Lake Quinault

We took off after work on Friday and headed out to the Lake Quinault Lodge, which is one of my favorite places. It is about a three and a half hour drive, but worth every minute of it.
Peace and quiet.
No cell phone service.
No television.
No phones in the rooms.
Miles of trails through the rain forest.
Since this is the off season, room rates are lower. Not cheap, mind you, but lower than at peak.
We always stay in The Boathouse, because the rooms there are critter friendly.
The attached restaurant is very good. On Friday we had the Cedar Plank salmon with braised vegetables. It was one of the best meals I have eaten this year. Enhanced by the Marionberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Despite the fact that the Lodge is in the rain forest, it did not rain while we were there. Saturday after breakfast (Eggs Benedict) we drove to the end of the road up the south fork of the Quinault river to the end of the road, and hiked until we got tired. We found a small batch of Chantrelle mushrooms, which I will be cooking up with butter and a little bit of salt shortly.
During the entire hike, which lasted over three hours, we never saw another human being. The quiet seeps into you like water into a sponge. leaving little room for stress and worry. Those things belong to a different existence.
It was with great reluctance we returned home today.
Mrs A starts her new job tomorrow, and we figured it might make a bad impression if she didn't show up on her first day.