Seaside Respite

“Take me to the beach”, my soul cried. I started packing.

Two days later, I found myself listening to the combination of a light breeze rustling through tall sea grass and the rhythmic thrum of Cook Inlet, as small but powerful waves caressed the sand in an endless dance.

After setting up camp and taking Ronni for a long walk, I settled in for some serious relaxing. I was finally able to close my eyes, breathe in the soothing scent of salt water and know I was once again in my happy place.

Day Two: Deep Creek State Rec Area in Ninilchik is pretty much a fisherman’s paradise, where they can drop their boats and trailers near the launch facilities, then pull their RVs another quarter mile to designated beach-side campground.

They don’t all choose to, of course. It’s dry-camping (no hook-ups) down here, and those who bring family along sometimes opt to stay at the nearby full hook-up campground up the hill and just off the highway. It’s about three times the price, but hey, abundant running water and electricity.

Ronni and I prefer to be able to hear the waves and walk right on the beach. So far, I’ve been able to keep the girl from rolling in freshly-dead fish guts, but time will tell. It wouldn’t be the first time Ronni has suffered the indignity of an RV sink bath.

Several families of bald eagles 🦅 live on the cliffs overlooking Deep Creek (located at the end of our campground) and they’ve been actively scavenging the beach for fish parts (and whatever else they consider to be possible food). They are beautiful to watch, but I kept Ronni on a short leash.

On our second warm and peaceful afternoon, our quietude was rather jarringly interrupted. Two 31’ Great Alaska Holidays rental RVs pulled in, obviously together. Two couples in each RV, and they had already figured out to pull one RV in nose-first and back in the other so their RV doors faced each other – obviously, in hind-sight, for more efficient partying. Wanna bet they’ve done this before?

They were doing shots with beer and dancing like loons around the campfire (I swear; don’t ask, don’t tell) by 4:00 pm. I was easily four campsites away and could hear the screaming laughter, hooting and [really obnoxiously loud] merry-making with my windows closed and music playing.

Obviously, campground etiquette comes more naturally to some than others. These people just didn’t care who they were disturbing.

By 6:00 pm, loud music joined the overall ruckus and voices got louder (probably to be heard over the music). One of their closer neighbors packed up everything and moved to the far end of the campground. Another couple had taken refuge in their truck and headed into town – probably for a long, quiet dinner. With dessert.

I donned my Bose sound-canceling headphones and listened in peace and quiet to an Audible book while I cooked and ate dinner and enjoyed my evening. Love my Bose.

Thankfully, the partiers all stumbled back into their rental party-busses and departed quiet as church mice by check-out the following morning, much to the delight of every single person in the campground. I feel sorry for the folks at their next stop, but I do NOT feel sorry for hoping all eight of those party-hardy-til-you-drop people left here with miserable hangovers.

Day Three: We’ll, of course there’s a day three. Rhonda says see ya soon. But for now, it’s bedtime.

To be continued. 🦅🦀🪼