While on a mini getaway in Long Beach, Washington this past summer in celebration of our 5-year wedding anniversary, coupled with our little guy’s 3rd birthday, we found that the town is great for walking.
Walk along the wide open (and long) beach, walk along the boardwalk, walk up and down the quirky shops, restaurants, and attractions on the town’s main street, and finally, walk along the very route (more or less) that Lewis and Clark took in their expedition ending in November of 1805.
We certainly didn’t complete the entire 8.5 mile trail that spans from Long Beach to the neighboring town of Ilwaco. However, just traveling a mile or so before we turned around and took the beach route back, provided us with a lot of history and perspective.
The Discovery Trail is perfect for kids, especially those who may be weary of the ocean since it sits back, because of it’s flat, paved surface, and frequent opportunities for breaks thanks to informative signs, monuments, and statues, some even suitable for climbing!
We also found it to be a lovely place to fly a kite. Of course, Long Beach is famous for kite flying (the international kite festival is held here every year), and we saw people all over the beach sending their flyers into the air, from fancy to dollar-store variety. Some of those doing tricks, some flying multiple kites at once, and others just trying to get the hang of their technique.
Not one for just standing around, my husband opted for a different kite flying experience though, and simply walked along our route flying his kite. If you’ve never done this, you should give it a try! There’s something special about always looking up, and seeing your “friend” up there in the sky seeming to fly along with you as you’re taking your journey.
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Long Beach, WA looks absolutely beautiful. We’ll have to add it to our list of places to visit.
We love getting out to the Washington coast and Long Beach has so much to offer! We also got super lucky with the weather on this particular weekend. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, Kara!
The last time I few a kite was two summers ago at Cannon Beach. It flew out of my hands and I was running down the beach and into the resort areas chasing it! One of the resorts was nice enough to pull out a ladder and rescue it from the roof. They said it happens all the time! Definitely a fun memory!
Thank you for sharing your story–definitley the chuckle I needed on this Monday morning–yes, kites are so unpredictable! I love how they even pulled out a ladder to help you retrieve the fly-away–guess they are prepared in this part of the world. 🙂
Look very peaceful. We go to WA sometimes to visit family, so I’m pinning this post for future reference. About kites…my husband and older son have made them at home, and we used to fly them in the park across from our house, but we haven’t flown one since we moved. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Oh wow–what a fun activity–haven’t thought to make our own, but maybe we should give it s try at some point. Hope you get to fly yours again soon! Yes, the Long Beach penninsula is a great destination if/when you find yourself visiting WA! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Jenna!