Driving Highway 101 Part 1

Category: Stomping Grounds | Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:04 pm

My daily commute is along a small northern piece of Highway 101. This Highway stretches from Capistrano Beach in Orange County, California and follows much of the Pacific coast north. From northern California through Oregon it hugs the coast line for a wonderful vacation drive. It wraps around the Olympic Peninsula (Olympic National Park and Olympic Forest) in Washington state and ends in Olympia, WA after touching the Pacific Ocean, running parallel to the Strait of Juan de Fuca , and along parts of the Hood Canal, and Puget Sound.

My daily drive is a small part of this winding trek that starts in Olympia, WA heads north touching the Puget Sound in various places. The section of 101 that I am most familiar with is the stretch from Olympia and the Puget Sound to Hoodsport, WA along the Hood Canal; part daily commute and part week-end retreat.

My drive is often started with a sighting of a resident Peregrine falcon that sits a light pole along the freeway in town. He waits, feasts and harasses the pigeons, crows and small birds that live in, around and under the freeway dividers and underpasses on the west side of town. This area is multiple lanes, multiple exits. Raccoons, deer, and opossums often litter the sides of the highway unfortunate victims, so its never an area I would think to take more than mind pictures. Great blue heron and an occasional eagle will be seen going to and from the Sound, local lakes and estuaries as they pass overhead.

Along Mud Bay, just getting out of town, I often see a mature bald eagle. There was one week were our paths crossed everyday as I drove 60 plus mph down the road and an eagle flew across the freeway looking to its fishing grounds for breakfast. It was spring so chicks probably needed constant feeding and I probably wasn't seeing the same eagle each time, but I felt like I was. I felt lucky for such a serendipitous event to happen so many mornings in a row.

Fall fog - our version of a sunny day ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

Mud Bay barn in the fall fog ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

There are also great blue herons often flying or stalking a meal in the water and air along this stretch. There is a very large heron rookery at Nisqually Delta. It is hard to believe these big birds build their nests high up in trees. The picture here is of a young one in a pond next to the road at Mud Bay. He paid me no mind when I accidentally honked my horn trying to reach the camera, or my seat belt alarm went off. All the noise from a local bakery (Blue Heron Bakery) bead shop and restaurant have desensitized him so even a clumsy photographer like myself could get a picture.

great blue heron by roadway - Mud Bay ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

Deer frequently feed along the road sides. One year there was one that had a big white patch on its side. These deer with usual markings are shunned by other deer. I guess no one wants to be next to a target when hunting season begins. A small horse ranch provides fields of color through out the year. Fall colors, misty morning colors, spring lupines, and Shasta daisies. Stopping anywhere along the road can let you peek into the mossy woods.

November gray - horse pasture ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

Native Shasta Daisies flowering in Novermber? ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

Misty woods along 101 ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )
This foggy autumn morning there were huge brown big leaf maple leaves, mushrooms and lichen. Water runs everywhere in the Sound, especially through our three wet seasons. We might call ourselves the Evergreen State, but grays and browns haunt western Washington most of the year. If you don't get outside and find the beauty, the short days and dull colors that predominate will hide the beauty of small things like mushrooms and lichen.

Big leaf maple in November ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

always mushrooms after the rain ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

tree lichen ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

fall creek along 101 ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

November woods 101 ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

There are hundreds that get out and enjoy the out of doors in a variety of ways. Salmon fishing pulls men out at early hours seven days a week as they fish the salmon runs. Kennedy Creek always has a number of people out seeking the salmon. Smoked, baked, roasted yuuummm, I do love salmon. This picture was quite early and cars were beginning to line 101 and side roads as fishing tackle and poles were hauled from cars and trucks. Soon the fish will be finish their fall run and the gulls and eagles were dine, like the fishermen.

foggy Kennedy Creek - tides out ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

one of many fishermen salmon fishing at Kennedy Crk. in November ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

Salmon fishmen at Kennedy Creek - fall, tides out ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

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Comments

dooley wrote on Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:22 am:

I like all of these pictures. I like salmon too. We used to get salmon from Lake Michigan when we lived in Wisconsin. There was a salmon festival every year. dooley

glendann wrote on Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:31 am:

Wonderful pictures.Thank you so very much for posting your photos.

dmullins wrote on Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:36 pm:

Fantastic pics and scenery. I don't see how anyone could not love the outdoors, especially in your part of the country, at this time of year.

daisybeans wrote on Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:40 am:

Jewell, these photos are so romantic and dreamy... very beautiful. I enjoyed your commentary too -- laughed about beeping the horn reaching for camera. Felt sad for the lonely deer with the white spot... The salmon fishing shots are really interesting to me (I love salmon too). You have a great eye and your pics make me want to visit your part of the country.