Sure, you can always build a sand castle.
Or swim, although rare is the Kalalochian who actually dives out among the breakers; the North Pacific is a bit chilly for that.
But when it comes to options for playing at the beach, Kalaloch offers so much more.
^ Splash in the shallow waves that lap about your ankles. Jump the curving white edge of the incoming wavelets...Or just stand there and let them lap over you, brisk and cool.
^ Cruise along the edge of Kalaloch Creek where the freshwater is considerably warmer than the saltwater waves.
^ Oh, what the heck. Just jump into that creek and wade straight through it.
^ As the tides wane, water flows out of the creek, leaving spongy sand that is deliciously soft and cool under bare paws...
^ ...And bare human feet as well.
^ If you're up to it, step a bit deeper into the swells. Jump some waves, dodge the big ones but be prepared to get wet, just the same.
^ Or, maybe my favorite of all, walk along the wide strip of wet sand, glistening with water from the occasional surge, and reflecting blue sky and clouds for you to walk upon.
* * * * *
And when your clothes are half-soaked, your legs covered with goose bumps, and your toes approaching frostbite, then it's the perfect time to head in past the high tide line and explore the beach logs.
^ Step up onto the long and lean tree trunks that line the upper beach, tossed into heaps by fierce winter storms, tumbled this way and that across the sand. Most are stable, a few are not; challenge yourself to migrating along and across, over and under the tangle..
^ But not all beach logs are straight. Keep an eye out for an ancient giant, flipped on its side and half-buried in the sand. Climb it, build on it, and by all means, sit for a portrait in front of it.
^ Here in the so-called lagoon, a huge log suspends itself across the creek. Scramble up top, walk to the far end, then settle yourself and celebrate your success. And when you're done, if your ankles can take it, jump off into the soft sand below.
^ While you can always build your own log cabin, why not move into an existing shelter? By the end of the summer, there are plenty of options built up along the beach, all worthy of a tour.
^ And if you are very lucky, at the end of a long day spent exploring all the ways to play on Kalaloch Beach, you will find a shady spot tucked in among the logs that is just the perfect place for a well-deserved nap.
* * * * *
My family and I go to Kalaloch a lot. Here are stories from our trips over the years:
2019
Wide Open Spaces
Whale Bones
Ways To Play
The World Of Packet Dinners
Windows
2018
Walking On Rialto Beach
2017
Gracie Goes To Kalaloch
2015
The Last Day Of My Summer Vacation
2014
With Joy And Wild Abandon
With Hope And Desperate Longing
With Peace And New Beginnings
2012
It's All About The Food
It's All About Playing On The Beach
It's All About The Sunsets
It's All About The Artistic Inspiration
It's All About The Memories
2011
Discovering Tide Pools
Discovering Sunsets
2010
Balanced Rocks
sometime before 2010
Golden Pup
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