Who was Juan de Fuca? He was actually a Greek navigator named Apostolos Valerianus (also known as Ioánnis Phokás) who believed the waters off the north Olympic Peninsula were the Strait of Anian, the fabled Northwest Passage long sought by European explorers. In 1787, English Captain Charles Barclay rediscovered the Strait, the waters between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, and named it in honor of de Fuca. Juan de Fuca is the Spanish translation for Ioánnis Phokás.
Now that the history lesson is out of the way, let me turn to the highway, a National Scenic Byway, a gateway to the outermost rim of the Pacific Northwest, and home to hundreds of fish, bird, and mammal species. It's a remote stretch of rugged coastline, 61 miles long, with unbelievably beautiful panoramic viewpoints and numerous trails for hiking. It is another spot that is on our list of places to explore.
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| Courtesy of Adventure Drop |
May I just say that J was a tough one! I was initially torn between Jamestown (population 361) or Junction City (population 18). Thank goodness I remembered Juan de Fuca!
Wow! That is impressive!! And interesting!! Thanks for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteThat looks like another nice place to visit - far too many ideas for that in this year's AtoZ :) You'll find a few in England and other parts of the UK in my theme!
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