We took off yesterday afternoon for an end of summer trip to the other Dash Point, not Dash Point State Park, but Dash Point Park and Pier, a city park on the Tacoma side of the point.

Getting there was nice, the kids napped in the car while Marine View drive turned into Soundview Drive and wove its way around the edge of Puget Sound. If you're wanting to squeeze the last few minutes out of summer, this drive is a nice way to do it. I don't recommend trying it around 5:00 though, I had some impatient people on my tail wanting me to speed up around the curves. (The speed limit seemed fast enough for me, there are some tight corners.)

Dash Point Park and Pier is more of a neighborhood park than the sprawling State Park a little ways North. There's a playground, a pier crowded with anglers, a long, sandy beach, and a Hawaiian shaved ice truck that seems to be parked there for the season. It reminded me of beaches I visited as a child in New Jersey and Connecticut. That is, until I went in the water and felt the pebbly surface under my feet.

This is the first beach I've been to in the area that really seems to host a lot of families. The free parking lot was packed, and multiple generations played in the sand and waded in the shallow waves.

I wasn't too sure about the water quality (I saw some things washed up on the beach I wish I hadn't) and I couldn't get my eldest to follow agreed upon rules about how far out to go, so we had to cut our trip off abruptly. This close to the end of Summer, I think we all need the structure that school will soon be bringing to our lives. Bring it on.

Dash Point Park

1500 Beach Dr NE (Accessed via Markham Drive)

Tacoma