Ava and I went out to La Push this weekend to celebrate her birthday. It was dark by the time we rolled in on Friday, but Saturday was clear and bright. We got up late and spent the day rambling around on the beach. It was cold but there was very little wind so it was easy to bundle up and stay comfortable.

The River’s Edge Restaurant has a disappointingly thin seafood menu for a place next door to the fishing marina. It was expensive and not very good – we’ll bring our own food next time.

Sunday we drove out to Neah Bay, bought some smoked steelhead, and hiked out the short trail to the end of Cape Flattery. I love that place, standing out on what feels like the edge of the world, nothing but Tatoosh Island with its little lighthouse, then half a planet’s worth of ocean.

We found some bullwhip kelp washed up on the beach the day before, and it was fun to see the floating forest of live specimens swaying in the low tide around the sea stacks.