Beach camping at First Beach in La Push

Having experienced a  nice cosy site for camping at San Juan Islands in June, we booked ourselves a campsite at Quileute Oceanside Resort sites at First Beach La Push near Fork, Olympic National Park. We went with a warm and friendly couple who are our good friends.

The weather was bright and sunny so we were excited for a great sunset and sunrise view at the beach!! We were informed that we could check-in anytime after 1 pm. So we stopped at Dungeness Bay to have our breakfast and hike till the beach. With a short stopover at Port Angeles for lunch we left for Lake Crescent and spent an hour there and finally reached First Beach around 2:30 pm.

On arrival 
 
No sooner had we crossed Second beach, there was a dense cloud cover and it was all grey! When we asked at the check-in counter, the lady said that it is always like this at First Beach.....guess no sunset and sunrise how we imagined. Second bummer was when we were told that it is beach campsite so we cannot take the cars till the site. Great, we had to carry all our camping stuff to the site on our shoulders crossing through logs of wood and ground of pebbles!!! So you see, we were little taken aback since we were still expecting it to be something like regular campsites where we take the car till our site. Anyway, we got out of the shock and after scouting we chose a supposedly sweet spot for view, we realised the next hurdle, WIND!!! It was so windy that if your jackets are not zipped, they will look like wings alongside your body and if your hair is let loose, soon you will look like someone who got an electric shock!!

After we had shipped most of our stuff to the site, we chose the location to hoist our tent. The pebble-ground actually was easier to nail the stakes and the big pebbles acted as good support over them. But the tent took us 45 minutes to install which would have taken us just 10 minutes, thanks to the WIND!! Successfully we put out the tent and gradually set things inside to make it cosy incase anyone wished to relax. This is how our site looked after we inhabited the place!! :)

 

View of the other campsites and the beach from our site.

 

 

Our son was very excited with the pebbles, then sand and ooooh, cold water! :)

 

Only bit of sunlight we saw for 10 minutes in the evening during our whole stay.

 Settlers having their grub! :)

 

Restrooms

There were the huneybuckets installed near the RV sites behind the beach camps and the flush toilets were some 300 meters away from the beach camps. So it used to be an ordeal reaching there walking through the pebbles. We all had a nice acupressure therapy thanks to the pebbles! :) All our acupressure points in our feet surely got activated!! Coming to the restrooms, the flush toilets had warm water which was a saver. There were coin-operated showers too, but we did not use them.

Fuel and fire

We had bought Sterno starter fuel and in a hurry did not read that it was a gel and not in liquid form. It would have been great had it not been so windy that the gel hardly could sustain any heat to burn the charcoal. So we purchased the Duraflame charcoal liquid firestarter from the only store on the site, Lonesome Creek. It was stocked with all the essentials for fire and snacks.

 

Gel-based                                                                     Liquid form

It was our first time starting our own grill and campfire so quite an experience. Learnt lot of things and remembered many of the science lessons during childhood. 

Charcoal having a higher calorific value(the amount of heat released during combustion of a specific amount) and being compact than wood, really is great for grills. We did not use pure charcoal, instead we used charcoal briquettes. 

There are lot of debates regarding coal lumps and briquettes, but personally, did not find briquettes that bad and surely added a nice taste to the food! One can google more and finally make their own personal choice.

Anyway, it took 20-25 minutes for the briquettes to acquire the white colour which is an indicator that we can start cooking. Again the wind factor played a big role in controlling the fire and the heat!

Campfire was a different ballgame altogether. We had to shovel around a bit to get a good pit and then arranged the wood, added the lighter fuel and lit it. It was windy so we had to take care of our seating. But it was so enlivening sitting on the beach next to our campfire watching the waves in the Pacific! :) No words can describe what we experienced that night, it was heavenly.
Soon a ranger came and inquired for our fire permit and that is when we realised that we should have taken the fire-permit at the time of check-in. Anyway, the ranger was a nice friendly guy and asked us to pay him the fees of $5 and gave us his name incase anyone comes and inquires. Lesson for next time, always inquire about campfire policy of the campground.

We had dinner alongside the campfire and then made s'mores, our son's favourite. Personally, even I enjoy putting the marshmallows on fire!! My son learnt that it melts when heated! :)

Here we are near our campfire.

 

Family pose with the campfire!

 

 

Owing to the high-velocity winds, the campfires were not allowed near the tents. There was a designated placed where we could have our campfires. So we had to carry our chairs and food stuff to that place. Basically, if you do not mind all this carrying then you will surely enjoy this beach camping.

