Another month of camp hosting is nearly over. That means it is time to reflect on all the great gifts I received at Deception Pass State Park.

But first, I will admit that I did not like it here when I first arrived. This is a huge park with hundreds of campgrounds. I was assigned what seemed like too much work: 70+ campsites and the beach day-use area. The sites had constant turnover so that meant I would be cleaning them all the time. And the campers here leave bigger messes than what I was used to. “Oh, this is going to be a chore,” I thought.

At first, I slogged around with a bad attitude. Then, my sister-in-law started a 30-day walking challenge on Facebook. The challenge involved walking an increasing number of steps each day, up to 10,000 steps on the final day. When I realized that walking around this campground and the day-use area would make this challenge a breeze, I signed up. I could not find my pedometer at first, but when I did, I discovered that if I walk Tango to the beach twice a day and then walk as much as possible while I tended to my sites and the day-use area, I was walking 8,000-10,000 steps already. Holy Mackerel! I started keeping track (Sparkpeople app) of my calories consumed and burned through the walking and found I could enjoy more food every day after burning over 700 calories walking! Now I am hooked on all this activity and am feeling much better. My butt muscles are even getting tight!

So, all the walking and my improved health is the first gift from Deception Pass. The others:

• The large number of cedar trees in the forest here, after a rain, the scent is heavenly
• Whales swimming just offshore
• Good coffee every Saturday and Sunday, I stopped drinking coffee but a little shop opens in the park on the weekends. It is super cute, in a restored little vintage camper. I allow myself a small cup of great, fresh, hot coffee after my weekend rounds.
• Access to the San Juan Islands, which were on my bucket list for decades
• The opportunity to meet up with another RVing friend in nearby Anacortes
• Proximity to Oak Harbor and another great library
• Twice daily beach walks with my fur buddy
• Many, many thank yous from people who see me picking up trash on the beach
• Ocean views and yet another view back to the Olympic Mountains.
• My Kubota 4-wheeler
• Interactions with a few more young adults. I don’t see them often here because we are all so busy, but I do enjoy
  them when our paths cross
• Weekly American Roots music series in the park amphitheater(Zydeco, Irish, Folk, etc)
• Fantastic peaches and plums; this has nothing to do with Deception Pass, it is just the right time of year and I am close to stores.
• The satisfaction of knowing just how much trash I kept out of the ocean!

Next, I go back to Sequim for a month and then, in October, I camp host again. This time I will be on the far, southwest coast of Washington, at another state park on the beach! Then, off to the southwest U.S. My goal for the summer was to camp host, see more of Washington, and walk more. Success, so far!

Below, West Beach, which I kept litter-free for a month