Long Beach, Washington

July 19-27, 2008

We are here at Thousand Trails - Long Beach in Washington, and we're all by ourselves, which feels very strange. Joe, Kathy and Katie have gone back to normal, everyday living; Susan and Bob are on their Alaskan cruise; and, we're here in Long Beach. Feels funny not knowing the person in the site next to you.

The gulls around here sound like cats fighting. It can be frightening as you think a child is being hurt.

This is the beach at Thousand Trails in the early evening.

Long Beach is located on Washington’s southwestern-most coast, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River (this is the end of the River mentioned in an earlier blog from Grand Coulee Dam) and Willapa Bay. It is the home of the the Washington State International Kite Festival (as well as the World Kite Museum--bet you didn't know there was such a place), the SandSations sand sculpture competition, and the Northwest Garlic Festival. Thank goodness we're not going to be here for that one; however, we are here for the SandSations competition... more on that later.

We spent some time at Cape Disappointment State Park at the southernmost end of the peninsula. We visited North Head Lighthouse (to the left) and Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, the oldest functioning lighthouse on the west coast. The area was named Cape Disappointment by a British fur trader because of his inability to locate the Columbia River's mouth. Both lighthouses are fully functional and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Before these lighthouses, ships bound for Portland from the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River, navigated their way through the high waves and shifting sandbars, using fluttering white flags and notched trees along the shoreline by day and flickering signal fires by night. These methods were crude at best. The Columbia River Bar, where the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River meet can be a navigational nightmare. Since 1792 approximately 2,000 ships have sunk in this area, earning it the nickname "Graveyard of the Pacific".

The trail to North Head was nice and scenic and there was no uphill walking until it was time to go back to the car--kind of like kayaking against the current! (That's a "drop" where Ken is standing!)

However, that did not prepare me for the trail to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. That started out more or less downhill through the woods, beautiful scenery like this at Deadman's Cove or the mouth of the Columbia River and

then we hit what, to me, was Heartbreak Hill. (For those of you not from our area, this is a section of the Boston Marathon that makes you wonder why you started the race in the first place!!) Ken owes me big time for making this trip.

But then, when we got to the Lighthouse...Wow, what a view!!

I have to note here that Peter had asked us to include more pictures with us in them rather than the "postcard" scenic views. I have to say, inserting either Ken or I in a picture really does detract from the views...yet, we would detract from almost anything, huh?!?!

That weekend there was the Clark's Campsite, a unique way to experience the past, visiting what is now known as Waikiki Beach, but the year is 1805 and you have come upon an expedition led by William Clark to Cape Disappointment to survey the mouth of the Columbia River and make observations of the coast. If you engaged in conversation with any of the members of this expedition, you needed to be wary of asking any "current, everyday" questions. These guys don't know about cell phones, cameras, etc. This gentleman, world renowned historian, Roger Wendlick, portraying George Drouillard, the expidition's hunter, did come out of character for just a few minutes to answer a few questions and impart a great deal of knowledge about the area.

Then came Monday, July 21, 2008: a day that will life in infamy. Why? Because it was Ken's 60th birthday!!!!

We started the day by playing golf at Surfside Golf Course on the north end of the peninsula. It is the only 9-hole regulation course on the peninsula (the other being an executive course, Peninsula Golf Course.) There were four holes where the sparrows (4-5 of them) flew around the golf cart as we were driving along. We were either near their nest or they just wanted to "play". After a couple of holes, I learned just to keep on going...they would take care of themselves. The course itself was certainly a far cry from our last play at Coeur d'Alene (and a whole lot cheaper), but it was good to be out there again.

Because we played only 9 holes, we still had plenty of time to browse the shops along the main drag in Long Beach (which, I'm sure, thrilled Ken!!). We stopped for a late breakfast (it was 1:00 p.m. but we justified it by saying we were retired and could do what we want) and then headed back for a quick nap (again because we could). Then we had a delicious dinner at the Lightship Restaurant located on the third floor of some motel or other, but with beautiful views of the Pacific coastline. Of course, I couldn't take any pictures because it was facing the west coast and the sun was RIGHT THERE!! Unfortunately, the meal was "rich" and Ken was "old" and the two don't mix. He hit the hay quite early, leaving me here to get you all up to date on the "blog".

We spent a couple of days just hanging out and doing some cleaning. We had Barney bathed and clipped...here you see the "before" and "after". Barney, by the way, really does not like having his picture taken.

Ken spent a lot of time biking along the Discovery Trail, an 8+-mile gravel and paved bikeway along the Pacific Ocean. The trail is well maintained with exhibits along the way.

They even let you drive on the beach!

We took a trip to Oregon one day (which was only 15 miles away) and visited Astoria, the oldest US settlement west of the Rocky Mountains, and found the Columbia River Maritime Museum where they had great exhibits and hands-on activities.

We also visited the Astoria Column which offers a panoramic view of the ocean, the Columbia and Youngs Rivers and the mountains. The inside of the column is closed for the remainder of the year for repair. Unfortunately, it wasn't a real clear day, but you can get an idea of the beauty surrounding you.

We spent our last day wandering the beach watching the sand sculptures being made during the SandSations Contest. It's amazing how these artists can create images from sand like this one called "Sweet Dreams" (note the hand coming up from under the bed). The artists probably appreciated the cooler, cloudy weather. The sand didn't dry up too fast and start to crumple away.

We leave tomorrow to go further south along the Oregon coast to Seaside. I really do hope the weather warms up a bit. It would be a shame not to enjoy a day at the beach!!