Penrose Point State Park gets a big thumbs up! (83 sites here) Only a 2 ½ hour drive from our house! 

First night, setting up camp!

Originally when I made reservations for us in spot #19 at Penrose Point State Park, I thought we would be heading up I-5 and across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  I was so wrong.  This is one of the most beautiful drives, and I’m so glad that Rick knows the area around Shelton and toward the Key Peninsula from his Schwan’s days.  We cut off at McCleary heading for Shelton, and then on to Hwy 3 until you get to Hwy 302 and on to the Key Peninsula, and then you head south down Key Peninsula Hwy through the towns of Key Center and Home. Just about a half mile or so after you cross the bridge at Home, WA you turn left and wind back over to the water.  

Crossing the Home Bridge at low tide. 

If you get a chance to come to this park, they have 3 bathrooms, 2 with showers and all 3 have flush toilets, and sinks with real running water!  No power, but we took our newest purchase with us.  A camping generator (I call it the Love Machine, because as soon as you crank this baby up at 8:00 AM, everyone will love you!)   One of the loops was closed while we stayed here and it was really nice because that made for no one camping behind us, and we were on a corner.  We were near enough to the bathrooms for quick run in the mornings and not to close to have lots of traffic.  We even had a water faucet across from us. None of the campsites are on the water.  They are all in the trees and it is a medium/short walk to the beach.  The beach area is on two sides.  One side is located by the group campground and the other side is on the State Park side.  After Geocaching around the Purdy area on Saturday and exploring the Key Peninsula (which you really should do if you are in this area.) We drove down to the beach before going back to our campsite for the night so the dogs could burn off any energy that they may still have.   

Beach just below the campsites, at high tide.  

Thor ready to go back to the campground 

Passing kayaks at Penrose Point Beach - Carr Inlet, Mayo Cove?

While exploring the peninsula (it feels like you are on a little island because you can’t drive far on either side without running into the beach.) we ran across a little place called Longbranch, WA.  The view from the place we drove by was incredible.   

Longbranch, WA view 

And I should say at this point that if you drive all the way down the peninsula there is a turn around with some beautiful houses overlooking the sound.  It a short drive and worth exploring all the roads for the fun of it.   Not far from Penrose Point State Park is Joemma Beach State Park. (Funny name for a park. The park is named for Joe and Emma Smith, early settlers who lived in the area.)  If you are tent camping there are a few spots in this very small park (21 sites) that will knock your socks off with the view from your campsite.  You sit high above the sound and it’s beautiful.  Sorry, I didn’t get a picture; you’ll just have to go check it out yourself.  If you are in an RV the sites are a little more limited. Geocaching at Homestead Park with the dogs was pretty nice.  It was in the mid 70’s and this undeveloped piece of property is huge.  It the old homestead for a family that I can’t remember the name.  But it’s very pretty and you can’t drive anything motorized on the land here.  The old road (paths) took us by lots of apple trees, tons and tons of blackberries, and even some old grape vines.  Easily you could spend a whole day here.  We past a few kids on bikes and a couple walking their dog, or maybe they were Geocaching! 

Happy dogs on the trail  – Found the cache! 

Found a birdhouse in the trees too - tons of blackberries around it and no way to get to it – not a cache!

All in all, this was a fantastic weekend.  Funny stuff… Rick ripped his pants by the back pocket on the way out of the park after finding the geocache on Saturday, and then when he went to slide into the truck – the big rip!  So it was back to the campground for lunch and a change of pants!  Hee-hee, better him than me!  (no pictures of this event.) 

One more camping trip is kind of planned for this month… it’s to Rainbow Falls.  Maybe next weekend!