Today we headed down to south county (Long Beach) to visit a nursery that has a far greater selection of native plants than we have here in north county. While there, we took our two dogs -- the effervescent young one and the doddering old one -- to the beach for a run and a hobble. Though it was a sunny Saturday afternoon, there weren't that many people present.
A lot of folks get the wrong idea when I mention northwest beaches. They are altogether different from those in Southern California! Most of my friends and relatives from back east conjure up images of strong, young tanned bodies basking in ever present sunshine. They imagine surfers and families crowding the beach.
A crowded day on a northwest beach more closely resembles that of an off-day in the winter of our Southern California counterparts. I have never felt like a sardine in a can waking the beaches in Long Beach, Ocean Shores or Ocean City. In fact, there have been many occasions -- some in the middle of summer -- in which me 'n the dogs have had an entire beach to ourselves!!
In my opinion, two things account for the difference: 1) Weather and 2) The make-up of the beaches themselves.
One of the more popular beaches in Southern California is Huntington Beach (HB). HB receives an average of 11.65 inches of precipitation per YEAR. Average highs range from 64 - 73.
Compare these figures to Long Beach (LB), WA. LB receives more average rain in the MONTH of December than HB does for a calendar year. On an annual basis, LB receives nearly 6 feet more rain than HB. While HB receives a smattering of rain here and there, LB gets hit with wild storms and torrents of rainfall throughout the year. The high temperature range is also more extreme, 48 - 67.
But another important difference is the make-up of the beaches themselves. In most warm climes, there is a parking area beyond the beach and the sand is reserved for sunbathers, surfers and family picnics. Contrast this to Washington where almost all of the sand is accessible by motorized vehicle.
Consequently, the sand near the water in the northwest tends to be hard-packed. The soft sand sometimes can be several hundred yards away from the lapping waves and, if you try to venture closer, you stand a good chance of being run over by all the cars and trucks speeding up and down the beach!
Still, despite the fact the character of our beaches is far different than those in sunny Southern California (or Hawaii!), I wouldn't trade them for the world. As a person who immensely enjoys solitude, I thoroughly enjoy walking on beaches (particularly IN the rain) where few others dare tread.
A lot of folks get the wrong idea when I mention northwest beaches. They are altogether different from those in Southern California! Most of my friends and relatives from back east conjure up images of strong, young tanned bodies basking in ever present sunshine. They imagine surfers and families crowding the beach.
A crowded day on a northwest beach more closely resembles that of an off-day in the winter of our Southern California counterparts. I have never felt like a sardine in a can waking the beaches in Long Beach, Ocean Shores or Ocean City. In fact, there have been many occasions -- some in the middle of summer -- in which me 'n the dogs have had an entire beach to ourselves!!
In my opinion, two things account for the difference: 1) Weather and 2) The make-up of the beaches themselves.
One of the more popular beaches in Southern California is Huntington Beach (HB). HB receives an average of 11.65 inches of precipitation per YEAR. Average highs range from 64 - 73.
Compare these figures to Long Beach (LB), WA. LB receives more average rain in the MONTH of December than HB does for a calendar year. On an annual basis, LB receives nearly 6 feet more rain than HB. While HB receives a smattering of rain here and there, LB gets hit with wild storms and torrents of rainfall throughout the year. The high temperature range is also more extreme, 48 - 67.
But another important difference is the make-up of the beaches themselves. In most warm climes, there is a parking area beyond the beach and the sand is reserved for sunbathers, surfers and family picnics. Contrast this to Washington where almost all of the sand is accessible by motorized vehicle.
Consequently, the sand near the water in the northwest tends to be hard-packed. The soft sand sometimes can be several hundred yards away from the lapping waves and, if you try to venture closer, you stand a good chance of being run over by all the cars and trucks speeding up and down the beach!
Still, despite the fact the character of our beaches is far different than those in sunny Southern California (or Hawaii!), I wouldn't trade them for the world. As a person who immensely enjoys solitude, I thoroughly enjoy walking on beaches (particularly IN the rain) where few others dare tread.
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