Our Pilgrimage to Forks: Port Angeles

We stopped in Port Angeles on our way into and out of Forks and it was well worth the trip. It has many great things to do, we ate, we shopped and got an amazing coffee.

We also did some sightseeing.  PA has an amazing waterfront and Pier with a great lookout vantage point.

PA was a great stop on our Pilgrimage and we will visit again.  Thanks for a good time PA.

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: SoHo Asian Bistro

This post is from the remarkable Kimmie.

SoHo Asian Bistro. 

On our way back from Forks to Seattle, we decided to look for something light for lunch.  Just a sandwich would do. So we used our GPS and found what sounded like a perfect place in Port Angeles. We found the address but no place to eat!  It looked like the place we picked hadn't been there in a long time.  We were already parked so we jumped out of the car and walked down the street and found The SoHo Asian Bistro (http://www.sohoasianbistropa.com/).  We all agreed that it sounded yummy and in we went.  This bistro is in an older part of town so the ceilings were high and the floors were wood.  There were "rooms" filled with tables.  The front was lined with large windows letting lots of light in.  It's a very pretty place with an antique feel.  We sat down to enjoy some really good food.  The portions were huge.  We couldn't finish our plates.  

Shannon enjoyed the Jasmine tea with her meal of Beef Pho.

Jen tried the Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice.

I had a Yellow Chicken Curry dish.

We really enjoyed this find.  

I give it 3 out of 3 forks!

 

 

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: Olympic Cellars Winery

It is no question that Jen, Kim and I enjoy the occasional glass of wine so one of the first things we thought about when we started planning this trip is finding a winery to visit.  Olympic Cellars was on our way to Port Angeles and it is home to Working Girl Wine.

We went through the Wine Tasting picking between the red and and the whites, My Sweet Syrah was one of our favorites. We bought that one and the Sparkling Twilight mainly just for the bottle.

The winery was set on a picturesque plot of land with a small vineyard.

I say it is a worthy stop on the way from Seattle just to take in the beauty of the area and get out and walk around to stretch the legs.  The wine is not bad either. 

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Center

On the way from Seattle to Forks we were driving down the 101. Just before we hit the town of Blyn, we saw something that was very intriguing   It was the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Center. It's a picturesque place. Brightly colored totem poles welcomed us to this tribal sanctuary.  Beautiful flowers and shrubbery lined the walkways. 

So we grabbed our cameras and followed the path down the the waters edge.  There were fire pits and American Indian art with the background of a beautiful lake.  And of course being the northwest there were plenty of trees.  I wish our cameras could have captured not just the beauty but the spirit we found there.

Post and Photos By Kim

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: Bella Italia

Since we were on our pilgrimage to Forks because of Twilight, we had to stop and eat at Bella Italia located in Port Angeles, WA.  This is the restaurant where Edward took Bella after saving her from being attacked. 

We were very excited not just because this was something right out of our fav book but because we all three LOVE italian food! When we arrived the restaurant was fairly empty. But we were there for an early dinner.  We were told that the place was rented out for dinner, a big party, and since the party was a large one they had no tables for us.  We did however get to sit at the small bar and enjoy some dinner.  We were put off a bit by the rejection, but were happy to be able to sit and enjoy the atmosphere.  If the party hadn't clearly been a priority I bet we would have had a much better experience overall.  We were forgotten a few times and had to wait quite a bit for our drinks and food.  

They of course offer Bella's mushroom ravioli.


The food was scrumptious.




The ambiance was nice. I bet it's better after dark. During the day it wasn't as romantic as I think it could be.

I give 2 forks out of 3 because of the service problem. 

Post and Photos by Kim

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: The Grub Hut

Review by the Wonderful Kim...

When we first arrived in Seattle it was lunch time and we were starving.  We decided to get on the road and stop on the way out to Forks.  We really didn't want to stop at any old fast food joint. So we drove for a bit.  So with the help of our GPS and phones we found this cute little place, located in Kingston Washington, called The Grub Hut.  It's in a small building but it makes a big impression.  It's all decked out in Hawaiian garb. The bar area where we waited looked like a hut with straw and everything.  

The menu is a mix of burgers, cheese steaks and gyros. They offer veggie patties home made even for the the non meat eaters. They also offer the traditional munchies such as hummus plates, wings, fries and chips.  I ordered a cheeseburger. Jen ordered the Sun-Dried Tomato Goodness veggie burger. Shannon ordered a BLT on Pita Bread with fries of course. The burgers were great. If salad is your thing they have those too. But next time though I'm going to order one of their made to order milk shakes. They come in many flavors I'd love to try the peanut butter one!  They are reasonably priced so no worries that it will empty your  wallet. I must also mention the servers. I'm not sure if the man taking our orders was the owner but he sure was nice. No snotty attitudes and eye rolling to be had! So if you are near Kingston, stop by the Grub Hut and have a meal. You won't be disappointed!

For a full menu as well as photos visit http://peaceloveandgrub.com

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: Rialto Beach

Lovely Kim authored this post.

Rialto Beach

The second night that we were in Fork, we decided to go watch the sunset. We just didn't know where. We'd already been the the forest, La Push, First Beach, the Twilight Tour. So where could we go?  Well thanks to Shannon's LOVE of Twilight FanFic she suggested Rialto beach.  We looked it up and could get there before sunset so we decided to head that way.  We jumped in Tori, our Ford Taurus, and programmed Rialto Beach in the GPS and got on the road.  The drive there was as picturesque as the rest of the trip. We had to drive back toward La Push and again cross the treaty line.

We followed the 110 until it ended and there was Rialto Beach! A Forest lined beach!  

It was also lined with drift wood although it was more like drift trees!

It was loud. It was chilly. It was windy. It was fresh. It was lovely.

I can't tell you how much I fell in love with this beach.  I will be back, oh yes I will be back.

Our Pilgrimage to Forks: La Push Baby...

This post is written by the incomparable Jen.

I cannot tell you how much we were all looking forward to actually seeing 1st beach.  It was a short, scenic drive from Forks.  The anticipation was killing me. I was hoping we’d see some hot, half naked, werewolf boys!  Okay, no, not really.  I prefer the sparkly, cold one.  But still!  We pulled into the sandy parking area, and saw some surfers gearing up to brave the cold water. 

As soon as we got out of the car, all three of us were in awe.  The beach was bordered by these enormous, beautiful, petrified trees.  The sand was dark and there was an ocean mist in the air.  The water was a deep blue.  It was absolutely breath taking.  

Walking along 1st beach was exhilarating.  It was so peaceful and quiet, except for the sound of the waves crashing.  Kim and I braved the cold water and walked through it until our feet were numb, while Shan took lots of pictures. 

I don’t know how long were out there, maybe a couple of hours.  It was so hard to leave though.  La Push beach is such a beautiful place.  We even saw some wolf tracks!