Redondo Beach - Des Moines, Washington

Growing up, I had always dreamed of living at the beach. At the time, I hadn’t known beaches outside of popular East Coast vacation destinations, such as Ocean City, Maryland, and the Outer Banks, North Carolina. 

Now, I am able to check this off my bucket list about 40 years earlier than I imagined. Just about three miles from our apartment lies Redondo Beach in Des Moines, Washington. 

The receding of the tide left driftwood that acted as natural seating across the beach.

My first trip to Redondo Beach was awe-inspiring. I planned my visit for August 1st, when the tide would be at its lowest point of the summer. 

Normally the water at Redondo Beach leaves nearly no beach to explore, so planning your trip for low tides is vital to getting the most out of your experience. When the tides are low, you can appreciate a multitude of Puget Sound marine wildlife. If planned right, you could also find beach naturalist roaming and sharing their knowledge with beach-goers. For more information on the Seattle Aquarium’s Beach Naturalists Program, click here.

While I searched for beached marine life, I collected a bunch of interesting rocks and seashells; and I was even able to find a few pieces of sea glass.

The beach is very rocky with little sand, making shoes a necessity. I’d recommend a closed shoe, rather than sandals. I wore flip flops and sharp rocks were constantly getting stuck under my foot. I plan to invest in a good pair of water shoes, so that I can still dip my feet in the water.

This Blue Heron, an opportunistic feeder, taking advantage of the low tides.

The beach was so quiet and relaxing. There was only a handful of people around: a father and his children who just recently moved back to the area from Florida, a couple of women who spoke to each other in a language that I wasn’t familiar with, an older gentleman who taught me about the horse clams and the crew setting up to open Salty’s on Redondo Beach.

After I got my fill of exploration, I decided to plant myself in the sand to read a book and soak up the summer sun until I could grab lunch from Salty’s and head home.