Man let me tell you about my Sunday out at Longview Beach. Woke up early, grabbed my bag already packed with towels and snacks. Hopped in the truck around 7 AM. Drive wasn’t bad at all – took Highway 100 most of the way.
First stop had to be the lake itself. Parked near the boat ramp area around 8:30. Water looked perfect – calm and clean. Strapped the kayak to the roof rack down. Paddled out toward the little islands for maybe forty minutes? Saw some herons hanging out near the reeds. Totally peaceful except when them motorboats zoomed past kicking up waves.
What else I got into:
- Hiked those hilly trails behind the visitor center. Steeper than I remembered! Sweat through my shirt by the top but you get awesome views of the whole lake basin.
- Ate lunch at that dockside shack everyone talks about. Got the catfish basket – crispy outside, flaky inside. Fries were kinda soggy but whatever. Worth it just sitting there with my feet dangling off the pier.
- Drove 10 minutes up the road to that u-pick strawberry farm people recommended. Bucket was like eight bucks? They let you eat while picking – totally ate about two bucks’ worth just walking around. Juicy stuff.
- Late afternoon hit the beach proper. Water was warm near shore. Kids were building sandcastles. Honestly? Just kicked off my sandals, sat on a towel, and watched people for like an hour. Sometimes just doing nothing is the activity.
Now here’s the thing they don’t tell ya – parking’s a nightmare after 10 AM. Had to circle twice. Also got crispy as bacon on my shoulders. Forgot sunscreen like an idiot. Paid for it later with that stingy aloe vera stuff.
Traffic heading back around 5 PM was bumper-to-bumper. Kid behind me was kicking my seat the whole way. Told the wife next time we’re staying late to avoid that mess. Passed out on the couch the minute I got home. Totally zonked but worth it – forgot my wallet in the kayak bag though. Classic me.
