The story
In the early twentieth century, an elaborate hot-springs resort hotel operated at the head of the Sol Duc Valley, drawing visitors seeking the mineral waters. The grand lodge burned in a 1916 fire, but the springs endured and a smaller resort was later rebuilt. The site reflects the region's history of health-spa tourism around its natural hot springs.
Coming back down, picture this quiet valley a hundred years ago, when a four-story luxury hotel stood at the head of it and guests came from far off to soak in the hot springs. Fire took the grand old place in an afternoon, but the warm water it was built around never quit. The mountains shrug off our biggest plans and just keep on being mountains. Roll on out.
Photo: Niagara66 · CC BY-SA 4.0
