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Larry Marks's avatar

"Travel guides and nudist blogs have praised Vantage Beach for its scenic desert setting, soft sand trails, and peaceful ambiance."

Ah, yes, the soft sand trails near Vantage. Or maybe they are soft volcanic ash. We were tent camping across the country in the summer of 1980, a few months after Mount St. Helens erupted. We had tried to the coast early so we could get through the areas with inches of volcanic ash being bulldozed off the roads and blowing right back on, but leaving relatives is never quick.

Sunset drew near with no spots in sight and then we came across a KOA with lush green grass. We got a campsite. The first surprise came while setting up the tent; the tent stakes slid effortlessly into the ground. What had looked like 1-2 inches of grass was 6 inches of grass with 5 inches of volcanic ash atop it.

We cooked dinner and began eating. As the wind began to blow, we finished quickly, to finish before the food got too gritty with ash. This was the second surprise.

Our trip was a mix of boondocking and commercial campgrounds. At the commercial campgrounds, our kids always insisted on visiting the campgrounds stores. This night was no different. While they were browsing, I addressed the clerk. Wondering about the wind (and our tent's stability), but not wanting to appear ignorant, I asked, "Does the wind here blow like this often?"

The clerk replied, "Mister, this is Vantage. We were shocked when the wind stopped blowing today!"

Sure enough, the tent dropped on us at about midnight in the continuing winds. I calmed the family and gave them refuge in the van while restoring the tent. About an hour later it dropped again, breaking one of the fittings. We spent the rest of the night in the van.

Okay, here's the nudist connection. On the nights when we were boondocking--no one else nearby--and the kids were asleep, I did spend some naked time outdoors, something very rare while my late wife was still alive.

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Claudia Kellersch's avatar

Vantage was my closest and favourite nude beach when I passed through to Eastern Washington and when attending concerts at the Gorge, George, Washington, when I lived in Bellevue, and worked in Redmond. I was the second president of the Sun Lovers under Gray Skies (SLUGS) at slimetrail.org between 1998 and 2002, and we made many fond memories at the nude beach at Vantage. How a few bad apples in Washington state can ruin it for everyone!

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