Rialto Beach

We took a trip last summer from Minnesota to Washington state and back - 5051 miles.   At the farthest point home, we spent a full day at Rialto Beach on the Pacific Ocean, an especially exotic place to a landlocked midwesterner.

This is what it looked like when we first arrived.

The skeletons of giant trees, bigger than any surviving at home, littered the beach.

There was a good collection of noisy gulls patrolling the sands.

The beach was dog friendly.

The evening of the first day was gray and striking.

This is a white crown sparrow that only permitted 10 seconds for a shot.   He was on wood at the beach's edge.

Brown pelicans cruisied over the waves and occasionally dove in.   Their ungainly appearance was in contrast to their graceful flying.

The campground where we stayed, built on an indian reservation, included a harbor with a coast guard detachment.

The beach had a place in the Twilight vampire books with nearby towns making shameful ploys to attract Twilight fans.  There was a group of middle-aged southeastern U.S. Twilight fans - roughly 20 of them - at the same time we were there.   The films didn't include the beach but the books sensibly did.   I haven't read the books so I don't know what all the fuss was about.  The letters on the car read:  "Edward!!  We're Here!!  Bella Who?"  This must have great meaning to the breathless female Twilight enthusiasts.

If you find yourself in Washington state, you should visit Rialto Beach.