The Olympic Peninsula, WA

I spent last evening catching up with Judy, a family friend I have not seen for almost 20 years. She lives in a quiet part of Tacoma, and said there were no restrictions on parking my RV overnight next to her house. I showered at her place, did laundry and spent a peaceful night on the street. This morning, took a slow drive towards Port Angeles, the gateway to Olympic National Park, the goal for the long trip out of Maryland. I have never been in this part of the US, although I have visited Portland and Seattle before. The drive was scenic.

When planning for ONP, I could not find any campsites available for tonight. Had researched boondocking around the Peninsula and found that the 7 Cedars Casino allowed overnight RV parking if one signs up for its Totem Rewards Program (free). They even offered 8 sites with electric and water hook ups for $20 a night! I found the Casino easily, it had a very large parking lot and there were already a few RVs parked there. I went into the Casino, checked in with Security and signed up for the rewards program. Even got some welcome credits on the member card for free play at the slots! However, it was just early afternoon, so I decided to continue on to Port Angeles and perhaps overnight here on my way out later in the week.

Stopped at the Walmart in Port Angeles, got groceries and confirmed that they do not allow overnight RV parking. Then went to the ONP Visitor Center. It was busy! Talked to the rangers, gathered brochures and information.

The Elwha River Casino closer to the National Park allowed free overnight parking for RVs. It was located in a rather secluded area, a little difficult to find. It was much smaller than 7 Cedars but there was plenty of space for parking. I checked in with security inside the casino, filled up a form with the license no. of my RV, showed my ID, and was given a pass for the night since that was all I needed. The max is 3 nights I think. I really appreciated the free parking, and reciprocated by having drinks and snacks in their restaurant. The prices were reasonable; I had planned to have dinner there later, but once back in the RV, did not feel like getting out again. The staff were all very friendly. Too bad I forgot to take photos of the place!