Find Something New in Your Favorite Place

On Monday, I took advantage of the beautiful weather, took an afternoon off work and explored a place I've never been -- the beach at Point Defiance in Tacoma.

I'm smiling after reading that sentence, because I have been to Point Defiance more times than I could ever count. I love it there and have spent many sunny afternoons in its parks as a child. This time, though, I discovered a different route and took in some gorgeous new coastal scenery.

When I visit Point Defiance Park, I typically like to walk around the rose garden, hang out at Owen's Beach and drive or walk the 5-Mile.

This time, I decided to explore a little more and parked my car at the Vashon Lookout spot, got out and walked the trail. I followed signs for the beach, and found a nice trail winding down through the forest. I landed on a beautifully sandy, secluded beach.

The sun was high, the tides were out and it was a very peaceful afternoon, walking along the shoreline looking at sea creatures. If you follow the beach far enough, you can see a great view of the Narrows Bridge, which is the same view as the Gig Harbor lookout point on the 5-Mile.

Sometimes I think we all get stuck going down the same paths or visiting the same places, so moments like that make me remember that there is always something new to explore, even if you've been there 100 times.