This One's For My Kids

January 16, 17 and 18th

This is a test. Can you name where in the world your crazy parents went for their 29th wedding anniversary and Dad's 52nd birthday? Here is your first clue: Those nice flat round rocks that mom is always packing home...

Here is your second clue: After hiking about a mile through the wet green forest you get a view of sea stacks (a.k.a. Graveyard of the Giants) near a horseshoe cove...

Next clue is the waterfall coming out on Taylor Head...

It is in the land of Bella and Edward... :)

Yes we drove all the way out to Forks, WA stayed in a hotel with a TV, bed and hot shower, and hiked out to Third Beach. The tide was really high, but the weather was dry while we were there. It was spectacular; nature in all of her winter glory! I love the NW beaches!

Can you name our day two destination kids? Lots of logs and only half of a parking lot left! The day threatened to be wet, but it was that fine mix of damp air, wind and the roar of logs being thrown in the surge! It was nice to have a warm hotel to return to instead of a yurt!

We watched the surf toss this tree around like a toothpick! You can feel the pound of the surf under your feet through those flat rocks that mom loves. Never turn your back on this beach! Great stuff!

Have you guessed yet? Rialto Beach! We were going to hike out to the back door at Norwegian Memorial but the tide and the surf were very high and the days short; we decided to save it for another day!

Thanks to the new camera that my sweet children all pitched in to give me for Christmas, I have provided a "feel" of home. If you close your eyes you can just about touch the mist and taste the salt on your tongue. Although I am a transplant to the NW, I always feel like I am home when I am on one of these rugged beaches! Here is a little video to haunt your dreams tonight!

Just south of Rialto Beach is the Harbor of La Push. James Island (large rock in the left of the picture) is sacred tribal ground and a place where the tribe would go to hide from their enemies. It is at the mouth of the harbor. Just to the left of this is First Beach; the whales like to come in to this beach and rub on the smooth round rocks. People rent the cabins out there in March and April to watch the whales come in.

Here's the little fishing harbor in La Push. I love the rusty, beaten old fishing boats! No one was unloading fish today; the harbor was the safe place to be!

I hope you did well on your trip down memory lane. You have all been to these beaches many times; even slept on one or two of them! Dad and I had a lot of fun and I had to admit to Tim and Sarah that hotel camping, at least in January, is the way to go!

We love you all!

Mamala