We did a little car camping and beach walking over on the Olympic Peninsula over the Thanksgiving Day weekend and it is no exaggeration that I LOVE the beach.
We stayed in the Kalaloch campground and with the rain, didn’t bother to set up a tent. I know you see all those glamorous shots of people laying in the back of their trucks with views but this is my reality.
We had dinner by headlamp and had to go out and walk for our views.
The tides didn’t quite mesh with both our schedule or the weather so we never did get in a long, lazy hike on the beach.
Our weekend was a mix of short sandy strolls and biding time in the Forks Outfitters (which sports a Thriftway and Ace Hardware) until it was a socially acceptable time to eat lunch somewhere warm.
You never know what you might find in these out-of-the-way towns and Christmas was in full swing. It is hard to believe what people come up with to attract your dollar. My loved ones are lucky I didn’t have my shopping list made out yet. FYI, new ashtrays for $2.49.
Not finding much healthy to snack on, we went next door and checked out Pacific Pizza and I must say we were both pleasantly surprised.
Thinking I was going to have to settle for a spinach salad, the restaurant sported a Gluten Free menu. Hmmm, but would it be as good as the Twilight menu?
Pizza is one of those things that I can rarely eat out because unless they offer a faux non-soy cheese, I am left with gluten free crust, olive oil and toppings. The crust has to be VERY good to make that worth the price you pay for accommodation. So far, the best place has been Razzi’s Pizzeria in Greenwood which offers extensive regular, gluten free and vegan menus. But it’s not exactly convenient for post hike fare.
Wanting something warm to eat and the pizza call was real so I kept the cheese and went with the Basil Pesto sauce, green olives and mushrooms. Don’t judge. It was SO good! We finished this treat in no time flat and vowed to come back with the kids (sans cheese).
After lunch we had to stop by a local thrift shop to see if we could find any non-beach treasure.
You never know what you might find in these little places. I was hoping it wasn’t food…
I’m not sure what to think if the fact that the shop owner assumed we were locals, I guess we were just trying to blend in with our rain pants and rubber boots. The owner showed us around his shop and mentioned he helped build the tree display in one of the Twilight shops in town.
Without any need for fake vampire teeth or fishing lures, both of us walked away with kitchen gadgets. No surprise. You can always use another set of measuring spoons, right? So cute.
The great thing about our stop to the thrift store is that our new friends shared with us the beach at Clallam Bay Spit and talked it up as perfect for beachcombing (my bf’s pockets weren’t full yet). It turned out to be an amazing place for tidepools and solitude.
The great thing about trips like this is that we really didn’t have a plan other than head to the coast and camp and we ended up having a wonderful time going with whatever came our way. And if you know me, having a plan is my M.O. I am a Planner with a Capitol P. It’s that whole First Born thing.
I am both looking forward to more unplanned adventures as well as taking our loved ones back to see the treasures we found on our trip.
What are some of your favorite road trips? Planned or not planned?
For more pictures from our Washington Coast getaways, visit my Olympic Peninsula page. Also, the sad news is that the thrift store is no longer there but Forks Outfitters still makes a great stop!
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