Long Beach Peninsula, Washington

New Years 2012-2013


To bring in the new year, the Taylor family spent three days and four nights out on the on the coast of southwest Washington.
We were out there with several of my co-workers (Doug, Mike, Don) as well as their families and friends.
Big thanks from all of us to Len Anderson for the sweet deal on the rooms at the Surfside Inn!

We some spent time on the beach every day, and most of the evenings as well.

Razor clams were on the menu! The actual permitted clam dig was at low tide, which was well after dark.
The night-clamming scene was surreal. I couldn't get photos, as I was hanging out with the little kids back at the dunes, and it was dark!

It was really beautiful out there. I'll attempt a description.
The Milky Way was clearly cast across the amazingly starry sky and was also reflected brilliantly in the wet sand just above the surf.
The clam diggers were visible from the dunes only as distant swinging lanterns out in the dark and noisy surf.
The surf looked like an indistinct white horizontal blur, evenly dividing the stellar scene above, from the mirrorlike beach below.

The clam dig was pretty challenging and exciting.
The clam diggers would follow the waves as they went out, down the almost flat beach. They walked rapidly, scanning the sand for signs of razor clams in a race against the next set of waves.
Many times, the clam diggers (including Cynthia) would be busy digging in the sand when an unexpected wave would rush in suddenly, foaming and hissing into the beach through the darkness!
There were a lot of excited screams from the clam diggers, as they sprinted up the beach soaked from the knees (or waist) down, with the surf at their heels.

The sand castles were my personal favorite beach activity.

A pair of eagles kept watch for prey from the top of a nearby fir tree.
They were there often. We saw them every day.

Morgan enjoyed climbing up the dunes, pushing through the tough yellow grass.
Then she would run back down the steep sand to the beach, whooping and shrieking joyously the whole way.

On our last full day on the coast (New Years Eve), we drove south to visit some parks, lighthouses, and the Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge, which crosses the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, is over four miles long!
It is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. Awesome!

Once we found one of Astoria's two fine craft breweries, I set myself against a pint of the Cavatica Stout, the Fort George Brewery's darkest and most fearsome brew.
Unsurpisingly, I prevailed! The family was most impressed by this act of heroism.

Our day of coastal sight-seeing was a windy and wintery one.

Happy New Year!