Let's Go Fly a Kite

A great gift came to us in mid-late August this year - a family in the church offered us a week at their time-share property in Long Beach, WA.  The summer temps in Yakima had been unbearable, a long string of triple-digit-days, and we were ready for some respite on the Washington coast.  The trip was our last hurrah before school started for the kids, so we packed up and headed towards the sea, making the 4.5 hour drive from Yakima in about 4.5 hours.  Textbook.

One of the cool things happening at the beach that week was an International Kite Festival.  The sky just outside the hotel was filled with fantastic displays every day of the week!  We settled into a routine of sorts, taking a stroll down the boardwalk nearly every day and taking in the festival.

 The loop back towards the hotel took us back through town and we quickly discovered a candy store on the route.  The kids liked stopping in there and perusing their merchandise! 

One of the cool features at the festival was a kids' kite pavilion which offered the kids a chance to make a kite of their very own.  They selected colors and fabric and soon enough they were joining the ranks of kite-flyers on the beach.

A kite festival has a great, mellow vibe to it.  The display of color and design is pretty mind-blowing (kite humor), but there is not much more to taking it all in other than relaxing near the beach and enjoying the view.  This makes for a pretty relaxing week, which is just what the doctor ordered.  The kids spent many, many hours in the hotel pool, which was kept at a balmy 80 degrees or so, and we spent time walking the beach every day.

The kids want it to be a new tradition, a yearly trip to the beach and to the kite festival.  Whether it works out that way or not, we certainly enjoyed our trip and would gladly do it again.  Enjoy the pictures!