Morning walk

While everyone else was sleeping, I woke up in the morning and finished my morning ablutions. No rush near the restrooms as well. Then prepared my coffee and enjoyed the morning view of the waves. We were totally covered with clouds so no chance of any ray of sunlight that time. But it was peaceful with just the sound of the waves. We had early visitors, seagulls who tried searching for some food but we had all packed it and disposed the garbage at night.

After my coffee, picked up my camera and left for morning walk on the beach till the rocks. An amazing 1.5 hours to myself where I had no thoughts except that I was storing everything that I was seeing in my memory for life! It was so beautiful...:)

Here are few of the morning clicks:

Morning coffee and oceanside view!

 

Place where we had our campfire

 

Moving away from our tent, faint sunlight at the back!

 

At night, the tides were high (it was full moon day) and reached till the pebbles and kind of touched that first red tent!

Panoramic view from the rocks on the other end of the beach.
 

Small islands visible at the Second Beach.

 

Caught a glimpse of these shells and collected colourful pebbles.

 

 

Back to our tent site!

One can see the darkened pebbles telling us the waters reached this far at night. No wonder the sounded thunderous inside the tent while sleeping! :)

Around 8:30 am we started our breakfast preparations and packed our stuff and loaded the car and checked out by 12 noon.

We halted at Port Angeles for lunch and then headed to Kingston for the ferry and were home by evening.

Few things that we learnt for camping:

a) be as compact as possible if going to a specific campground for the first time.
b) always keep warm clothes a plenty as weather can make a 180 degree turn unexpectedly.
c) things packed in backpacks help the tent-site being less cluttered. We had many small bags which were obviously spread out near the tent.
d) keep phones in airplane mode as anyway the network is not available in the campgrounds. That saves the battery and can be used as a camera if you have one. I use my Lumia 1020 as a camera.
e) include ferry wait-time in the whole trip
f) if it is pure camping that one needs to enjoy then must reach the campsite first, leisurely put up the tent enjoy the grilled food hot and then plan hiking or fishing nearby.
g) if planning to visit other places before reaching the campsite, then best is to carry cooked food so that you do not reach all famished and have no energy to set up your camp.

I am sure more can be added to the list but I will keep it open for readers to extend the list.

Each camping experience is a revelation about nature and its power. This weekend we are trying riverside camping at Hause Creek Campgrounds. I shall soon add a post with new experiences there!

Till then, have a lovely weekend everybody! :)

 

A night with nature - Camping at San Juan Islands

Finally understood the real meaning of living in nature, albeit with all the supplies loaded in our car and at a site with excellent restrooms! It really made me wonder if I was a castaway on an island what will be my survivor instincts, and found out that I am not even at ground zero level and way below the level!
This weekend we planned camping at San Juan Islands, Friday Harbor, north-western of Washington from where we could see the Canadian land.

We started early in the morning to make it for the 8:30 am ferry from Anacortes for 9:30 am ferry has lot of waiting time since after that the next ferry is at 2:40 pm. We made it on time and were on the 8:30 am ferry and reached San Juan Islands at 9:30 am. 

We had already checked out on tripadvisor for good local eating places and went straight to Rocky Bay Cafe which is very popular amongst the localiites for get-together coupled with good food. We were famished and surely enjoyed our breakfast there. 

After our breakfast, we headed straight for Cattle Point Lighthouse. En route, we stopped at view station and were just awestruck with the beauty. On the map, it is marked opposite Jakle's Lagoon. Also, marked is the trail ahead. You may have to park it a little before and then walk down the trail. It is always better to get the Discovery permit which you can hang on the rear view mirror without worrying for parking fees. Also, I must mention that the network is very poor in many parts of the island and found that we went in roaming mode as it entered Canadian network! Guess, be alert when you enter the island lest you may end up paying roaming charges unknowingly!

View from the viewpoint station. All we heard was wind and waves. If you have the time, then you can go down till the beach. There is parking below or else just trek down.

From there, we headed to Cattlepoint Lighthouse and found that we needed to hike through a field. Then went ahead straight for the cattle point trail and realised we should have parked and the hiked down the trail. Well, something for next trip.

Having completed the Southern tip, we headed to Lime Kiln State Park. We hiked till the shore and then to the Lighthouse. It is again a great place to picnic and spend time.

From here we headed to San Juan County Park to our campsite. We registered ourselves at the kiosk and got the car permit to be hung inside. The ranger, Kevin, explained many things about racoon. He advised us to keep all our food inside the car and not to even touch our tents with food on our hands as the racoon can rip off the tent if it gets the smell! He was a very warm and friendly guy. Anyway, we being first-timers took his advice pretty seriously and were always alert about the caveat. 

