The Ocean!

 I had a hankerin' to see the ocean again, mostly for Mr. Keith, but for me also. Keith was raised in Santa Rosa California and got to go to the seashore regularly. He's been missing it since we've mostly been inland in our workamping jobs. So...the sun was shining and off we went! We made a stop in McCleary for a soda, and I enjoyed this mural on the grocery store wall.

 Another mural, this time in Elma.

 We decided, as we got to Grays Harbor, to go up the north side to Ocean Shores and then back around the south side to Westport. At last! The Ocean! The sand was packed so hard that many vehicles were driving on it, and the local seagulls were having a lucrative dining experience. We contributed a few bites of Keith's pretzels, of course! The tide was out and it was raining a tiny bit, so we didn't get out. We did relish the view and the brisk air.

 We traveled back around the Harbor to Aberdeen and got on the highway to Westport. I was determined to have fish so we found a little place called the "Fish Shack" in downtown Westport. I was not disappointed in this cod and fries meal. Mr. Keith, why on earth did you order chicken and fries? What were you thinking? I did let him have a bite of my cod, though.

 Before we started full timing in our 5th wheel I had a large collection of lighthouses. I found homes for most of it, and now  my lighthouse viewing is of the real thing, rare though it is. This is the Grays Harbor Light, and a popular tourist stop. I discovered it is the tallest lighthouse in Washington and the third tallest on the west coast.

 We talked with a workamper lady inside the Lighthouse and sighed, wishing that we could work at one of these beautiful historical icons. I stood in the center of the entryway, looked up, got dizzy, and snapped this photo. You can see a couple of hardy folks making the climb to the top. We didn't try, as I wasn't sure my legs would make it. 

A parting shot with me standing by the sign. Copied from Wikipedia: "Construction of the Grays Harbor Light began in 1897 and was first lit in 1898. Thirteenth Lighthouse District officials selected a site facing the Pacific Ocean, about 400 feet from water’s edge. Massive amounts of accretion, due in large part to the jetty system at the entrance to Grays Harbor, have since built up, and the lighthouse currently stands approximately 3000 feet from high tide." This lighthouse is still in use, though automated now. Seeing the ocean today was the high point of our trip, but seeing this lighthouse was certainly a close second.