Some days we visit just one park, other days we cram a whole
bunch into one day. On this particular trip, we ventured to three different
areas and made it one long fun-filled day.
Our first stop was at Rainbow Falls State Park. It had been
years since I’d visited this park, long before the original bridge over the
river had been washed out, so that finding the park entrance took a little more
time. Once we parked and began to explore the park’s day use area, memories
flooded back to me of my visits there as a kid when we would stay in the
campground. We quickly made our way to the river, after first stopping to get a
look at a relic…a phone booth. The phone is missing and I don't believe the paper phone book was in the binder, but the booth was such an odd sight in the middle of the greenery at the park and seeing it just made me smile.
The river walk was fun and the river was beautiful. We
made our way down to the water to walk along the rocks and in the water and we
also moved along the trail for more views of the river. Jozee enjoyed both the
trail and a walk in the shallow areas of the river. The trail was easy and just
enough for what we were looking for as a way to stretch our legs before hitting
the road again.
Our next stop was Long Beach, another area I hadn’t visited
for quite some time. The beach is like any other Washington beach and this day
was like many…cloudy and cool. But we enjoyed a walk along the boardwalk and in
the sand and also had fun watching some pretty spectacular kites being flown by
beachgoers that day.
When we were ready to head indoors, we visited Marsh’s
Free Museum, a tourist trap of the best kind. I’ve never been to Long Beach
without also visiting this store. The museum is filled to the brim with your beach-related
gift and souvenir items and so much more. It’s full of funky antiques and
curios, to include antique arcade games and photo viewing machines, and oddities
like Jake the alligator Man. It is a full-fledged curiosity shop and worth a
visit. Jozee waited outside while we took turns exploring the store…I don’t
think dogs were allowed inside but I also don’t know what she would have
thought about some of the stuffed animals they have inside the store!
After Long Beach we took a trip to Cape Disappointment State
Park. Again, this is a park I’ve been to before but it’s been awhile and this
was our first time with a pup tagging along. The park is very dog friendly and
we enjoyed hiking up the trailhead past the lighthouse keeper's residence, Deadmans Hollow and an old bunker before we arrived at the North
Head Lighthouse. Jozee met another pup along the way and they became fast
friends.
The weather was still cloudy when we arrived at the lighthouse but it
began to clear up so that we were able to enjoy the surrounding views before we
ventured back down the hill. The views from above by the lighthouse are truly
beautiful on a clear day.
One note I should make is that this visit to Cape
Disappointment was pre-Covid…I believe some of the park and access to the
lighthouse is closed until further notice. However, when it opens up again, it’s
definitely worth the visit if you haven’t had the chance yet.
We thought we were done for the day when we found another beach
area nearby we’d never visited before. It’s called Waikiki Beach and it was a
fun find. We had a different view of the lighthouse from across the water,
rocks to explore, beach to access and it’s a beautiful beach cove with cliffs
on one side and regular waves I imagine surfers often enjoy. We didn’t venture
any further in to check out any trails the park might offer since it was so
late in the day, which only means we have a reason to go back to this park
someday.
Washington State has a beautiful coastline and while a visit
to the beach is often cloudy and windy, you might get lucky with blue skies and
sunshine to match the wonderful views. Since the weather can vary, it just
gives you a reason to go back for another visit.
