GLAMNORTHWEST: Comparing Beaches of the West Coast
No Artificial Intelligence was used in writing this post (I did, however, use Markup Tool to remove a truck from the cloud pic)
After visiting and living on the California Coast for a wee bit, the Pacific Northwest beaches are a MUCH different vibe.
Half Moon Bay Jan 2024-Sneaker Wave Attack
No Coastline on Half Moon Bay-photo taken against the rocks after getting sneaker waved-Jan 2024
In California, I visited Orange County, Santa Monica, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. The farther south, the hotter and sunnier it’ll be (obviously) but what shocked me as a Washington native was how close the housing and streets are to the actual waves. When in Half Moon Bay, the waves actually came up to the shore and smashed me against the rocks (I saved a child from being swept out to sea also).
In Washington (and Oregon I’d say is pretty similar), the coast line sprawls and sprawls. Most places require a little walk down to the sand through some brush. We don’t mess with sneaker waves in Washington…
Horseback Riding Ocean Shores, WA
In Ocean Shores, there are many outlets onto the sand. You can find people perched up and barbecuing (if the wind allows), horse back riders walking along the shore, and cars just drive right up. It won’t be long until you see someone get stuck and another car comes to the rescue….
Weird cloud that looks like Mt Rainier upside down; look at how much coastline-Ocean Shores
There are hardly any tourists like you find in Santa Monica. The PNW Coastline is typically a local crew. Clam digging is a thing and you don’t see a ton of military ships off yonder. When you come, make sure to bring a hoodie, a blanket, a windbreaker (this is what they were made for), probably a second set of pants or shorts, and sandals. Unlike Puget Sound, there are less rocks and you can safely walk barefoot-especially further down from the State Park entrance. The wind will most likely be out of control so it’s best to pack a picnic rather than count on a barbecue. There are not nearly as many ocean front restaurants as there should be and they are VERY strict on their local housing staying housing rather than AirBnBs. The entire coast gives major small town vibes and not much in the way of “luxury” hotels. It is much different than the Ritz on Half Moon Bay. You can’t just “drive along the coast” like you can in California, in fact, you have to drive through Aberdeen, Washington-former home of Kurt Cobain (Nirvana for you Gen A’s). Gray’s Harbor is quite the adventure…
But if you are looking for a truly Pacific Northwest experience, our oceanfront beaches pack a different vibe but is still so very worth the drive out there. See the touristiness of Cali below followed by a pic of me with my nieces and nephew on Memorial Day 2025 in Ocean Shores.
Newport Beach, Orange County California-notice how many people are on the pier?
People-y Santa Monica in May
Ocean Shores Memorial Day Weekend 2025-Party in the USA with Chloe, Me, Corey, and Connor
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