Rialto Beach - The Real Leeland??

Sunday we decided as we've hit a bit of a brick wall with the project we'd take some time out. Chucked maps in the Mustang and headed out to some parts of Washington that we hadn't seen before (well it looked like a short distance on the map). Decided that it would be a nice idea to get to the Pacific Ocean. Heading west across on the ferry to Bremerton, then up through some nice coastal countryside along the Straight of Juan de Fuca to Crescent Lake first. An eerie place that's very very deep.. 624ft deep natural lake made from the "V" of the mountains around it. Apparently a train disappeared into it once and was never found.. other legends abound. Standing looking out over the lake could have placed you one of several places in the world... Scottish lochs, the lake district, eastern European lakes etc. Lake itself was massive.. very very big.

The aim was to get to the pacific to a place called "La Push" for the sunset, clouds were gathering and the sun was setting quick so we thought we were out of time and we'd be either rained on or disappointed. Turning off the highway when we got to our turning we drove passed a particular sign that lead to me pointing frantically and going "oooooh". I've seen many pictures of Rialto Beach in various tourist guides for Washington State, but never knew *exactly* where it was... but there it was, 3 miles away from our turning. Frantic pointing and over-excited gestures on my part lead to us abandoning the route to La Push and heading to Rialto. The sun was gone, the clouds were in, but what an AMAZING sight!!

We arrived at Rialto at about 7pm. Swathed in low cloud and rising fog from rolling waves crashing into the beach from the pacific, it was a perfect backdrop of black and grey. Mist clung around the huge sea stacks shrouding most of their tree lines from view. Looking down the beach we could see the mist rising from the sea into tree line forming the boundary to the beach, and leaving the trees silhouetted against more fog and mist like big black lines of teeth.

Most dramatic scenery I've ever seen.. unfortunately the battery in my camera died on me and I only got two shots off. But I *will* go back before I return, and I really hope the weather hasnt improved there. If ever there was such a thing as a place which could be a spiritual home, in terms of scenery, I cant think of a place which has felt more "me". I had to find a log to sit on for a while and take it all in... oh and creepy things like having all the hairs on my arms stand on end! :)

I think Neil summed it up perfectly actually.... "this is the place where weather is made".