Jan 1 2020 I started the year with a road trip to Rialto beach. There is something about starting off my year with the cleansing energy of the ocean air that I love. The following week I made reservations at La Push for New Years Eve weekend December 2020. Then Covid happened. Little by little and then with more speed everything shut down including the Oceanside resort where I had reservations.
In September I finally accepted the inevitable and cancelled my reservations since the resort won’t open back up until it’s safe again which will probably not be until at least mid-2021. I still had planned on driving out to at least Ruby beach on New Years day, maybe as far as Rialto if the weather was cooperating.
I woke up the morning of New Years Eve and decided I wanted to end and begin my year by setting the energy that I intend to go forward with. I quickly packed up my van “Goose” and headed towards the coast to see if there were any campsites available.
I stopped at Kalaloch and there were a number of spots open but I kept going north to Mora since that would put me right up the road from Rialto beach. Most of Mora campground was empty so I decided to go ahead and go to Rialto before settling in for the night. In retrospect I’m glad I did that since on New Years day it was super blustery and the tide was a little too high for me to feel comfortable going very far down the beach.
After a bit of time on the beach, walking and picking up rocks, I headed back to the campground and parked. Setting up camp only takes about 5 minutes with the van since basically all I need to do is put up the window coverings and pull out my kitchen box.
Dinner was reheated leftovers from the night before served with a champagne flute of sparkling water since it was New Years Eve!
After dinner I wrote in my art journal for a little bit and then curled up with my Kindle to read until I was ready for sleep. The rain picked up during the night and I woke up a couple of times to the sound of torrential downpour, which didn’t bother me since I was warm, safe and snug in my bed in the van.
I woke up New Years morning and drove over to Rialto intending to have my first cup of coffee of the new year on the beach but the weather was just a little too cold and wet for that so I had coffee in the van 
and then walked on the beach for a short while before heading south.
The rain had let up by the time I got to Kalaloch so I stopped off to visit the Tree of Life 
and then drove the rest of the way home.
This trip was a glorious way to end and begin the year and I am setting the intention that 2021 will be filled with art, adventure and good food, all of these shared with my friends when that is safe again!
As a note, I feel very safe and comfortable adventuring in Goose since I’m able to be pretty much completely self contained. I have a tiny heater I can use if it gets too cold, and a small compost toilet. I have sanitizing handwipes and a wee set up for washing dishes. Besides stopping for gas I literally wasn’t closer than 25 feet to another person the entire trip. The few people that were at the beach were all being very respectful of space and distance.
Theme music for this trip was, “Wilderness” by Brave Holiday
