Amy and I went to Beverly Beach over Valentine’s weekend. I love camping with my wife!

The weather leading up to the weekend was sloppy. I got the poles loaded and the pickup tarped Thursday just as it started to snow. I wanted to keep the truck bed from filling up with snow before I could get it packed.

The weather in Hood River continued foul so I didn’t pack the truck until Saturday morning. We left Saturday afternoon, arriving at Beverly Beach about 5:30 in the evening. It was still light out, but the day was fading and it was beginning to rain.

We put an EZ-Up over the picnic table to keep our stuff out the rain while we set up camp. We got the tipi up just before dark.

It was dark and getting late by the time we got everything set up inside. We changed our menu to something quick and simple, opting for tomato soup, dried salami, cheese and crackers for dinner.

The wind blew from the east Saturday night, filling the tipi with smoke. Amy improvised an air filter by pulling her sweatshirt up over her nose.  It rained off and on all night and the tipi was full of smoke, but it was dry, warm, and cozy inside.

When we woke up the next morning it was damp, but not really raining. We went to bed around 1:00 a.m. the night before, so we got up late Sunday morning. We snacked on trail mix, then walked around, exploring the campground.

We continued exploring checking out the various camp spaces. Amy has reserved campsites C17, C18 & C19 for another trip this summer. That area of the campground was closed, but we were able to walk in and check out the sites. All of the sites Amy reserved look pretty good. We should be able to squeeze most of the family in.

These octopus trees started out as nurse trees, growing on old stumps. As the host stump decayed and fell away, the roots extended into the soil. The exposed roots became covered with bark and morphed into convoluted trunks.

There are numerous yurts in the park available for rent. By available, I mean almost impossible to reserve.

When we got back to camp we decided to have breakfast for lunch.

I roasted some buffalo chorizo and added it to chopped onions and bell pepper in a hot skillet.

When the onions were clear I cracked in some eggs and scrambled them. Once cooked, I divided the eggs onto 4 tortillas with a dollop of salsa verde on top.

I wrapped the tortillas around the eggs and tucked in the ends. Breakfast of champions: taco things, fried in oil with a little chupacabra sauce on the outside.

It started raining again so we ducked back inside the tipi to get warm. The wind was coming out of the south sucking the smoke out of the lodge. I split the wood a little smaller which helped the fire burn cleaner. Amy was sitting by the fire doing crosswords with Walter napping beside her.

I hadn’t been to the beach yet, so we decided to brave the elements and check it out. There is a rock ledge just offshore from the mouth of the creek which breaks the surf before it reaches shore making for a calm inlet with a spectacular backdrop of crashing waves.

 Back at camp we warmed up with Peppermint peeps in a puddle.

Amy pulled out the stops for dinner Sunday night with steak and potatoes grilled over a wood fire.

Tucked in and cozy, Amy stayed up later than me, doing puzzles before going to sleep.

Amy was still sleeping when I got up. I checked out the beach on my way to the restroom.

Walter and I went on a long walk. We could look down on our camp from the road on our return loop.

We took our time packing up and went north along the coast on our way home. As we crossed the coast range heading inland from Lincoln City we finally got to see the famous larch smiley face. It had been a soggy weekend, but a wonderful campout, with the best company a feller could ask for.