After reaching our site, we installed our tent and set up all the gear inside the tent and chilled out with some cans from our cooler. Our son was very excited with his first camp and just could not wait to make s'mores for which he had to wait till dinner ofcourse! :)

Here is the list of food items we packed and which moreorless got consumed completely: (Shall post our checklist in another post which helped us a lot)

a) filled our cooler with ice just before leaving for the trip/

b) we marinated the chicken drumsticks, chicken patties, veggies and cottage cheese(paneer cubes) and packed them in ziplock packets and kept them in our cooler.

c) cans of coke, beer

d) cheese singles, butter in cooler

e) bread, cakes, chips

f) fruits

g) marshmallows, chocolates, graham crackers

h) cup noodles

i) boiled eggs in egg case which was in the cooler again

The grill was hot and we started with chicken and veggies and cottage cheese on barbecue sticks. The lunch was great and the charcoal just added a nice aroma to the food. After lunch, went to the day use area for whale watching and were lucky to catch glimpses of the pods around 8 pm near the Canada border. We could see the whales swimming across in a line. By the time camera could click, we could capture only their fins. But we were lucky to have seen them in their natural habitat, free and independent and not confined in a museum! Probably next time will go for the whale watching tour to get closer look at them.

 

Then again dinner grill was already running and we had loads of variety to hog on coupled with drinks. It was an amazing night. Then we settled for s'mores which came out really well. Awesome dessert!

Soon, we realised that as hot it was during the day, it has now become very chilly. The fire had to be put out at 10:30 pm so we snuggled inside the sleeping bag and were in our dream world within minutes. With all the action, we never realised the body fatigue till we lied down. 

Early in the morning, woke up and again the morning view was amazing again. It was my first time where I was brushing my teeth in the woods looking at the ocean!! Wow! Just so you know, the restrooms in San Juan County park were really clean and hygiene was maintained and all the campers respected and kept it clean. 

Then we had morning coffee, and you need to just experience it to enjoy the aroma of the coffee at the beach!! Soon breakfast preparations were on the way. We had some overnight grilled stuff which we reheated and put it in the bread and had sandwiches. Kids had eggs and sandwiches. 

The check-out time was noon so we changed our clothes and packed up the tent and cleared the camp site. Enjoyed at the beach for some more time and left for British Camp which had a history of the pig battle. They have a beautiful trail to the Bell Point. 

 

 

 

Then we left for Roche Harbor which is the northern tip of the island. After going there, we felt that it is more for boating and people with boats. We just enjoyed seeing the boats but except that not much to do. If not much of a boating person, then you can traverse the Cattle Point Road again and see American Camp, Jakle Lagoon and the beach.

We had lunch at Cask and Schooner Restaurant right opposite the Friday Harbor. We found the place little pricey for the food served and the service surely could have been better. We were a group of eight and she forgot one of our orders and mixed up the billing. They charge you 20% gratuity for a group of 8 and above, by the way! There are more places outside where you can get your favorites for a lower cost at a faster rate!

We were aiming for the 4:15 ferry and soon found out that by 2:50 pm the queue was full for the ferry and now were lined up for 6:25 pm. The person told us that there was a graduation ceremony for which purpose the ferry got full so quickly. We were following the WSDOT vessel watch which showed 130 spaces and scheduled ourselves. Soon found out that since they do not issue tickets at Friday Harbor, the numbers on the website from Friday Harbor to Anacortes are not the real-time numbers! 

For those who have covered the loop and done camping, park your car in the queue some 2-3 hours before your ferry time and then explore the island on foot or bikes or mopeds. We found Susie's mopeds a novelty and thought we could have ridden the moped. 

Our luck had it and the 6:25 pm ferry got cancelled and now we had to wait additional 2 hours for the 7:45 pm ferry! We reached home by 11 pm all tired and exhausted. In the morning when we saw the photos, we were recharged and remembered each moment of our trip and how much we enjoyed the camping experience!

Geological paradise - Crater Lake

I am out of hibernation after my visit to Crater Lake and decided to blog my experiences for it deserves one.

We chose the Memorial Day weekend and planned our trip to Crater Lake. We read all about its formation and its biological activity below the lake, but it was an altogether different experience when we reached there. It will take your breath away for sure and you just will not want to leave the place. Below I have pasted photos of its formation and photos of the lake on 26th May 2014!

We had stayed in Eugene and then next day morning left for Crater lake which is 3 hours drive from there with breaks. There were viewpoints on the way and if you halt at each view point area then it may take you longer. Our route was from freeway 58 then to US97 and then freeway 138 to the North entrance. If you continue on US97 it will lead you to the South entrance. We could not go down or the hiking trails were not open when we went. Surely in Summer it is going to be a great hike to the water! 

