Washington: Picnic Point Beach at low tide

Originating from a desert climate, Antho and I aren't exactly people who have had an overabundance of time spent exploring tide pools and beaches, so the multiplicity of them available here has been astounding. I mean, sure, when I lived in Japan I'd make a point of it to walk along the river that ran through Urayasu and I'd gawk in wonder as the decrepit fishing boats' bones were exposed as the tide retreated, revealing hulls encrusted in barnacles, but these opportunities are quite rare to indulge in the Mojave desert. Here in Washington, there's an array of biomes available to explore, from the rocky beaches dotting the Puget Sound to deep, densely green growths of forest cropping out from anywhere a human has neglected to tame. Crows, bunnies, and squirrels roam the streets of Seattle proper, and I've even spotted a herd of goats in the densely populated University District! Washington and Seattle's city streets are teeming with life, and the Sound carving up the region provides so many beaches and waterfront sanctuaries that we really have no excuse not to explore. 

When the tide's glossy grip retreats from the beach at Picnic Point beach, all sorts of life is revealed from the normally hidden aquatic world. We have visited Picnic Point Park during high tide when it's an entirely different place, so seeing it transformed is fascinating- at least to me. I was unable to join Antho on the beach on this particular outing, so he took all the photos for me and I was able to look over them later to see what I missed. He found much evidence of moon snails, a strange aquatic critter that bores holes through the shells of smaller mollusks and grows to an outlandish (to our appraisal) size. With the water retreated, crows and herons flock to the soggy shore to pluck up snacks galore, from crabs to snails to full-on fish. Sad jellyfish and a staggering, swishy drunk man join the menagerie, backed by the steady serenade of the waves dashing against the land's edge. I can just hear those tiny sea-weed dwelling bugs in their infernal hopping, clicking noise, eager to latch onto any passing food-source and leave itchy welts to remember them by. 

We'll definitely be back. Nothing is ever static, and while life is constantly changing, the changing of the tides is a good reminder that sometimes it's best to just go with the flow. You can fight the current, but if you're patient it'll change soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy the crustaceans and getting sprayed by mysterious mollusks as they flee into the depths of the sand. 

Washington: Picnic Point Park Sunset and High tide

I've done a post showing off how gorgeous Picnic Point Park is before, but that was during low-tide, which is an entirely different sort of experience from the park during high-tide, which is when these photos were taken. If you're not really familiar with the significant difference the tide makes, I understand- coming from the desert, there was a long portion of my life where I really didn't comprehend or appreciate just how much the tide can change, and how heavily that impacts the landscape. The Pacific Northwest, and especially Seattle, is predominantly rocky cliffs and forested hills jutting out of the surf, in case names like Queen Anne Hill or Capitol Hill weren't suggestive enough. Some of these hills are artifical, like the majority of Occidental Park and the nearby sports stadiums that house Seattle's professional sports teams, but the natural ones are largely the result of volcanic and tectonic activity causing the plates to protrude and gain altitude. In a city with as much water as Seattle has, either surrounding or occupying space within it, being above sea-level is a wise thing to consider when looking at real-estate.  

Picnic Point Park is close to several different small cities north of Seattle, making it a popular destination for the locals of those various little municipalities. On this particular visit we found the beach somewhat less crowded than the last time, which was a nice surprise, but the high water levels combined with the bracing cold might serve as an explanation for the absence of other visitors. Sure, it was brisk, but we had an excellent time wandering the beach and watching the sunset. Our friend Christina went with us, taking photos of her own and providing commentary as she's much more knowledgeable about the area than we are. She's been living in Washington for years now and is an active outdoorswoman who gets out and takes photos whenever the opportunity presents itself. It was her idea to go to the beach, in fact, and who are we to argue?  

There are, of course, ample photos below!

Washington: Mukilteo Ferry, Ivar's Seafood by the pier

After leisurely meandering through the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park for a while and enjoying the stunning scenery and people (and pup) watching, we had to acknowledge our rapidly growing hunger growling in our bellies before it evolved into either of us being outright hangry! Luckily for us, within a short few minutes walk of the Lighthouse Park is an Ivar's restaurant and takeaway window, where you can load up on fresh-from-the-ocean goodies cooked up hot and fresh for you! They also offer root beer floats, so whether you're looking to cool off in the warmer summer months or simply an excitable fan of root beer and ice cream paired in a drinking vessel, that's a nice surprise. Antho, of course, had to have one. Not gonna lie, it was pretty damn good, too. I'm more of a savory person, so I was super excited about my fried oysters- and let me tell you guys, I was not disappointed. I can eat oysters in any form, whether it's fresh off the half shell or battered and deep fried, and Ivar's were super juicy and ultra-fresh, and a damn fine bit of fried oysters. 

Antho opted for some of the fried cod, and he was quite pleased with his choice, too. I snagged a bite or two of his fish and it was so juicy the liquid gushed down my hand, which I take as a good sign. Maybe be wary if you're not a fan of wearing your food, or smelling like your fish dinner later, but we weren't complaining one bit. We found a comfortable place to sit away from the minimal crowds, where we could listen to the gentle lapping of the waves as they rhythmically beat against the pier. Gulls stood their ever-vigilant watch as we ate, hoping for a snack. Even though the food was SO good, we couldn't help but toss out a fry or two as an offering to our feathered friends. There was even a large jellyfish who drifted (swam? floated?) by, offering us plenty of opportunities to photograph their undulating advances.  When we finished eating, we wandered a little further down the path, finding a little cove where we could take in the sunset and coincidentally find ourselves surprised by a suddenly rapid-rise of the tides. We escaped to high ground in time, and caught a ferry returning to the dock to disembark the passengers, which was fun to see from a new vantage point.

 Overall we had a blast, and we're excited to see where we end up next!

Santa Monica: Cali-trip 04-10-2015

The iconic Santa Monica Pier. 

After we got to Venice beach by bus, we decided to spend some time wandering the area and stretching our legs. After some time, we made it to the pier…we certainly had to ride the ferris wheel at some point, but the people watching alone was fantastic!