This was my childhood vacation spot and we just loved it. There were several reasons that made it beautiful. The cabin we stayed in was up against the beautiful mountains of Washington but you could also walk to the beach. You had to cross a highway to get there. Literally. So there were death defying feats involved as well.

I am not a huge fan of the beach. Perhaps if the beach was not so, well, sandy, I would like it better. Also beaches in Washington are anything but warm. But this beach, you can drive on. In fact, it is the longest drivable beach in the world. It seems really environmentally unfriendly for sure but nothing says fun like getting a dodge caravan stuck in the sand.

Long Beach also has an awesome downtown where a kid can go nuts considering the amount of crappy souvenirs that are available. There is a store there called, Marsh's Free Museum which up until I was much older actually thought was a museum that happened to sell a variety of chachkies. I remember the year I finally realized, no, this just a gift shop with a buch of weird crap on display. Some of those things, included but not limited to: Jake the Alligator man (half man half alligator), a shrunken head, a stuffed 2 headed cow and a bunch more of natures freaks.

And nothing is more beautiful that the Gas and Grub in downtown Long Beach where they served up the best ice cream in town. I was a big fan of the peanut butter and chocolate. Another local favorite was the Black Licorice that is, quite literally as black in color as a tire. I never tried this ice cream as the thought of such a flavor made me feel like vomiting. However, being able to tell who had the licorice ice cream as a mid afternoon snack due to a black hue that had dyed their lips and tongue is a beautiful thing for sure.