At the entrance, we were welcomed by a ranger. Fees was $10 which we paid in cash. Credit cards are also accepted but we were told that cash is quicker. The lady handed us a map, information brochure like a newspaper and a warm smile to enjoy the view.

Here are a few general tips which will prove helpful while planning for Crater lake:

a) stay a night before at Roseburg as it is 1.5 hours from Crater Lake. Even better option is Chemult which is just 40 minutes away from CL but there are no decent inns to stay there after a long drive. 

b) carry your snow boots and gloves to enjoy the snow and avoid renting it at the cafe. Sun-screen lotion as sun in snow makes you completely red.

c) carry food from your pitstop to avoid standing in long queue at the Rim Village cafe which is the only cafe catering to all the visitors! Annie Creek restaurant is down below so everyone prefers Rim Village from where you get excellent view.

d) carry water to keep yourself hydrated.

e) if not in a mood to drive the loop, just stop at the viewing stations and enjoy the view. We enjoyed that way as while driving you have to keep your eye on the road so cannot really enjoy the beauty.

Few of the activities besides many that can be explored:

a) Loop around the lake
The eastern side was closed. Check before the loop.

b) Hiking
Check with the office about the trails that are open.

c) Boating

Check with the office if the boating has commenced.

Rest of the things depend on what kind of activities you wish to do. 

Here are a few pictures of the place to inspire you to plan a trip. 

World Environment Day - How Ironical!

Lion grabbing a coke bottle at Hyderabad Zoo

Is it not an irony that a lion grabbed a coke-filled bottle in the Nehru Zoological Park at Hyderabad just a day before the World Environment Day?

This weekend our family planned a visit to the Nehru Zoological Park or the Hyderabad zoo on Saturday, 4^th of June 2011. It was sort of an educational tour for our 16-month old son too. He was all excited seeing the animals and birds we have shown him in his board books and DVDs. Besides recognizing the animals and the birds, we also taught him not to throw plastic wrappers of the chips.

Around 4 p.m., we went to the area of lions and found lot of shouts and cries of excitement. After reaching there we found that someone had thrown the “coke-filled plastic bottle” in the water to get the attention of the lions. Well, the audience did succeed in getting their part of the fun but no one ever thought of the hazards of the action.

The zoo authorities have been making all attempts to keep the animals safe. At numerous places, it is written that feeding the animals is prohibited and to throw waste in the dustbins. It is also mentioned in bold letters that plastic is hazardous to animals for it can cause choking in them. Along with the authorities, it becomes our responsibility as well to keep the animals safe which provide us the entertainment we seek during holidays.

After coming home I was admiring my photographic skills in capturing some rare poses of wild animals in the zoo but this photo reminded me of the reason why I clicked it. It is to bring to public attention that not everything is fun and that we must be cautious of our actions.

The incident caused much pain and anxiety to us and we appeal to the future visitors to be more cautious of their actions in the zoo. Teach our children to take care of the animals like our own. On World Environment Day, let us take a pledge to conserve the animals and the zoo ecology to ensure that the respective animal enclosures remain filled with healthy and happy animals.

Commencement of solids at 6.5 months

Hi, I am back with some experiences to share, regarding feeding solids to our son. There were initial hiccups, then rejects, insecurities, throw-ups and many more emotions to be handled, when we started giving solids to our son. 

We were, again, poured in with innumerable advice as to when to start solids. Despite lot of pressure from relatives and friends to start early, we started solids for our son not before he was 6.5 months, as he fell ill. Sometimes, they are no longer advice but more of repeated instructions in every conversation, like the FOR LOOP with infinite bounds! Heart in hearts, we know that no one means any harm, just want to give their best input. All we need to do is filter the important information rather than rejecting everything.

Anyway, coming to the main topic, we observed a few signs before we decided on solids.

Signs

• he started attacking the food in our plates, which was not seen until he completed 6 months.
• he made chewing motion. Initially we thought he has put some object in his mouth, but on inspection found that his mouth was empty. Thus, a sign that he was ready for solids.
• frequency of desire for breastfeeding increased, guess he was feeling more hungry.
• he was able to sit upright with back support without losing balance for more than 1 minute. We were not exactly waiting but he somehow was sitting at the same time he was doing the above mentioned things too. Guess, am unsure whether this is a sure sign.
• he started using his thumb and index finger to pick up things. This started much at the same time that he started sitting. Again not sure if this is to be taken as sure sign.