A Stormy Day: Long Beach and North Head Lighthouse Washington

Date: April 8th, 2024 (No eclipse for me!)
Location(s): Long Beach, Loomis Lake State Park, Cape Disapointment Washington
Temp: 46*F/7.77C
I thought I’d share this rainy day adventure as a bonus mid-week release, since there really isn’t much to it, other than some wind and clouds and rain…. And some muddled scenery.
Ohhh but I doooo love a good storm, and on this day, it happened to be one of those spring storms that brought sideways rain, gale force winds and dark ominous skies.
The three of us dressed for the occasion and set out for a hot lunch followed by a little exploration up and down the length of the Long Beach peninsula, and immersion into the afternoon weather. Of course a couple times I was the only one willing to get out of the truck, but bless his heart, Dave always obliges my love for wandering, and allows me ample time to poke around on my own. So I did.
At the beach, the winds were so strong I couldn’t walk out past the dunes, and at the North Head Lighthouse I was nearly toppled over by more than one tremendous gust! In fact, I could barely hold the camera steady enough to film! But, I loved every minute of it. A true Pacific Northwest experience.
The North Head Lighthouse (closed until April 30th), is a stunning piece of architecture, although not one of my favorites, as the original lens was replaced a few times over the years, most recently in 1998 with a rotating beacon light. Boo. I mean, it is all about the light, after all. The original Fresnel lens first commissioned in New Jersey in 1847, found its eventual home here, and can actually be viewed at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (closed when we were there) at Cape Disappointment State Park. It weighs in at five tons, and could be seen for 20 miles out to sea. Another fun fact: in 1932 a duck was blown off course and broke through the lighthouse window and chipped the lens. Poor little ducky. And you know, if that lens were to be built today, it would cost around six million dollars to make it.😳I think that’s one of the things that makes the Fresnel lenses so special-they are truly a work of art…but I’m rambling. Sigh. I love lighthouses for so many reasons. Anyways….I’ll get on with it.
Although the hours of April 8th were very, very wet, the next two days were lovely, dry and sunny, so I have some of that for another time. For this Friday, there will be a video of one of my usual scenic drives, highlighting the route between I-5 and Cape Disappointment State Park. And I might post around 5pm PST. Thanks for choosing to stop by and spend a few of your precious minutes with me. Enjoy this little bonus snippet, and I’ll catch ya next time!♥️

[@normanmallory2055]

This is very good , I really like the music ! I enjoy Long Beach myself !!

[@katskeysandcaptures]

Dear Michele, you caught nothing but beauty on this stormy day! Sands that dance and woods that sing. I love lighthouses so I especially enjoyed seeing this lighthouse. PS Some good things do come out of NJ😉. Looking forward to catching up on the two newer videos!

[@michelemcdanieltravels]

Thank you! I’d love to see some east coast lighthouses someday!

[@katskeysandcaptures]

@@michelemcdanieltravels The original fresnel lens is located at this lighthouse, which is a little over an hour from me. No rush to watch this short, but when you mentioned the fresnel lens, this popped in my head :). Have a great week, Michele! Happy filming 👀! ua-cam.com/users/shortsk5WdlX0gWr8?si=oRVRKRtGoyte4QQ1