So desertgirlva had the day off yesterday. In order to escape the horror that is Seafair, we went down to the ocean. Of course Mel couldn't just go to Ocean Shores; her photography needs required us to go all the way to where the Columbia hits the Pacific down in Long Beach, WA.

First though we had to stop in Tacoma to see this gallery where she will be selling her work soon. I was impressed with downtown Tacoma. They actually seem to be doing a decent job gentrifying the place. It's at that perfect stage now - much like Fremont was when I moved here - where the dangerous aspects are gone, but the only people who felt safe opening stores there were wacky artists who couldn't afford anywhere else. In another 5 years or so, it'll all be Starbuckses and Gaps, so enjoy it while it's there.

We spent some time there in search of the elusive store named Shakedown St, but it seemed to exist in other dimension completely [1], so eventually we headed out of town and out towards the beach. It's a long way down to the shore, but we finally got there. Alas the photo plan seemed doomed as the fog was rolling in off the ocean. Everywhere else in the state was nice except for the spot where we were standing. We almost went home then, but Mel wanted to see the lighthouses.

We went out to the lighthouses and Lo! The fog was burned off down at that beach.

Here's where the story starts to get bad. I'm very sensitive to fluctuations in my blood sugar. I hadn't really eaten all day and so I was getting tired and cranky. Moreover, I didn't really come prepared for the beach so I was pretty bored while Mel waited for the sun to set so she could take her photos. So for about an hour I sat there kind of annoyed about the whole trip. I hadn't driven in the dark since about March or so and I really wasn't looking forward to the 80 miles on windy roads until we got to the divided highways.

Eventually though, the mood did break. I played games with my footprints in the surf while she took her shots. Then it was time to head back home. I was right to be worried about the drive. Not one, not two, but three times during the trip a deer walked in front of my car as I was cruising down the road. I didn't hit any of them, but I wonder about all of the people who zipped around me.

[1] They posted signs for it said that it was on the second floor of a building that only had one story.

Tags: roadtrip