October 29, 2011

My birthday was one of the most relaxing days I've had in a very long time.  We spent the morning walking on the beach, driving around the little spit of land Ocean Shores is on, going out to the rock barrier and going flicky window shopping in all the fun little souvenir stores.  After lunch on the beach we spent four straight hours sleeping and reading and didn't feel a bit guilty.  It was just the type of day we needed.  My only requirement for the day was that we watch the sunset on the beach and because the day had been so beautifully blue and sunny, the sunset was spectacular.

We spent the evening swimming and sitting in the spa--again, a relaxing treat. 

A morning stroll on the beach.

The rock barrier.  The waves crashing were so powerful and never the same. 

Sharky's--a fun souvenir store.

 We had a picnic lunch on the beach.  The starlings were fascinating to watch.  It started as a group of maybe a hundred and over the course of the hour we were there it continued to grow and grow and more groups joined together into one. 

The "lighthouse" on top of our hotel.  Unfortunately they wouldn't let us out on the walkway and the windows were filthy so my pictures didn't turn out so well from there. 

Nothings tall enough for my husband.  It's pretty funny to watch sometimes but I feel
sorry for him at the same time.

A fun picture through the telescope.

 Down to the beach to watch the sunset. 

I love how the "wispy" waves show up in the glow of the sun.

Doesn't that just look like the perfect location to completely lose yourself in thought for a while and be
 mesmerized by the waves?

 After we got back from supper Bryan called me outside to see this site.  We had seen a few clam digging couples going out to the beach earlier while we were watching the sunset and they were all putting headlamps on.  We thought that was rather strange, but apparently clam digging is best done at night.  The entire length of beach that we could see was covered in lights, and as you can see from the streaming lights in the bottom left of the picture, more were driving out there by the minute.

We had been planning to get up on time and head straight home, but Bumpa and Grandma called that evening and said they were doing fine and we should enjoy seeing more.  So, we decided to get up early and take the scenic route home, following Highway 101 up the coast and around the Olympic Rain Forest.  Guess what?  It rained all day in the rain forest... ;)