Pacific Beach State Park

Run with your kite, or your dog, on a flat sandy beach. Inhale the salt sea air and listen to the Pacific Ocean as it crashes on the shore by your side. Help the kids build sand castles, go fishing or dig for clams in season.

This small camping park northwest of Aberdeen features waterfront tent sites, yurts and RV hookups, so the fun doesn't have to end at sundown. Make a small fire on the beach (be sure it's more than 100 feet from vegetation), roast up some s'mores and watch the evening sky turn blue and then black with stars - or gray with storm clouds.

You will remember Pacific Beach as an invigorating day or weekend stop or special camp stay on a road trip to the coast.