It was an impromptu camping trip that my friend, Nikki asked me to join her and her friends. Obviously, I took this opportunity to come along and go camping for the first time in Washington.

Day 1 – Saturday May 21, 2016

We drove out to Forks, Washington which is where the vampires and werewolves from Twilight is apparently based. The town was small and very rural. We grabbed lunch at the local diner before making our way to La Push and Second Beach.

Second Beach was about a 0.5 mile hike from the car so it was a quick preview of what backcountry camping is like. The beach was beautiful and reminded me of Tofino’s beaches. Nikki and I set up the tent in the forest but later moved it to the beach front and focused on building a barrier for when the tide gets high.

After a well-needed nap, our group explored the beach and climb upon a gigantic rock to see the entire beach. We also explored the nearby tide pools which were filled with anemones, mussels and starfish.

Our fire was strong with plenty of firewood and we cooked hot dogs on wooden sticks. We sat on the driftwood and just hung out for the rest of the night.

Day 2 – Sunday May 22, 2016

Nikki and I quickly drove to La Push beach and we also found a breakfast spot with a view —River’s Edge Restaurant.

We drove to Hurricane Ridge and saw the mountain peaks. We wanted to hike Hurricane Hill but partially there, it started to hail wet snow so we turned back. In the parking lot, we stumbled upon a deer who was just staring us down.

It was a short but great camping getaway and a preview of what backcountry camping is like. No flush toilets, showers, camping chairs or fancy meals… but you do get a secluded camping spot. I’ll definitely be back agian.