Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Maxwelton Beach

Agate

This is my favorite set of photos from our trip to Washington, because this is where I grew up. Maxwelton Beach on Whidbey Island. It just might be my favorite place in the whole entire world. My Nanny and Papa owned a house right on the beach—though it's now owned by my uncle—and we spent every single summer bunking in their garage. Their doors were always open, and it was always a giant Stone Family party. We spent the days on the tide flats—building sand castles, catching flounders, sinking our feet into the sand until we were deep enough to find shrimp, clam digging, row-boating in the Sound, salmon fishing, crab-potting—you name it, we did it. By night, we gathered in the sand for a beach fire and told stories while roasting marshmallows.

Those were the days. My mom and dad were still together, my brother was a tiny kid and was as sweet as can be, and my sister and I didn't have a care in the world—not even about the sand that always seemed to fill our shoes... I didn't intend for this to get all nostalgic, but I just can't help but think back to all the amazing memories. I can't wait to take my kids back there some day and make new ones.

Anyways, I just can't get enough of that place—the rocky, seaweed-filled beaches, the piles of driftwood, the American flags flying from a pole in every yard, the eagles swooping overhead or the agate hunting. Oh—the agate hunting! Every single day—regardless of the weather—our family went for a beach walk. But we weren't just going for a beach walk, we were hunting for agates! When we hunt for agates (read more about them here), we walk with our heads bent over, scanning the ground, looking for that characteristic glow that makes agates stand out from the rest of the ordinary rocks (if you need proof of the glow, see the photo above!). On any given beach walk, we can find anywhere between 1-10, though sometimes—but not often—we went home skunked without finding a single one. If you go to any of our family's homes, you'll find large glass dishes filled with collections of agates. A trip to Whidbey is not complete without an agate hunt!

See more photos of Maxwelton Beach below, with captions below a couple of them.

Whidbey Island
American flags along the beachside backyards.
Whidbey Island
Seagulls lining the pilings at Nanny and Papa's beach (same view as this photo).
Whidbey Island
The beach outside Nanny and Papa's house.
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Beached driftwood.
Whidbey Island
Daniel found a little jellyfish.
Whidbey Island
Shirt: c/o Olivia Wares

Oh, Whidbey. You're my favorite.

Washington Trip 2013 Posts:
Whidbey Island │ Maxwelton Beach │ The 4th │ Pike Place Market │ Seattle

29 comments:

Maria Larsen said...

I can see why this is one of your favorite places. It looks like such a wonderful place to visit. I love beaches, of all kinds.
Maria

Hannah Scott said...

Beautiful!! I've only ever been to one or two beaches in my life, and they were the tourist kind. You are so blessed to have those memories!

Kelly said...

Wow, you're pictures are beautiful. You're a great photographer.

I'd never heard of agates before--that's really neat!

Big Apple, Little Bites

Vicki Garrett said...

Looks amazing!!! So Beautiful!

Rachel Murphree said...

Beautiful pictures! I can see why it would be a place for your grandparents to set up a home, and it's wonderful that it has stayed in your family!
- Rachel/ With Love, Rachel

Kelly Ann said...

I agree, that photo is absolutely gorgeous!

xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes

Becca Moss said...

These photos are gorgeous! The view looks amazing!

Anna Sinclair said...

Beautiful! I love the little beaches on Whidbey. :)

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

Oh how GORGEOUS. What a beautiful place.

Karoline Z said...

those pictures are AMAZING! I especially love the one at the top of the post and the one of the driftwood! That beach looks and sounds like such a special place :)

lesley. said...

gorgeous photos. no wonder you love that place so much!

Annelise Rowe said...

Me too! I can't get enough of the beach. What I wouldn't give to live right on one... even on a lake... or shoot... a canal! Ha!

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks, Hannah! The tourist kind are fun, too... speaking of which, Hawaii is sounding so nice right about now!

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks, Kelly! #1, for saying I'm a good photographer... I don't hear that often (or ever, really), so I appreciate that! #2 for the agates! They're the best when you take a new person up and they find one... it's like a giant thrilling moment!

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks, Rachel! We don't visit that same house quite as often now that my uncle lives there, but my other uncle lives across the street and we spent hours and hours at his place. It's a very open-door kind of place! :)

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks Kelly! The beach was the perfect color that day. I didn't edit the photos at all!

Annelise Rowe said...

Oh... the view! Take me back there! Thanks Becca!

Annelise Rowe said...

You know what else I love? That they're rocky! They're not like average beaches!

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks Karoline! The agate photo was my favorite from the entire trip. I want to put it up somewhere in my house! And isn't that crazy what rocks, water, sand and air do to the wood? It's like a labrynth of erosion! (did that sound silly?!)

Annelise Rowe said...

Thanks, Lesley! I feel like I didn't even do it justice!

Karoline Z said...

No! I thought it was so interesting how all the stones nested in the holes in the wood!!

Hannah Scott said...

Mmm, Hawaii! Yes, please! Stephen's parents went there twice last year, and I am sooo jealous! Exotic tropical vacations should not be this hard to come by. You'd think I was a broke college student or something...

Annelise Rowe said...

Me too! And I hadn't even noticed the log (because I'm so used to seeing them), but Daniel saw it and said, "ooh ooh take a picture!" :)

Annelise Rowe said...

I am not a broke college student... I'm a working wife who STILL can't afford to go on those trips! Ha!

erika @ rouge + whimsy said...

i always go agate hunting with my mom when we're at the coast.

Annelise Rowe said...

You know what agates are?! High five! No one ever does and everyone thinks we're weird for always looking at the ground!

gayle said...

These photos are stunning. I LOVE the first one of the rocks on the sand. Can I have that for my office wall? LOL

Annelise Rowe said...

You can totally steal it! Or I can email it to you :) It makes me want to go back right this minute!

gayle said...

Thank you! I think I was able to save it right from here, so I'll try it out and see if it works. Yay!

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