Washington Coast

Friday June 12 marked the first time Amber and I would be getting out for an adventure, since before Adelaide was born.  We had found a good deal on a condo on the Washington Coast, in Ocean Shores.  That morning we set out from Pasco, planning on taking HWY 12 over the Cascades.  Without realizing it while driving, we ended up on 410.  This didn't become apparent for miles and miles until reaching the top of the pass and a sign welcoming us to Mount Rainier National Park.  It added extra driving time to our journey, but we did get to see some pretty waterfalls shrouded in clouds and rain as we descended, making our way through part of the Park to rejoin HWY 12.

We eventually made it out to Ocean Shores and got settled into our nice little condo.  It was situated in a quiet area just about 1/4 mile from the beach.  After making dinner and taking care of Addie we went for our first walk on one of the beaches that evening.

The next morning our only plans were to go around to Westport on the other side of the bay, in order to see another lighthouse.  It's known as the Gray's Harbor Lighthouse.  It's Washington's tallest lighthouse and was finished being constructed by 1898.  The Gray's Harbor Region relied heavily on logging operations and maritime traffic into the large bay necessitated the lighthouse being built.  Unfortunately due to COVID19 restrictions, we weren't able to go inside the lighthouse, or into the nearby Westport Maritime Museum which features the lantern lens from the Destruction Island Lighthouse farther up the coast.

The weather had been holding for a little bit longer (with more waves of rain coming) so we took the opportunity to walk a ways on a coastal trail in the state park that the lighthouse sits in.  We had gorgeous views of the ocean and could see the top of the lighthouse just clearing the surrounding trees.

After eating lunch and getting some souvenirs in Westport, we headed back to Ocean Shores.  We indulged in a little fresh seafood to go along with our leftovers for dinner and to cap the evening off we drove a short distance to another state park to enjoy another walk on the beach.  It was partly sunny but cool, and another storm was swiftly arriving from out in the ocean.

The next morning we packed up after breakfast and headed out, but decided to spend a little more time at the beach.  Since we are moving back to Montana, we are not planning on getting over to the ocean for a while.  So we made the most of our time.  We waded in the water and enjoyed the nice morning.  We set Adelaide up in her chair and she helped us build a sand castle.

After we finished up, we said goodbye to the ocean and made the drive back to Pasco.  It was a very relaxing weekend, as Amber and I both got used to a new way of making memories and having adventures with a new member to our family.  We look forward to what the future brings as we get ready to settle permanently in Montana again.