We went searching for Vampires and found Paradise.

A perfect day, that is what today was.  On a whim, after a suggestion from Sam, we decided to drive to Forks to go see the Vampires.  We literally planned the trip moments before bed last night, woke up and Savannah, Sam, Max and I were on our way.

It is a long trip with no ideal direct root, but with gorgeous scenery none the less.  Truth be told, we loved it!  On the way up, we stopped at some random beach on the Sound and had a picnic and played with the crabs.  Then off to Forks we went to find the Vampires.  They were illusive, but we were able to see some houses, buildings and cars from the Twilight movies and books.  We didn't really have a plan and had never been up to this part of Washington, so we were totally winging it (with the help of the Visitor's center in Forks.)  

After Forks, we headed to LaPush beach, also in the movie.  It was gorgeous and we all had a blast playing in the sand and water.  It was getting late, but we decided to throw caution to the wind and stopped at another beach nearby.  This one required an almost mile hike through the rain forest down to the water.  The whole experience was breathtaking and unforgettable.  The whole day was filled with  "moments" I won't forget, but the last beach was just pure paradise.  The drastic nature of the way land had been carved by the sea was spectacular.  After exploring a bit we were contemplating on leaving, but I decided that we should go barefoot again and explore the beach a little more. This allowed us to play in the water and explore the wonder of sea-life-filled tide pools.  However, I think truthfully, we all just wanted the magic of the day to last just a little bit longer.   

I think Max said it best when out of the blue he declared, "I like this place."   Savannah, Sam and I agreed.  It was an awesome adventure and a new memory of a day exploring uncharted territory. On the way home we went a little different route and found ourselves diving along The Crescent Lake in the Olympic Mountains.  As Sam said, it seemed to go on forever and was a beautiful deep blue.  It almost looked fake with how the hills hit the water and the clouds hung between both.  Just another unexpected visual treat to finalize our day.

All in all,  I think I fell even more in love with Washington and all it has to offer today and I am so grateful that Savannah and Sam were here to share it with me.  Today was another example of when we allowed ourselves to stop doing and instead, just be.

Side note:  I am off to bed, a wee bit tired after quite a day, but promise to post more pictures tomorrow.