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It is said that Beethoven insisted on playing the dramatic sounds of storm with his left hand, and pastoral (soft ephemeral enchantments) with his right. Along the sandy beach at Cape Disappointment State Park, the one they call Benson Beach for the ocean liner that sank just offshore, there, the Pacific Ocean is just as moody as the composer. With rich variety comes beauty. And if unpredictable, therein lies pure exhilaration. The ocean is always performing.

In summer, one might consider shorts and a tee shirt. And in the winter, rain clouds gather. Often, one is halfway up the beach when those clouds open. Getting drenched is just part of the ante. All things considered; the price is worth that burst of exhilaration.

Offshore is Peacock Spit, a devil of a place if you are crossing the Columbia River Bar aboard a sailing vessel. That stretch of water is called the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” and the sand bars are littered with the hulks of sailing ships that lost their way — mostly, thank God — in the 19th century.

On the south end of Benson Beach is a two-mile rock jetty. From there one can explore two vistas: both ocean and river. One can watch the sea lions doing their imitation of Olympic surfers, barking and swooning as they dash through 15-foot combers gleefully. And here, fishermen can catch salmon and ling cod. Upriver is Astoria. To the north, North Head Lighthouse, a beacon that still offers comfort to mariners and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In the meantime, the 65-foot tower guides ocean tankers and fishing boats into the calm waters of Bakers Bay, the Port of Ilwaco and scenic Astoria, the new darling city of the Northwest Coast.

The Columbia River remained unknown and uncharted until 1792, when Captain Robert Gray navigated the ferocious river entrance and sailed his ship, the Columbia Rediviva, into no man’s land before anchoring off Chinook Point. Subsequently, he traded for otter furs with the Tsinuk, a bargain they should have never made. Within a few decades the tribe was devastated by disease.

Today the park extends both a warm handshake and the opportunity to camp or fish or simply stroll. There are trails galore. One can trek the McKenzie Head Trail or traverse the hills beside Baker’s Bay. Old-growth giants greet you, offering shade and a friendly perch for the lofty eagles. A nearby boat launch offers quick access to both the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. Salmon fishing is legendary. So is crabbing and the opportunity to just explore this majestic body of water and the scenic landscape that enhances it.

The offerings are rich. This park is a moveable feast. Never the same, turncoat weather fuels king tides and huge photogenic waves. And the serenity of a tide pool charms the living daylights out of adults and children alike. The weather performs, each tide, each day. And I haven’t yet mentioned the other lighthouse that stands sentinel two hundred feet above the ocean, this one called Cape Disappointment. Pay no attention to the name. And there is Waikiki Beach, a summer haven for those with a picnic to share.

It’s all here, come rain or shine, one of the most photogenic landscapes in the Pacific Northwest, or as far as that goes, across the vast United States of America.

Lewis and Clark traveled over 4,000 miles to this destination and offered these immortal words, “Ocean in View. Oh! The joy.”