You might not realize, but there is a huge difference between San Diego beaches and the shores along the Washington coast.

I have always loved the seashore. There’s a special solitude I seize in my alone time on the coast of the Pacific. My theory has always been a beach is a beach. However, this summer, I wondered if that is true.

In San Diego, surfers spend hours riding the highest waves along the shore. From young to old, where you find a surfer, you find many.

Seagulls fight for bits of food left lying around. They sometimes swoop down on food left for a split second on a blanket. In fact, if you hold something edible in your hand and raise it up as far as you can reach, more than likely a gull will fly down and pick it out of your hand. I have rarely noticed other types of birds hanging out on a busy San Diego shore.

I have seen people on the beaches near my home, no matter what time of year or type of weather. For the nine glorious-weather months, people of all ages JOYfully crowd the sandy area. They dot the warm sand with towels and blankets. Sun worshipers lie back and soak up rays. I walk along the shoreline because there is barely room to move among the groups of beachcombers.

Frisbees and footballs tossed to partners soar over the heads of the sun worshippers. An occasional barefoot person runs across someone’s towel while players attempt to catch the ball or Frisbee. Boogie boards and surfboards lay flat on the sand or set upright to form tepees with other boards. There’s much laughter, fun, and JOY at the beach.

But, in Washington, it’s different. Only a family or two dot the shore. I walk the coastline and rarely come across a beachcomber, walker, or family having a day at the shore. When I stroll on Washington beaches, there are miles of coastline waiting for me. However, I find myself dodging cars, trucks, jeeps, horses, birds (dead and alive), dogs, jellyfish, and even an occasional dead sea lion.

The only cars allowed on California beaches are the lifeguard vehicles. In Washington, however, anyone can drive a car along the ocean. There are no lanes for the traffic. Some people like to drive along the shore, some steer their vehicles in the wet, packed sand, and those with giant tires maneuver through the dry sand. Consequently, there’s no safe place to walk. I have to watch for the moving vehicles and get out of their way.

Dogs only walk free by the ocean in San Diego if they are at the specified dog beach. Washington State allows off-leash canine in the ocean and on the sand, not just in dog parks. The dogs frolic in the water and run along the sand after Frisbees and birds.

I have seen occasional horses as well. They usually come out in groups of three or four. They are domesticated, complete with saddles and riders. Their riders walk, not gallop, their horses along the shore. These large, well-behaved animals cause one problem—the piles they leave behind.

Washington beaches have a variety of birds, not just gulls. Some fly above the water in groups of twenty to fifty. They swarm together and drop into the ocean for their prey. As the tide goes out, they eat and play along the shore. One day, I saw not only seagulls, but an eagle, vulture, and pelicans. Another time, the sandpipers, Cassin’s auklets (some combing the shoreline; others dead in the sand), and many migratory birds caught my eye.

The wind seems alive at times. There are days I walk south on the beach and all is well. Then, I turn to walk back from where I began and face intense winds that will blow off a hat, swirl sand toward the eyes, and freeze the face. Although I wear glasses, these incredible winds cause my eyes to water intensely. I end up closing my lids, except for a slit, to protect them from the fierce, moving air.

One other significant difference between San Diego and Washington beaches is the weather. In San Diego, I don’t always need a jacket. I use sunscreen instead. In Washington, I have never walked along the shore without a windbreaker. A cold bite penetrates the air, even when the sun is brightly shining.

~~

Regardless of the differences between the oceanfront near my California home and the ocean shore 1,200 miles up the coast, I can say with absolute certainty, a beach is a beach. No matter how different the activities, people, and animals may be on the many beaches of the west coast, one thing remains the same. These God made creations of beauty give me peace.

No matter which beach I walk in solitude, I find the peace I get nowhere else. As I ponder the world around me, I learn so much about myself. I grow JOYously closer to God and myself through my walks along the coastline. In turn, I am closer to my family and friends. The walks I take in the sand, salt air, and wind work magic on my mind and body—I am rejuvenated. My alone time at the seashore JOYfully blesses me.

Do you have a favorite place to spend time in solitude? I hope you often find much JOY and pleasure at your place of peace.