Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. ~ John Lubbock
We haven’t seen a lot of sunny days in the Seattle area so far this year. This past weekend, being the first summer weekend and temperature reaching the 90’s, was the perfect time for camping, clamming and everything in between. We headed to Dosewallips State Park near the Olympic National Park and the Hood Canal area. We picked this park because of the abundance of shellfish and to try our hands at hunting the most sought after geoduck. There were eleven of us and we had two tasks; harvesting clams for dinner and geoduck for fun. It was such a gorgeous weekend to be outside. The sun, the beach, the river, the mountains, the stars, friends, family are the best medicine to cure all the weariness of the week.
The activities: It was the lowest daylight tide of the year which made the walk from the parking lot to the beach seemed like eternity. We quickly went to work and were rewarded handsomely with plenty of clams, 440 in all. However the geoduck hunt was not as successful. We’ll have to learn more from watching the pros at the beach and those awesome You-tube videos. After a few hours at the beach, it was time to pack up and head back to camp. We were chilling by the Dosewallips river enjoying the view of the Olympic mountains and the refreshing coldness of the river. So happy to be living in the beautiful and green Pacific Northwest.
The food: What is camping without some awesomely delicious food? Our friend Ron prepared a plate of colorful and delicious paella with some of the clams we harvested. To top it up, he brought a hand crank ice cream maker and we had strawberry ice cream for dessert. I don’t think I had such an enjoyable meal at a camping trip before. Take a look at the pictures and judge for yourself.
I hope you will at least try camping once this summer and here are a few tips to help you plan for the trip:
- If it’s your first camping trip, don’t go too far.
- Less is more – you don’t need to pack the whole house with you. It’s camping, it’s outdoor and you are sleeping in a tent, just enjoy the moments.
- Take the time to relax and rest your mind.
- Bring a group, it’s more fun unless you just want the peace and quiet to yourself.
- Unplug the electronics, bring board games or catch up on some readings.
- Look up in the sky at night and check out the stars.
Happy camping!!
