Long Beach Washington

August 1, 2020

Late July had gotten quite warm. Some days were in the low 90's, it then stayed in the 80's for several days.

Since it had been warm for a good stretch, we wanted to escape the heat and so we headed to the coast. We left the house around 10:30 am. The road was mostly empty of cars. I think it was mostly due to the pandemic. It was Summer and a Saturday ... you would expect to see more people out headed to the beach. A lot of people were overwhelmed with fear I suppose and stayed homebound week after week. For us, we thought best to either spend a lot of time out in nature hiking/walking or by the coast where the air is pure and clean. Being out in the sun kills germs so we took comfort in that. 

The highway one drives on that takes you to the ocean has magnificent views. 

I just love pretty scenery under a cloudy sky. It's just ultimate beauty in my opinion. 

We had lunch then made our way to the beach.

As a couple that likes to spend time outdoors, I am happy that Jacob enjoys long walks just as much as I do. We like to keep our bodies moving. It is not only good for you physically but emotionally and mentally too.

We have visited this beach (Long Beach) before, but we had never walked all the way to that cliff. This time I decided I wanted to check mark that activity off my list. 

As we walked toward the cliff Jacob and Riley threw the frisbee to each other while moving. 

Getting closer. It didn't look super far to me but as we continued walking, we became aware that some of our limbs were starting to tire, lol.

Found this sea star which we put back in the water.

Ocean water in the West Coast/PNW is always cold, even in the summer. But, by this point we had been walking over an hour. The cool water felt good on my feet.

Children and their abundant energy. Seems like it's endless.

Taking walks afford me calmness of mind. 

I LOVE how the low clouds look amidst trees.

We made it!!

Whatever activity you chose will add to your quality of life so much more than spending your free time in idleness.

It was so satisfying reaching the cliff. We hung around for a while enjoying the gorgeous views but after a while these guys needed to use the restroom, so we began the long walk back.

In total, the entire walk was about six and a half miles which took us four hours. The back of my left leg was very achy. Jacob also said that his feet hurt. We all walked barefoot. 

I would totally do this again. It was such a peaceful, enjoyable, and fun walk. I loved the sound of the waves crashing and hearing the seagulls bicker and fight with each other. 

We spent the night in Longview. The following day I was achy from the waist down. Ha! As expected. It's all good.

How good it felt to be out in the fresh salty air after being huddled indoors.

Sightseeing in the PNW

Driving North

The floating bridge is pretty awesome. I love how low it is to the water. 

I honestly can't get over at how beautiful Seattle is. Especially near lakes, parks and the Puget Sound. This bridge crosses over Lake Washington. I mean, I know I've mentioned this before and probably sound like a broken record, but I have a great love for nature, all that God created. It's just all so beautiful to me that I can't keep from marveling about it.

Beautiful pine trees.

First, we came across Crescent Lake. It's a deep lake and it's known for it's crystal clear water due to low levels of nitrogen that inhibit the growth of algae. I read that there are leeches in this lake. I don't think I would want to go swimming in it, but I most definitely would like to kayak here. It looks quite big and wraps around the mountain. That would be such an awesome experience.

We drove about 54 more minutes to Rialto Beach in Forks.

The parking lot at Rialto Beach is very small so the overflow had to park along the road. We ended up parking a ways away. It was quite the distance to walk to the beach, but it was worth it. 

This is one of the beaches that has a lot of driftwood. 

It was a little humid but a bit chilly at the same time. 

So pretty!

I did find the coolest smoothest looking rocks. I didn't take a picture but they were different shades of blue and green. I have them on my bookshelf in my study.

There are areas where there's too much driftwood. It definitely makes it challenging to walk. Plus, given that this beach has a lot of small rocks especially away from the water didn't help with walking either. You had to be careful were you walked to avoid spraining an ankle or falling flat on your face.

After spending some time at the beach we drove to Port Angeles and had dinner at Barhop Brewery. They use a 115 year old Alaskan sourdough starter for their pizza. That's quite neat right?!

We spent the night in Port Angeles and had breakfast at Chestnut Cottage. I remember that their coffee was good. I wrote in my agenda that they use Boyd Coffee. Jacob and I get so excited whenever a restaurant serves good quality coffee and this place had it. 

Riley always enjoying something extra sweet.

We got home around 1:30-ish. It felt warmer back home. According to my journaling it got up to 90 degrees.

We had BBQ for dinner then drove to Ruston Way in Tacoma for an evening ice cream treat.

Strawberry ice cream on top of a brownie. I couldn't finish it. It was very filling. 

Mt. Rainier was visible and when that happens you have to photograph it. It's definitely a prettier picture with it in it.

This is a great spot to hang out and spend an evening by the water. I miss it!

There are concerts during the summer. It's very nice and relaxing.

Beauty in nature draws us to the creator's 

glory and fills our hearts with wonder and worship.

An Afternoon in Poulsbo

July 22nd, 2020   

Wednesday. I'm thinking Jacob must have requested the day off or else we wouldn't have had made a trip to Poulsbo in the middle of the week. And to that I say, awesome! because I love spontaneity. It sure kills monotony.

An unhurried morning (the way I strive to always live; a life without haste).  We had bbq, brisket, somewhere in Tacoma. I don't remember much about it only that the fries were tasty. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a meal out.

I love that sky! and in mid-July ... ah! just perfect weather.

Made it to Sluys Bakery in Poulsbo. It's a cute little Norwegian town, also referred to as "Little Norway".

I'm sure I've talked about this place before in previous posts. Of course, they also sell donuts and a very delicious pull apart bread that I failed to take a picture of. Whenever we're here we always have the hardest time picking out which desserts to get. 

There are coffee shops, ice cream shops, and a candy store. Plenty of delicious treats to choose from. Even though we got pastries Jacob and Riley also got ice cream. I was in the mood for coffee which I had half a donut with.

Afterwards we walked over to the marina which is just behind the shops and enjoyed the view. There's just something about the sight of water that attracts me, pulls me to it. 

Wouldn't it be nice to live in one of those houses across the water? I hope they know how blessed they are to live there. I would love to wake up to this view.

If you continue driving past Poulsbo you will drive into Bainbridge Island. From there you can get the ferry to Seattle.

There was still time for the ferry to arrive, so we went trail walking. I sure love to walk and living in WA makes walking such a pleasant experience especially if cloudy weather doesn't bother you. 

Here we are at another marina. 

Besides my love for cloudy weather picture taking, I also love to take pictures of flowers.

All flowers (even weeds) are so pretty. They do paint the world so beautifully. If only their blooms lasted longer than just a couple of weeks. Too bad they fade/die so quickly. Thankful God made them though. 

And now we wait for the ferry. Good thing I had a book with me. This was a cozy read. I enjoyed it!

Ferry rides are the best. 

I like to walk about among

the beautiful things found in nature.

The people who seem to be the most content live in the present and take their pleasure seriously.