical forest surrounding our tent.

There is so much big in this forest and even more little.

Back at the campsite, we hopped on the nearest ladder truck to put a fire out.

And when even the magical forest started to lose some of its attention holding powers, we headed down the mountain to Port Angeles for big ship spotting and grocery buying.

All of the municipal parks seem to be funded by local donations which means every park has fun to read (when you are trapped at a park) dedications and memorials.

We strolled through downtown and narrowly avoided the Twilight stores. Instead we found fun tshirts, ate pizza, and got Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares to You stuck in our heads.

And then we got in the car and drove to the greatest mountain vista.

Yup. We drove. Hurricane Ridge: why hike when you can drive?

And perhaps the most memorable part for the boys - driving through, and touching, the fog and the clouds.

My mom flew back to Ohio today. We loaded up the car, said goodbye to the hotel and headed west.

Day 35: 125 miles, 2 ferries, a serious case of deja vu and a magical forest

We had to drive across Whidbey Island, the place we called base camp for a half of our 2006 trip. It has been 5 years and not much has changed on the island.

The name of the bakery that used to sell almond tarts that made my stomach so happy changed to Useless Bay Coffee Company - so they are now part of a chain on the island.

Otherwise, everything outside of our car was just the same as we left it.

It was disorienting to be drive into Langley with Paul because my mind jumped back to the last time I was driving into that town - with only Paul and a lot of freedom. Seconds later, the kids would make noise and that didn't make any sense at all.

5 years has been two lifetimes ago.

(The game entertaining Bear in the photo above, Hisss, was an impulse birthday purchase. It is the best game we have ever played with a 4 year old and even, sometimes, a 2 year old. It was perfect for a road trip too as you don't need anything but the cards and a flat surface. And yes I posted an affiliate link. Buy stuff.)

We drove to Port Angeles - more deja vu - and entered into a new to me part of the Olympic National Park: Heart o' the Hills, or as I will forever call it, the magical forest.

Our campsite proved to be the favorite of this entire trip. There were so many downed trees to turn into firetrucks and trains; there were tiny little worlds to explore on every tree stump and ever nook; there were tiny flowers to pick and tinier pinecones to collect and huge mushrooms in every shape and size.

They were everywhere.

It was just where we wanted to be.