Westport, Washington

Crazy Surfing Crew:
Mark Roberts - Kayak, Surfboard
Loïc Letailleur - Kayak, Surfboard
Tess Letailleur - Kayak, Surfboard
Ian Crosthwaite - Surfboard
Emma Crosthwaite - Kayak, Surfboard
Jim Nykyforuk - Surfboard



Friday
Leave Kelowna and drive to Wenberg State Park, about 1.5 hrs north of Seattle on the I5. The drive was uneventful, and the boarder crossing has a short line up. We arrived in Wenberg at 11pm, and hour after final check in for campers, but we decided to head on in anyways as we had already paid for the campsite.


Saturday
Awoke early and went for coffee at a local shop. It was there that we found out despite Emma’s addiction to coffee, she was a Starbucks snob and refused to drink anyone else’s coffee. Apparently it she’s all about the caramel macchiatos. We arrived in Seattle and went a little buck wild in REI. Between the 6 of us we spent well of $1000. Feeling the budget tighten less than 24 hours in to the trip we moved onto Westport to surf. The rest of the day was spent under overcast skies and breaking rollers or flying kites on the beach. It was then and there that we found out how to exercise pico the rest of the weekend. Apparently he likes to chase kites, round and round and round. Towards the end of the weekend, we got confident enough to start jumping and spinning in the air after them.



Sunday
Jimmer was keen to rent is surf board and get going so he had us all up and getting ready. I think we made it to the beach by 10:30. So much for Jim’s whip. It was overcast again, however it was fun to watch Jim and Loïc try to learn to surf. There were plenty of great wipeout’s and flying surfboards. It’s a lot of fun to watch your friends try to surf and progress their skills, however it’s much more fun to watch them get thrashed by the breaking waves.




Monday
We awoke to rain. Feeling cold, unmotivated and tired from the last two days of fun the group dragged their feet getting going and arrived at the beach near 11:15, just as the skies parted and sun shone through. Everyone had a great time playing in the surf and basking in the sunshine. Jimmer thought it’d be a good idea to try and fight the surf board. He gave it a good head butt after it kicked him off on one ride, however he was the one who ended up with a goose egg on his head. That afternoon he let me try his board and wetsuit. He was kind enough to rinse it for me after admitting to peeing inside it. Thanks buddy! Emma and Tess also tried surfing today and were successful in their endeavours. Success had by all. By the end of the day we made our way back to camp, feeling tiered and crispy. The red glow on our faces and the leathery feeling meant that we had a good time. Dinner was at a fantastic Mexican restaurant in town, where we stuffed ourselves so that our stomachs were bloated and full. We spent the rest of the evening on the beach. Ian knew of a place where we could drive the truck onto the beach and park. It was great, I finally got to fulfil something that I’d wanted to do since I was 16…drive on the beach. It was great! I did doughnuts and splashed through the water like you see in the movies. One more check off the life list. Bocce was played, kites were flown, and a beautiful sunset was enjoyed by all.




Tuesday
It was to be a half day today so we got up early to pack up camp and get out there. Another sunny day to be had, though this time we were smart and slathered ourselves in sunscreen. Loïc and I soon found out that the only negative to that plan was the combination of sunscreen and salt water burned more than just salt water. Oh well, better to be protected than burnt…more than we already were. The ocean gave us great surf until just after noon, which incidentally was the time when we were to start packing up to head back towards the boarder. Perfect timing. We drove as far as Seattle where we found a hotel and went on a duck tour. We ate a late dinner at an Irish Pub and returned to the hotel for a much deserved sleep.

Wednesday
Waking early, we made our way to the very first Starbucks ever opened. Emma says the coffee tastes sweeter there. The rest of the morning was spent wandering around Pike Place Public Market, investigating local shops, and sampling local produce and baked goods. It was fun to watch the fish monger toss the fish again, and observe the local artisans. Just past lunch we packed up and made the long drive home.

Click here for more images from the trip
Click to see Jim's photos from the trip
Click to see Loïc's photos from the trip