It’s a rainy day and I need a break from the inside. Lightbulb! A quick trip to the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is just the ticket! I drive by it all the time and really need to visit more. I noticed they are building new bridges and walkways so I wanted to investigate for summer walks to keep moving forward. If you haven’t been, it is certainly a must when they get it all finished.

According to their website, the area and trails consist of over 17,000 acres of tidelands, small streams, what they call temperate rain forest and of course, ocean and bay beaches. It also includes famous and beautiful old-growth cedars on Long Island and on the mainland above Teal Slough. This is a place of migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. So much to see, do and learn about here. It’s absolutely wonderful.

On this day, I was thinking about the struggles that an old friend was having in life. Maybe all he needs is a little grounding and some new perspective. A new path to charter and a new chapter to write for himself. After reaching back out to this high school classmate, I told him of my ways, my “cures,” if you will.

I encouraged him to maybe just step back a little and take notes. I have since learned that he did just that. He went on a three-day hike and did a little hunting with his blessed time and I believe it was well deserved. That’s all I am trying to advocate — just get out there! It’s going to be alright! Unplug and unwind or rather rewind and give it another look.

I conveyed to my old friend that, in my opinion, you have to take time out for yourself to be able to take care of that and those around you. I truly believe in that and my words were welcomed. I told him of our beautiful Pacific County and all it has to offer and how it helps me; moving forward on all of these beautiful trails.

Focusing back to the refuge, I am loving the rain, the quiet of the day and all the scenery. Glitch — due to some damage from all the winter storms, both the Art Trail and Cutthroat Climb trail are closed for maintenance and improvements. Thus, the beautiful walking deck. I was able to reach out to a couple of workers. One walked a little with me to make sure I didn’t trip and fall and the other told me that the goal for all the repairs was sometime in June. So, I am excited to see the end result. I may have to do a follow up story! This place is so rich in wildlife. Come and enjoy nature with friends and family or even just by yourself. On this day, it was just for me. It was raining so hard I couldn’t listen for Sasquatch movement. So yes, another story to come.

Regulation of activities, such as day-use hours, hiking and camping in designated areas, and hunting regulations allow for the public to enjoy of the refuge, all while protecting the habitats. The refuge works with federal agencies and local nonprofit organizations. Volunteers are a large part of what is done there. Volunteer opportunities are available for anyone interested.

If you have questions about the refuge, email them us at willapa@fws.gov or call them at 360-642-3860.

Thank you for reading and as always, if you pack it in, pack it out! Don’t stop believin’!