Westport: the local only spot

Saturday came around, and we decided since it was a long weekend, we needed a bit of an adventure. We hopped into the car with zero plan.  After tooling around a bit, and eating lunch, we inevitably started heading toward the beach.

About halfway there, we realized we didn’t want to go to crowded Ocean Shores.  Normally, we would go a bit farther north and go to our favorite highly secluded beach.  But this time, we decided to take the proverbial left in Albuquerque, and went to Westport.

I grew up in this wonderful state and can honestly say I had never been to Westport.  And now I can tell you why.  This is a local only kind of joint.

You arrive in town, and as far as you can see, are crab pots.  This is a true fishing town, with rows upon rows of fishing vessels.  Nothing wrong with that.  This isn’t your tourist trap, tchotchke shop, ice cream on the boardwalk kind of place.  This is where the real people on coast live and work.

Let me tell you, they have a cool secret.  The beach is awesome.  We pulled up….ok ok, so we drove past it cause I am a driving idiot sometimes….but when I got turned around and parked we found ourselves tromping up a large dune hill, not really sure where we were going.

As you come up the hill, you see a cove, created to help keep the waves at bay in the port side of town. This beach is awesome for finding shells and sea glass as there are only gentle waves, nothing crazy. We spent a good hour here, watching the ships go in and out of port, and hunting for glass.

If you put in a bit more work, and make it up the hill, you get to see something truly spectacular. The jetty. For almost as far as you can see are piled rocks jutting out into the sea, breaking the waves for a calm port on one side, and creating some sick waves on the other.

You could tell this beach was a local spot.  First off, there weren’t tons of people. Second, everyone was surfing.  For those of you who don’t know, the water here is cold. I mean, COLD!  And there were easily a hundred people, looking like seals in slick black wet suits, catching what waves we do have.

We probably sat on that beach for hours, just watching the surf roll in, laughing when people took a spill, and wishing people’s dogs would come closer so we could pet them.

Ultimately, while it isn’t fancy, I think we will visit this beach again.  Who needs ice cream when you can trek out to the end of the jetty, ocean spray in your face, and feel the immense power of the ocean.

Until our next adventure,

The Evergreen Lady