A QUICK DRIVE.
Day 213 – It rained hard last night and all morning. When it stopped raining temporarily after lunch, we quickly headed for the car and took advantage of the break in the rain. It was 48 degrees and very cloudy. The sun was briefly shining through the thick clouds. We drove up the coast as far as the road was open. The road was closed when we reached the Quinault Indian Reservation land, private road, no trespassing.
The drive north to the end of the public road was really pretty through deep woods dripping with moisture. Haze rose from the pavement when the moisture above mixed with the occasional sunlight. We drove through a town called Seabrook, which was created in 2004. A relatively small area and planned community, with rows of expensive homes within and each house different from the next (which is rare in subdivisions), there was one road in the middle with some trendy stores. Everything was brand new and super clean; it was kind of strange to come upon this “utopia” in the middle of small old beach towns that had seen better days. From what we heard, the locals are not too happy with the new utopia.
The drive south was at first, about half small old beach towns and about half RV Parks. It was more populated with less forests, and we could see the Ocean easier. The waves were large. Then we came upon Ocean Shores, a large beach city with condo’s, motels, surf shops and all the little stores that you normally see in a popular beach town. There was a huge housing development with rows upon rows of 1960-era houses, and streets intertwined with canals and ponds. Some roads ended at the beach where regular vehicles were allowed on the sand. What a zoo it must be in the summer. At the end of the peninsula, beyond Ocean Shores, newer houses were being built, each competing in height for ocean views with the house in front of it. A couple of very large cargo ships were making their way around the South Jetty from the Ocean to the Bay and River.
We headed back to the RV as the rain started up again, along with heavy winds. We were glad we had the chance to see the area. It may rain the rest of our stay here, but we are learning to run for the car and see places quickly when the weather takes a break.