I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
Sea Fever by John Masefield
We decided to spend Saturday exploring the beach and hanging around camp.
We had some coffee and a bowl of cheerios, and were off.
I had yet to venture down the hillside to the beach, always worrying about my bad knee,
but found that it was quite easy.
and there were so many beautiful things growing along the trail...
I tried to identify this with my new book, but can't quite pinpoint it.
Oregon Grapes
After climbing over a couple of logs, we were on the beach!
Duchess is one beach loving dog!
Looking for pretty rocks...
Found one!
Looking for a good spot to get comfortable...
Ahh, perfect. Time to soak up some sun!
It was so pleasant just to sit on the log and watch the waves.
Bird tracks...
Mmmmm....Fritos
Hope this guy catches something...
Tackle box and seagull
We walked down the beach a ways and joined the rest of the bunch.
Sarah and Emily having fun in the surf...
Andy and Ozzy
Chloe and Camila. What a great place to do some crawling!
Baby steps...
Ben joins the girls in the surf...
Riding the waves!
Andy and Camila...
Andy, Camila and Chris
Duchess was tired out, so we walked back to the log where we had left our shoes and socks. It was at this point that I dropped my camera in the sand. I didn't try to use it until later that evening when I attempted to get a shot of Matt's oysters on the grill and realized that it wasn't going to work. Thank goodness we had our other camera along, but I loved having my own.
We walked back up the hill to camp. Larry and Duchess took a nap
while I did a bit of crocheting in the shade of the tent awning.
After everyone was rested up, we prepared our sherried sardine appetizers. They weren't a giant hit, but there were a few adventurous souls who tried them. A bigger hit was Matt's grilled oysters. I even had one and it was quite tasty! Later there was crab, salmon, and all kinds of other treats.
After a few hours of hanging around the campfire, we were off to bed.
We had considered leaving Kalaloch Sunday morning and camping another night somewhere along the way, but I was concerned about the tomato plants and flowers needing a drink, so decided to head for home.
We drove into the Hoh Rain Forest...
When we reached the visitor center we discovered that it was quite crowded. We found a parking place and took turns going into the visitor center, one of us staying outside with Duchess. Larry did find a much-needed cap, and I waited at the trail head for the "Mini Trail" while he looked for a parking space in the shade for Duchess, since dogs aren't allowed on the trails. He couldn't find one, so I walked a little ways along the trail while he drove around the parking lot.
I decided that the ferns and moss we had seen on the road in were just as impressive.
I love this name!
We stopped at Pillar Point County Park and walked around a bit...
Larry was hoping to drive along the Straight of Juan de Fuca on the way home,
but the highway was primarily through the forest.
We were starving by the time we reached Port Angeles, but all the restaurants seemed to be closed. Finally we found our old standby, Taco Time, and were filled up and ready for the last leg of our journey home.
The closer we got to the Hood Canal Bridge, the worse the traffic became.
We were traveling at a snail's pace, and it was hot...
We finally made it to Kingston...
and had enough time before the next ferry to have some ice cream.
Larry decided to stay in the car with Duchess during the ferry ride, but since Mount Rainier was out in all its glory, and we were parked right next to the elevator, I went up on deck to take some pictures.
We were exhausted when we finally got back home, but what a wondrous trip it was! I hope we'll have the pleasure of being included in the Kalaloch Beachcombers annual gathering next year!
