What We Did This Weekend – Save the City Edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I’m not sure if it is even possible to get tired of pictures like the one above.  I don’t think I’m ever happier than when I’m following the girls through a sun-dappled Northwest trail.  It’s good for the soul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We camped at Dash Point State Park.  One of our favorites and only about 15-20 minutes from our house.  We have visited often during the day, but this time we convinced the neighbors (Natalie, Mistah and Grace) to camp overnight with us.

 

This crazy trail down to the beach dropped some serious elevation and charmingly, there were a series of amazing outdoor staircases.

 

 

 

 

 

  And we found a tree slide!   That’s good.  No slivers were suffered.  That’s even better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we arrived at the beach we were pleasantly surprised to find a skim boarding contest going on.  The creek running out to Puget Sound gushes across a pristinely-flat stretch of sand where the skim boarders throw their boards down the creek, run like crazy, jump on the board and then hit a series of ramps, steps, etc.  Very much like skateboarding tricks, but it is harder to find a strip mall on the beach.  They have to bring their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each and every time we come to this beach we play the same game.  Save the City.  You must first find a high spot.  This beach is famous for being flat, flat, flat and the tide going out FOREVER, so finding a high spot takes skill.  Next you build an elaborate sand castle city.  You need moats and rivers and drainage ditches.  You must use your engineering skills to get it just right.  You must also use your persuasive skills to encourage other people to help.  If you don’t, it is no fun at all.  We got two pre-teenage boys and an entire non-English speaking Japanese family.  Pretty awesome considering the language barrier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, as the timde starts coming in it fills your river, then your moat, then eventually if things go well it drains out the other side in the drainage ditch.  This weekend’s city was the best ever.  It was large, well fortified…and the river/moat/drainage system worked the best it has ever worked.  Experience is a great teacher. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But an even better teacher is the inevitability of the tide.

So then you give up and go find cool stuff like shrimp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the campfire later that evening Natalies hot dog bun waited in its artistic splendor for it’s sausage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And breakfast the next day was just as indulgent.  Eggs, bacon, fruit, pancakes.  We really roughed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We roughed it so much that Natalie modeled the typical Northwest city camper with her glass french press and Starbucks coffee.  Ridiculous, I know.  But the coffee was amazing.

What did YOU do this weekend?