Friday September 10, South Beach, WA

140 Miles

Today has been a strange sort of a day with expectations not quite eventuating, but tonight as we sit camped overlooking the West Coast, not a breathe of wind, and watching a brilliant sunset, a fantastic spot…it really has been a great day! We can just about see Gisborne on the horizon!

Left Westport in drizzly rain after a good walk along the fishing pier, and onto Aberdeen. Wanted to do the laundry and get a few supplies. We came into town and had the feeling of a pretty dismal place, everything looked drab. Couldn’t locate the Laundromat so thought we would go to Walmart first and someone could probably direct us. The stores always have a “hostess” at the entrance to greet you and give you a trolley so we asked the lady for directions. What a delight. Her first comment was “just don’t stay in Aberdeen for long, it’s not much of a town” She proceeded to tell us that it was built on lumbermen and prostitutes and nothing much has changed, except the sawmills have all gone!!!! We just laughed but somehow that is what the town felt like.

Found the Laundromat and dealt with the chores.

I had read about a “huge” art festival in nearby Ocean Shores starting today, so headed off to see that, but it turned out to be a very uninspiring ordinary gathering of crafts people. The only bright spot was a photographer with some brilliant bird shots.

Off north up the coast expecting to have some wonderful views of the ocean but the road was treelined and only a few fleeting glimpses.

Finally it opened out with a state park right on the ocean at Pacific Beach, and it was kite festival weekend. The park was full of “kiters”, their sites adorned with every imaginable type of small kite that blew in the wind and there were a number all ready flying on the beach. This yearly event is quite the occasion, campsites are judged for the best decorated and they have a communal dinner on Saturday night. 

The park warden mentioned a campsite right on the water about 1 ½ hours drive north up the coast, sounded like a great idea. Passed through some rain forest with huge trees before emerging on the coast.

The camp is part of the National Park system, and has no facilities except toilets, but to be able to camp right above the beach is fantastic. There was not a breathe of wind, so we lit the campfire and enjoyed the sunset.