Dungeness Spit, day 1

Monday, August 31, 2020

I can hear it now … Spitting?! You want us to spit, Ann?

No, I don’t want you to spit. 🙂 We are not going spitting at Dungeness … we are going camping, at Dungeness Spit. Read the information below and take a look at the map below and you’ll see what I mean.

From Wikipedia: “A spit or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove’s headlands, by the process of longshore drift by longshore currents. The drift occurs due to waves meeting the beach at an oblique angle, moving sediment down the beach in a zigzag pattern. This is complemented by longshore currents, which further transport sediment through the water alongside the beach. These currents are caused by the same waves that cause the drift.”

Ok, hmmm, maybe that paragraph above didn’t really give you a good picture. Let me show you where I went camping. The very long “spit” of land in the image below that juts out into the water north of Sequim is Dungeness Spit. That “spit” looks long because it is … it’s more than 5 miles long, and that’s not counting that wider portion that heads back towards land. That’s a long spit!

Last time I went camping in this area, I was at a campground on the southern edge of the bay in the image above … the bay in the lower, right corner. But for this camping trip, I was right at the base of Dungeness Spit. I was camped right where that big RED diamond is. The water that Dungeness Spit juts out into is the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Pacific Ocean to the left … Puget Sound to the right). Looking north from Dungeness Spit, across the Strait, is Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In the image above, in the USA, off to the left along Highway 101 is Port Angeles … off to the right along Highway 101 is Port Townsend.

So this morning, I drove from home, through Olympia, WA, then headed up Highway 101 along Hood Canal and then near the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula I turned left, still on 101, and headed towards Sequim (skwim).

The day was gorgeous and traffic was light. I pulled over and stopped several times on the drive up Hood Canal just for a chance to relax and enjoy the views out over Hood Canal.

 

I also stopped in the small town of Quilcene for a short break. The photo above shows my truck and trailer parked in the parking lot of the Quilcene school (high school and elementary school). I had looked online for a spot in Quilcene where I might park for a bit, have lunch in my trailer, walk about the area to stretch my legs, without bothering businesses or other traffic in the area. This school parking lot (on a Sunday) was perfect. When I pulled in, there were three other RVs already there … all of us just stopping here temporarily. From now on, I’ll remember that school parking lots might make for a nice spot for a short break while driving on a Sunday.

As I walked around the school grounds, I found this sculpture (below).

 

And then it was time to get on up the road to my destination.

To get to this campground (inside the Dungeness Recreation Area), I drove west-bound past Sequim on Highway 101, then turned right onto Kitchen Dick Road, turned right onto Lotzgesell Road, then turned left onto Voice of America Road NW, and then I entered the land of the Dungeness Recreation Area. Fun names, eh?

After another 5 minutes or so of driving the small road on Recreation Area land, I arrived at the campground, then followed my map and turned onto the correct campground road (there were three), circled around my campground road, and eventually found my spot … #61. It was perfect. 🙂

 

I backed into the spot, leveled the trailer, and set up the remote solar panel so it would assist the solar panel on the roof (no electricity to plug into at this campsite).

 

I had a nice fire ring on a concrete base, perfectly safe. And I had wooden picnic table and benches available in the campsite as well. I was set, I was home, I was happy!

I tidied up the inside of the trailer and took some things out of the cupboards for my use during the week. And then I went on my usual first day’s walk around the campground to scope it out. Although the campsite I was in was A-OK, it did have quite a few trees around it that blocked access to the sun for my solar panels. I found three other campsites that provided great access to sunshine and each of them was right on the bluff overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The following three photos show them. Each of them was surrounded by lovely green trees and shrubs too. How cozy.

 

For those of you with sharp eyes, yes indeed the trailer that was in the spot above was another ETI (Escape) trailer. I met the couple who own that trailer and we are now fast friends.

This third campsite (above) was the best as far as I was concerned. Not only did it have access to a plentiful amount of sunlight, it had a frontrow seat view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. And it was completely surrounded by plants so it would be quiet and private.

Another gorgeous campground! How can the State of Washington have so many?! I am so fortunate.

I am indeed fortunate in many ways, and I was tired from a long day’s drive. So back to the trailer I walked, fixed my little supper, read my book, and snuggled up for a nice night’s sleep. Tomorrow, let’s go see what there is to see in the Dungeness Spit area. I think we’ll find some interesting things!