Going to the Beach in Washington

Hayden, 7, at Owens Beach, Pt. Defiance, WA. The gray? Rain. Sheets of.

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

When in Washington (the state), going to the beach may look different than going to the beach in other locations.

For instance, one may need to wear a winter hat at our beaches.

Hayden, Audrey, and Khloe sporting layers, hats (including winter), and beach tools.

Sweatshirts may be required.

You will get wet. With rain more than salt water.

Barnacles and tiny crabs abound.

Picnics are held under shelter. Or you eat wet food.


Picnics under shelter keep the food dry.

Seagulls will peck open unattended packages and ruin the cookies.

Sand will be discovered in odd and stayed-in-the-van-how-did-sand-get-there places.

You will bring too many things in order to plan for any type of weather.

Gage, 1. The same beach and same age when Hayden first went to the beach.

You will take home more than you bargained for. Some of those things will smell after a day or so.

Laundry and deep cleaning will be necessary once you get home.

He who wanted to throw himself into the water. Or eat sand. It was hands-on-Gage for one adult at all times.

Wet, cold, damp, briny kids smell just like that in the close confines of a van. Wet. Damp. Cold. Briny.

Umbrellas are often in use.

Can you see the little feathery barnacles? The openings are ones that are feeding.

One might wear a camera around the neck, but it will be covered with a plastic grocery bag that is tied tightly to keep out the rain. And sand. And stuff.

Water sandals are the perfect shoe. Waterproof and protective against stones.

Seals will wonder what you are doing. Bald eagles will soar, seagulls will annoy, ferries will pass, squirrels will steal, raccoons will beg, deer will graze.

Looking at wildlife.

Those dead looking rocks with barnacle crusts are not dead. Just put them in a bowl of ocean water and see what happens.

Strangers are kind. They may even bring a new crab specimen and seaweed clump for investigation.

Our barnacle and crab observation project.

On rainy days, you will mostly have the beach to yourself.

You can still get sunburned if it's raining and cold.

If you want to go to the beach, go. Sunny or rainy, windy or stormy, the beach is a wonderful destination. Just know that our beaches will not resemble southern beaches (most of the time). The water will not be warm. Body extremities will turn blue. Noses will run.

But it will be the beach.

The group - minus the photographer who quickly unwrapped the camera for a quick shot.

Layer up, my dears. Or at least plan for a variety of beach weather. This is the life of Washington beaches.

Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel Hike ~ Iron Horse Trail

Last Saturday, while the temps were soaring over 100 degrees F., my honey and I enjoyed the coolness of the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel. This hike, really a walk, is perfect for those hot days when you just need to cool off. That is a true statement as evidenced by the hordes of bicyclists and hikers joining us in the dark cold.

Beautiful flowers grow on both ends of the 2.3 mile long tunnel. Inside? Nothing but damp, drips, mold, and gravel. That, and blissful cold.

My honey approaching the tunnel entrance from the east, headed west. As suggested, we wore our walking safety vests, to alert wheeled travelers and give them the chance to see us in the dim - ok, nonexistent - light. Coming around the slight bend in the trail from the parking lot off the Hyak exit on Snoqualmie Pass, we could feel the cool AC blowing through the tunnel. Ah, heat relief was in sight! Due to the low temps in the tunnel, take a jacket.

Not much to take pictures of in the tunnel. Flashlights are a necessity, though one can see a tiny dot of light at the end. Emphasis on tiny. After this sort of scary mug shot, we gave up trying until we neared the western end of the tunnel.

The light from the tunnel entrance/exit slowly, ever so gradually, appeared closer and larger.

The hat is a dead giveaway as to whom I am following out into the light.

Beautiful views, some shade, a few picnic tables, and a potty await tunnel traffic.

Wildflowers covered the sides of the path.

The western tunnel entrance is located beneath power lines. Every time I travel back to eastern Washington along I-90, I look and try to find the tunnel entrance. It has not happened. I think the side of the mountain blocks the view.

See? He is not so scary in the daylight.

Me? I have some hair going on. The damp tunnel helped curls turn into wild frizz.

The homestretch.

As long as the tunnel is not closed for blasting for the construction project on I-90, the tunnel hike is a wonderful break from sunlight and the normal daylight hikes.

Motocycle Monday - Clear Lake Loop Ride (Washington State)

Welcome to Motorcycle Monday, a new feature for this blog. On Mondays after the weekends we are able to enjoy a ride, I will share the trails we followed and some photos from our motorcycle excursion.

We have so much fun, just the two of us, touring around central Washington on the Honda Shadow. We've met several very nice people who enjoy the same hobby we do. And if we don't talk in person, as least we wave as we pass each other. It's the brotherhood of two wheels.

Our ride began by heading west on Highway 12. In Naches, we hopped off the highway and took the back road (Old Naches Highway) behind Naches, where the beauty of blooming fruit trees danced past our visors.

Wildflowers were in bloom, covering the hillsides.

We did make a few short stops, mostly for me to take photos. Here is a close-up of lichen on a pine tree.

We traveled behind Clear Lake and Rimrock Lake through the Rimrock Recreation Area. The water was very calm and clear. Canada geese were nesting, honking, and generally making a noisy fuss. The road was paved the entire way and we saw few other vehicles on this loop around the lakes.

Just to prove that I was on the trip, here I am in the rear-view mirror. Sometimes, you just can't get fuzzy-free shot. Invariably, when I would click the shutter, we would hit a bump, go through a wind sheer, or my arm would just bounce around. Whenever we get home, it is always a surprise to see which photos turned out well.

The road behind Clear Lake is a loop and hooks back up to Highway 12 on the west side of Rimrock Lake. As you can tell by the gray water, skies, and general tone, it was a bit chilly for us. This is Rimrock Lake. We had just finished traveling behind it.

Can you see the rock climber? It was a wonderful day for the many we saw attempting the basalt columns along Highway 12.

What does not work? Camera + motorcycle + bumpy road does not equal quality photos. Out of four, this one is the only one that was even close to recognizable. You get what you get while shooting from the backside of the Honda.

Happy trails to you, 'til we meet again.