Camping at the coast

Camping season is almost upon us, and I am so excited. We didn't camp at all during our two year exile in Nevada--too hot, and too crowded. We drove up to Lake Tahoe once, and while it is breathtakingly beautiful, it was also *so* crowded. We settled for day trips and picnics.

So now that we're back home, we can start camping again :) My brother has a VW camper van that he's testing out at the ocean this weekend, and if all goes well with that (no leaks in the roof canvas, fridge/stove/heat/lights all operable, etc) then we're heading out to Ocean Shores in May. Hopefully it will coincide with our brother's return from Iraq as well.

Ocean Shores is located on the Pacific Ocean in southwest Washington state; it's about a 3 hour drive for us. While we have plenty of beaches around here, they're not the pretty, ocean-front, sandy beaches like they have there....I love camping near the ocean. The salty air and sound of surf make for a good night's sleep. My brother is also testing out his fishing equipment this weekend, so we may have fresh fish, as well.
Click here for a live look at the beach. We'll be camping someplace a bit more wooded, but this is a great shot nonetheless.

I started a blog when we moved from Seattle to Reno, and in 2006 I blogged about this exact subject. It was funny to read it and think about everything that has happened since then...folks, let me tell you: there's no place like home. That's all I can say. Read this and enjoy:

I'm feeling nostalgic today...talked to my Dad for a while this morning and then my brother Forest who is in Seattle on leave. He's coming down for a visit either the 1st or the 2nd, and I can't wait to see him!
So here's my Dad and his Great Dane, Ike, at the Hoh Rain Forest last summer....Dad calls this his "devil dog" picture...LOL! Dad and my Uncle Nathan went camping at Oil City, which is about 15 or so miles south of Forks, WA. A little further south is Cottonwood Campground, which is part of the Olympic National Forest. When I was a little girl, we camped at Cottonwood almost every year, because--and here's where we get into family story time--my grandparents owned some property in Oil City. Don't let the name fool you; the only part of Oil City that is a City is its name, LOL. It is a fabulous wilderness that sits on the Pacific. There are some old, overgrown logging roads that lead to the "city," but the only way in ever since I can remember is hiking in with a machete or two to clear the path.
Right after WWII, my grandparents bought some acreage sight unseen for $50 in Oil City. Family lore has is that when my Dad was still in diapers, Grandpa thought it would be good to go and see this property...so he packed everyone up in the car and headed west. They didn't arrive until the middle of the night, got horribly lost, and my grandmother, who loved her creature comforts, was extremely put out that they had to sleep in the car. They were expecting a City, after all, LOL. The story goes that at first light, she made Grandpa turn the car around and head for home. She refused to go out there ever again!
So skip ahead 20 years or so and now my Dad is a young man and I'm the one in the diapers. Back in those days, the hippie movement was in full swing, and my parents had this cool idea of moving out there to "live off the land." Well, it didn't quite work out the way they planned, but we do camp at Cottonwood and hike up to Oil City quite often. Not sure when I'll get a chance to do it again though. Maybe next summer, and this time my daughter'll be the one in the diapers.
If you ever get a chance to go to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, be sure to check out the Hoh Rain Forest visitors center...it's not too far from Oil City and is really a wonder. Here are some links to see it for yourself:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/Olympic_National_Park/Hoh_Rain_Forest_to_the_Pacific_Beaches.html
http://www.forkswa.com/5day/hohforest.html
http://www.nps.gov/archive/olym/wic/trails/trailhead.htm
Here's the deal with Cottonwood: not once have I ever came across other campers when we've stayed there. Seriously. The campground has about 7 sites, is very primitive (outhouses only, no showers), but like I mentioned, it is very very private. You don't have to worry about camping next to partiers that want to stay up late with their music blasting. The site is on the Hoh River, which is VERY COLD and makes for good fishing and dare I say it, chilly bathing...I only did that once, LOL. Fastest bath I ever took in my life! Jump in, get wet, jump out, suds up, jump in again to rinse off. Run back to campsite, and hopefully someone with a hot drink is waiting!! LOL The dogs love it too as no other campers mean no leashes are needed!
Well, that's my plug for camping in WA. Maybe we'll try camping here in NV this summer...we'll see. I hear Lake Tahoe has great camping, but it can get crowded...and what fun is that?

We're not going to Oil City this time, as it's an additional 2 hours in the car, and we'll have three little kids with us. Maybe next year.