"Disappointmentless" may not be a real word, but I'm using it anyway. A title of "Cape Disappointment Did Not Disappoint" sounded lame to me. Plus it's not entirely true. We found the famous Washington lighthouse to be a bit of a let down. But only the first one. Maybe I should start over.
My friends and I planned this little girl getaway over the MLK holiday months ago. Winter can be a rough season for hiking addicts (sorry, I mean enthusiasts) so we knew we'd be desperate for an outing come January. A snow camp maybe?...but the beach just sounded so much better. Staying at a cabin with a hot tub looking out on the ocean is adventurous, right?
 |
| Hats make it seems more outdoorsy ;) |
Okay, not really. And the hiking options in the Long Beach area are not exactly thrilling either. Though we knew if we timed it right, we should at least be able to get some good sunset pics at the reputable landmark of Cape Disappointment.
After less than a mile's walk you'll come to the lighthouse and it's...okay. I guess I had high expectations. We took the short jaunt down to Dead Man's Cove for a few more shots of the setting sun, and then Heidi mentioned the other lighthouse.
Other lighthouse? "Yeah, there's the newer North Head Lighthouse. We should drive back tomorrow and check it out," she says. "Well, where is it?" I ask. "Oh, just a couple minutes drive," she answers. A couple minutes?! We all agreed to get a move on while there was still a little light left!
As far as getting our photography fix, this was the highlight of our trip. On our last day we did stop to check out Waikiki Beach where you can get the iconic shot of the older lighthouse; but with no giant waves, it's pretty underwhelming.
 |
| A classic shot I stole off the internet |
 |
| Way less impressive in person |
Our other attempt at a hike was pretty much a total bust. The "Bearberry and Bay Loop" at Leadbetter Point started out as a nice beach walk. Then it got mushier...and mushier... (Heidi's new shoes were getting quite the baptism) until finally I hear Heidi say, "Oh Hell's Bells, no way!"
 |
| Woo hoo, this is great! |
 |
| Hell's bells, this is not ;) |
I convinced her we could make it over the water by balancing on all the deadfall, because none of us wanted to trudge back through the mush. This worked, until we came to yet another "hell's bells" situation that we could not find our way around, try as we might. (I actually started to feel a bit panicked because it was proving very difficult to find the trail again. My solo trip from Whatcom Pass to Ross Lake kind of gave me PTSD when it comes to getting lost.)
 |
| Our VRBO's private beach was the place to be |
But let me be clear: I would not call any of the above a disappointment. Even soggy feet are fun when I'm with my girls. Obviously we made it out alive; though after that little adventure we decided hanging out at our rented beach cabin was excitement enough. Actually it was more than enough - it was pure heaven. Happy "hanging with your gals can be better than hiking" trails...or maybe I should say non-trails.
 |
| You MUST drive on the beach! So fun! |
 |
| And fly kites! We bought ours right in town |
 |
| And Sammie says not to forget to visit Oysterville |
