With August come the dog days of summer, and the need to get out of the heat and onto a cool beach. With that in mind I packed up the car and headed for the delta flats of Lilliwaup, Washington. It was a cool day - mid-sixties - I headed out on. The skies looked threatening to shower, and the mountains were socked in by a wreath of clouds, but I was not deterred. The threat of a shower beats the actual thang.

A sleepy bend along US 101, Lilliwaup wasn't always the shrinking violet she is today. At the turn of the twentieth century Lilliwaup was a thriving boom town. Mines dotted her hills and she sported two hotels, a casino, brothel, and ferry service between Seattle twice daily. No stranger to celebrity, Charlie Chaplin was purportedly a frequent sampler of Lillwaup's wares.

Friday morning greeted us with a thick mist. Not rain, somewhat more substantial than fog, the mist "dumped" all morning forcing my hosts and I to find indoor activities to bide our time. It proved short-lived, however, and the afternoon - though overcast - was warm and perfect at water's edge. The following day brought heat, and with it, unexpected arrivals to Lilliwaup. When you can't find a camping spot, who ya gonna call? Your nearest friend with a place on the water, of course. That's a no-brainer.

With the addition of my niece and her crew, the party was officially rolling - swimming, kayaking and lots of just floating. And golf. Sunday, after spending a full day in the surf, we headed out, grabbing some Mexican food in Union before the hot drive to Bremerton and our ferry home. Fortunately, right next to the ferry landing the City has installed a park featuring fountains that shoot their loads a hundred gallons at a time. Now that's a cool, fun way to beat the heat, no matter your age.



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