Well folks, I will tell you right now, this post has nothing to do with cycling.  Once again, a post on Facebook inspires me to share.  This one discusses the differences in Seattleites and the rest of the world.  And in this case, I would broaden it to all Pacific Northwesteners, and the real world.

The subject I am thinking of?  Going to the beach…

In the real world, or as I like to think of it, those poor souls who live elsewhere, when people think of beaches they think of some place that might look like this:

Yep. Key West, warm water, sandy beaches, laying out, getting a tan, swimming in the water…  YAWN.  (Though I will admit I did like snorkeling in Hawaii, that is the one tip of the hat I will give to the warm beaches.) Otherwise, I’d be bored silly going on vacation to do nothing but sit on a beach….

We in the Northwest on the other hand, especially the Oregon coast, have what I consider real beaches, though I do admit you do have to be tough to thoroughly enjoy them since you normally need polar fleece and/or gortex.

First, though there are SOME sandy beaches (which in themselves can show some pretty cool things with the strong winds acting on the sand.)

Sandy beaches up here let you fly kites, build sand castles ride bikes

or simply walk for miles beach combing, watching the waves, thinking and being far away from people.

(hell in Washington you can drive cars or mopeds on some beaches.

The besr part of the beaches we have are the rocks!

Said rocks add  a LOT to what there is to do at our oceans.  First there are tide pools

and Rock Climbing

You can spend time Animal Watching

Wave Watching

and Lighthousing

Cape Meares Light House

If you are tough enough there is surfing, but you need the wetsuit.  Our water never gets above 50.

Or honestly just being amazed at the beauty of nature.

Sometimes the ocean even brings up things from across the Pacific, like this dock from japan

Which was dismantled disposed of, except for this commemoration to those who were lost in the tsunami

I know the saying “To each their own.”  And I know there are those who love going where it is warm and sitting on the sand and just baking, or taking the occasional swim.  To me though, that aint the beach and I’d be bored silly,

To me the beach is adventure, exercise, wonder, and solitude.  It’s a place to escape to when Seattle gets hot, and to go to when a big storm is coming.  A place to have a hotel room to overlook the water and enjoy a fire,

or climb down to the places that say “Don’t go there!” to find the coolest tide pools.

Next month after the Reach the Beach ride we get 5 days there!  I will promise you I will wish there was more time and I will never be bored. Trust me, if you ever get a chance, go! You will not be sorry!