Trip 9: The Southwest Coast (10/28 - 10/29)

This past weekend's loop trip took me down the I-5 corridor, over to the
coast and down memory lane. My first stop was Rainbow Falls -- a place where my family camped several times when I was young. I'm sad to say I didn't remember too much about the park, but that's more a reflection of my age.

Heading south, I dropped into Seaquest and the Mount St. Helens visitor center, which is definitely worth the price of admission ($3). A trail and boardwalk adjacent to the center offers a nice walk around a lake with views of the mountain.
Further south I finished off the I-5 corridor with stops at Paradise Point and Battle Ground lake -- both of which were first-time visits for me. From there I backtracked through Longview and met with a reporter at the Daily News (This is the result). With sunlight running low, I dropped into Fort Columbia and Cape Disappointment to round out the day.

Cape Disappointment is a pretty amazing place with a rich history. This is a destination park where you could spend several days exploring the different sections of the park that Lewis and Clark explored 200 years ago. The day I visited was extremely foggy, much like nearly every other day I imagine, as I stood near where the Columbia empties into the Pacific. I heard the roar of the river, the clang of bells and the slow, deep resonating horns of nearby ship traffic. The place looked like a moonscape and was one of the few places I've ever been that overtly notify all of your senses that you are at the mercy of mother nature. In other words, I'd highly recommend it.

The next day was all about the beaches. Loomis Lake, Pacific Pines and Leadbetter Point on the Long Beach peninsula all offer access to a wide stretch of beach. Leadbetter Point sits at the tip of the peninsula and offers some very interesting hikes through marshland, beach and wooded terrain, as well as a look at a major stopping point for many migrating birds. After traversing the Long Beach peninsula, I drove north around Willapa Bay to stop at Grayland Beach, Twin Harbors and Westport Lighthouse state parks. More good beaches and good camping at these parks with a bonus of Washington's tallest lighthouse (and yes, you can go to the top).

And closer to home, I crossed off my final Puget Sound parks on my trip home. Dash Point and Saltwater offer small sections of sound access but pretty extensive camping opportunities within close proximity to Seattle and Tacoma.

Next Trip: The 120x120 Finale! Another day at the beach, the Olympic Peninsula and a final celebration on Sunday, November 5 (1:00 p.m.) at Schafer state park (#120!) between Olympia and Aberdeen.

Visit my 120x120 site here.