Well, I found it. I wasn't sure I was going to find a place that I loved deeply like I love Soledad Canyon in Las Cruces, but I did. Ecola State Park combines both the deep forest feel with the typical Pacific Northwest feeling - H-U-G-E pine trees covered in moss, ferns growing in abundance on the forest floor, and twisting pathways with the rocky Pacific Ocean and its beautiful beaches. I knew the second I stepped onto the sand of Crescent Beach that I had found more evidence of heaven on earth.
Bob actually gets the credit for finding the spot. We went there on our anniversary - just the two of us - and I loved it so much that I took my parents (and the kids) there the very next day. Ecola State Park overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is a network of trails. Some of the trails stay on top of mountain we were on. Others take winding pathways down to the ocean's edge. This is where I found my Pacific Northwest heaven. The trail is 1 and 1/4 miles long. It takes you through dense forest and can be quite steep in certain points. It takes about 30 minutes to climb from the cliff to the sandy shore below, but the time and effort is 100% worth it.
The forest is quiet except for a bird here and there. The silence is so comforting though. You can tell that this forest is wise and at peace with itself. I could spend several hours under a tree just writing in my journal while the sun's rays sneak through to the forest floor a bit here and a bit there. The different shades of green accost your eyes and you end up being amazed that God created so many shades of one color and that they can be found in the dense cover of growth that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
And the beach...I could spend days on this beach. Because the hike is a bit difficult not many people choose to make the trek down to the bottom of the trail. Crescent Beach is named so because the northern and southern borders of the beach are made up of huge rock formations that jut into the ocean. The beach itself takes on the shape of a crescent moon. There are rocks to explore on when the tide is out and piles of huge driftwood. It is so peaceful. I wish I could bring you all there with me.
Take a look at the beauty I found:
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| The top of the trail. |
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| Beginning the trail. |
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| A view from the middle of the trail. |
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| A lookout spot from the trail. |
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| A huge fallen tree trunk. |
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| A really neat tree trunk. |
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