Tumwater Falls

When this retired surfer left southern California, I thought of San Francisco as the far north. Everything we owned was in that coral orange and ivory VW bus, two small kids, books, and a record collection. We took Highway 101 out of San Francisco, camped in the Redwoods, and finally navigated to the then new interstate highway, I-5, which we found was still under construction north of Seattle. Between Grants Pass and Seattle it was a nice ride, divided, wide, new, and smooth. It was during that beautiful time of year in the Pacific NW, August, known for long daylight hours and a special kind of light. When we approached Olympia, we saw the popular Tumwater brewery alongside the interstate. This was at a time when the slogan, It’s the Water was well known in popular culture. I have since learned that the Washington State Fishery had a hatchery at the falls next to the brewery and was a popular rest stop for travelers. Continue reading →