CAMPING ON THE BEACH
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We ended every night in Forks, Washington with a campfire on the beach. The first night we noticed a sign that said they encourage campfires to help get rid of some of the driftwood on the shore. So we found a little spot on Second Beach amongst the giant logs that floated ashore and we started to set up camp. The last time I made a fire was with gasoline and charcoal, which in reality was just me stacking the little pieces in the shape of a pyramid and then my dad did all the rest, and the last time I made a fire with wood was when I was 12 at Girl Scout camp... and lets be real I probably didn't make that fire either. Nonetheless, I did know the process of making a campfire curtesy of the Girl Scouts. So I dug a little hole in the sand, stacked some rocks around it and then put 4 logs against each other. There is so much driftwood on the beach its overwhelming to choice the perfect logs, but somehow the all fit perfect together like puzzle pieces. Next I knew I needed kindling so we just grabbed dried up weeds and sticks and before we knew it we had a fire! I think I shocked Jerry a little bit with my fire skills, however, I did need him to use the lighter because that little thing really freaks me out.
In Forks, the home of Twilight, there are several beaches close by. You really can't go wrong with any of them, but there is First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach (real original), which is where you can camp on the beach and it's only about a mile walk from the parking lot. There is also Ruby Beach on the opposite side of town, that is only about a 5 minute walk from the car to the beach but its about 45 minutes away from town. All are worth visiting, and even if you are staying for only one night you have to experience these campfires, it's something we will never forget. In Huntington Beach, where I grew up, there are bonfires every night, nearly everyone I know had at least one birthday bonfire. But you are so exposed, the wind is blowing everything everywhere, theres loud drunk people, there crazy children, there's lifeguards that drive by every 2 minutes, and you can literally hear cars honking from PCH 100 yards away. Don't get me wrong, those bonfires are awesome.. especially in high school, but it's just not the same as gathering your own wood and building your own fire on a quiet beautiful beach. I cannot express to you how gratifying it is start a fire with just a match and some sticks, you immediately feel so accomplished in life and you want everyone to know how talented you are in the fire world. It was a big moment for me if you couldn't tell.
We got a little crafty the last night and bought one of the Jiffypop popcorn things but we must have done something wrong because there was absolutely no popping going on. They should also invest in making the handles longer, I think Jerry lost all the hair on his fingers.
