Category Archives: WA State – Pacific County

Long Beach, WA, the world longest driving beach

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Long Beach, Washington is our ‘to go’ to places for a short get away. This trip was small scale with just three of us: me, dear husband, and Lilly (our cairn terrier). We had the smallest cottage at Anchorage Cottages, #1 with about 400 square feet and it had everything we needed. As soon as we got here dear husband and dog took a nap (exhausted from being the passengers) and I went off in the rain to snap a photo. I have to confess that it was raining so hard that I rolled down the car window to take the shot! With the sign photos, one is looking toward the town and the other photo is looking toward the Pacific Ocean.

The sign proclaims that Long Beach is the “World’s Longest Beach”, so of course I had to research that. The world’s longest beach is Praia do Cassino Beach in Brazil with a length of 150 miles. The longest beach in the United State is Padre Island National Seashore in Texas with 70 miles. Long Beach at 28 miles is the 8th longest beach. (Source), but it is the longest drivable beach. I’m sure that’s what the sign means.

I’ve also included a photo of the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach on a sunny day in the past.

 

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

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On our way home from Long Beach, we visited the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge at 3888 State Route 101, Ilwaco, WA 98624.  It was really a treat! There is a small display room in the ranger’s work area and of course a delightful ranger. There is a short, level boardwalk area with plenty of interesting art. The boardwalk goes next to a pond, which was full of newts! For the more ambitious walkers, there is a trail that is relatively steep and has nature facts along the way. It is a lovely and challenging walk and at the end is a meditative labyrinth. 

Their website is here http://www.fws.gov/willapa/

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

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We continued exploring the Long Beach Peninsula with a visit to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. To be fair, the ranger guy did say that it was a 1.2 mile hike each way and the terrain was steep in places and slippery with rain. Both of those facts proved to be true and it didn’t help that just as we reached the lighthouse, it began to rain in earnest.

This lighthouse was the first to be built in the Pacific Northwest. The ship that carried the original pieces of the lighthouse sank in view of where the lighthouse was eventually built in 1856!  The first time they built it the tower was too small to hold the lantern, so they disassembled it and rebuilt it. That process took two years.

There is a Coast Guard observation station in use next to the lighthouse and it was staffed with two men that got there in their truck by using the special Coast Guard road.

Despite the dampness, it really was a lovely hike with amazing views along the way. I believe that on the weekends in the summer it is possible to go into the lighthouse. The photo below is taken of the lighthouse from Waikiki Beach, which is another lovely spot in Cape Disappointment State Park. The last photo shows a view from the top of the trail by the lighthouse.

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=115

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=cape%20disappointment

 

Anchorage Cottages at Longbeach, WA

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What sweet words “Spring Break” are! Dear daughter and I got out of town for a couple of day to Long Beach, WA. While there we stayed at our favorite place, Anchorage Cottages at 2209 Boulevard North, Long Beach. We come to Long Beach every couple of years and usually stay here. We had Unit 8 and it was great — two bedrooms, a living room with a fireplace, a full bath and a kitchen. It was clean, comfy and had lovely art on the walls. A short hike through pines and sea grass and we were at the ocean 🙂

Their website is here http://theanchoragecottages.com/