One of the perks staying at the Casino RV Park is you can go over and enjoy the entertainment that they have in the lobby. The pianist was very talented and the music transported me from being in a gentle rain to a dramatic battlefield.
We visited Tumwater Falls Park. It is planted with a large variety of native flora much to my enjoyment.
I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see any rhododendrons in bloom because they usually finish up in early May but there was one still in full bloom here.
They grow wild and in some places they are as big as a tree.
It wasn't too late for the dogwood trees.
They were bursting forth in all their glory.
The park is along the Deschutes River right in the middle of the town of Tumwater.
The park is 15 acres filled with natural, picturesque beauty bordered by native trees and bushes.
The walking trail is only about a half mile long but there is a lot of beauty packed along it.
Here is what most visitors come to see.
The cascading waterfalls are the number one attraction.
The falls were on the labels of the beer of the now defunct Olympia Brewing Company.
There are a series of cascades as you walk along the path.
Owned by the Olympia Tumwater Foundation, Tumwater Falls Park is open to the public and free of charge. Tumwater means falling water that sounds like a human heart beat. I didn't really hear that.......I heard more of just a gentle roar.
One final cascade as the river continues on.
Although smaller and less famous than the similarly named river in Oregon, the Deschutes River in Thurston County runs 57 miles from its headwaters in Lewis County, past Rainier and through Tumwater, until it reaches Budd Inlet in South Puget Sound. If you come here in September or October you can watch as the salmon work their way up the fish ladders to the top of the falls.
Enjoyed another Northwest spot of abundant beauty.
We spent a morning at the Olympia Farmers Market. We came home with a bag full of produce (more cherries Yum) but the delicious pastries did not make it home. They were eaten on the spot.
Our Washington visit so far has been a great experience. Now on to the Olympic Peninsula. It has been on my bucket list for a very long time so it is with excitement and a little fear. What if it doesn't live up to my expectations? I am expecting incredible beauty, ocean beaches, lakes, cloudy skies, rain and cool air. I think it will all be covered.