We chose our cabin based on the fact that it was so close to the Sol Duc River. There was a designated area marked with signs, but we were bad and did some off the trail exploring until we found our own secret pebble beach. 

We lucked out with a clear day so we packed up the fishing gear and headed down to try our luck. It really felt like fall that day - there was a crispness in the air and fallen leaves drifted lazily down the river.

I broke in my new Xtratuf boots on this trip which worked brilliantly. These are the type of boots eveyone wears on the fishing boats in Alaska - and for good reason. They're watertight and have excellent tread on the bottom. My sister elected for Chocos which was brave considering the river was freezing.

We were hoping to see more wildlife on our trip but all the elk were hiding in the forest so we had to make due with some domesticated ducks! We also saw some mergansers and a kingfisher. My family gets pretty excited about birds.

My favorite part of the day was seeing my dad put on waders for the first time in 15 years. I didn't realize it had been so long since he'd been fishing in a river! The river hadn't quite risen enough for the fish, so there wasn't a single bite. But we had a great time anyway!