I must confess dear reader, that I have a problem. You see, when two of my girlfriends recently texted me asking if I wanted to go camping on the beach my instant reaction was, "well duh, who wouldn't?" This would be normal if it was July. But it's not. It's February. Thus I must face the truth and admit it. I'm an addict. And my drug of choice is the great outdoors.
Since just the idea of sitting, confined indoors, at weekly meetings of Outdoor Addicts Anonymous makes me twitch, I'll be confessing my adventures to you dear readers. You can hold me accountable.
Hi. My name is Whitney and it has been one day since my last outdoor adventure.
My friend's sales pitch on Scenic Beach State Park promised sunset on the beach, soaring mountains, campfire and great food. It's February, we spent only an hour planning, and while there was no rain in the forecast, the temperatures promised to be chilly. What could possibly go wrong?
We arrived in the late afternoon with my small car packed to the brim. A winding road meanders through numerous campsites. We picked one with some lovely trees and a spot for a hammock. After getting organized we set off through the woods for the beach with steaming mugs of hot cocoa. And woah. Picture perfect. Take your breath away perfect. A classic rocky PNW beach awaited us. Just across the water, the majestic Olympics were still dusted with snow. We wandered the beach as the sky turned pink, then a soft blue. It was quiet, peaceful, and have I mentioned perfect?
Even the campsite was well setup for our trio. A large picnic table provided the perfect workspace, while a fire pit equipped with a grill offered warmth and a place to cook. However, lets not get all caught up in the bucolic scene here. There has to be a downfall to all of this perfectness.
That grate? Yeah. When not in use it lays next to the pit. In the darkness, all three of us managed to trip over it with varying degrees of damage. Jana got the short end of that stick and ended up bleeding profusely after stubbing her toe. The fire? Well let's just say it took some liquid courage in the form of lighter fluid to bring it to life. But all in all, minor challenges compared to that gorgeous sunset.
After satisfying our inner pyros we tromped through the woods for some late night stargazing. Again with the woah. The big dipper, Orion, Venus and more celestial bodies than we could identify awaited us. Combined with a half moon that was bright enough to beachcomb by ... well lets just say I'd do that again in a heartbeat. But this is where the villain of our story makes his entrance. The cold. Remember my advice last week? Check the weather. Then check it again. Even when you think you know it can surprise you. We beat a hasty retreat to the campsite after teeth started chattering audibly.
Sleeping started off so well. The silence and darkness of being away from the city was so refreshing and we settled into sleeping bags for some rest. 3:30 a.m. rolled around and our villain decided we'd had enough fun. Even when well equipped, 30 degrees is freaking cold. Determined not to let the villain win, we made some adjustments, grabbed an extra blanket, and turned to the best way to get warm: cuddling. Face it folks, when cold we will get close and cozy with just about anyone.
In the end our villain made this trip a little less fun than we would have liked but this week's adventure more than provided my weekly fix of the great outdoors. I'm already plotting my next foray.
LINK: Manchester State Park