Hi, I'm Eric.

I’m an avid world traveler, photographer, software developer, and digital storyteller.

I help implement the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe.

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60
Saltwater State Park
60

Saltwater State Park

Des Moines, Washington
visited 8 August 2021
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Saltwater State Park lies right in the heart of the metropolis that is Seattle, Tacoma, and the many cities in between. The shallow tidelands appeal to divers and clam diggers and the rest of us who just like to explore a less-altered shoreline.

The park’s location a few miles south of our primary airport means that any visit is frequently punctuated by the sound of jetliners hauling themselves into the sky or preparing for their imminent arrival — a noisy ordeal either way.

A sandy dirt trail winds through tall green beach grass dotted with yellow wildflowers toward a shoreline at Saltwater State Park, with piles of weathered gray driftwood and a tidal flat beyond. Calm blue water stretches to a distant forested shoreline under a bright blue sky scattered with puffy white clouds.
A pile of weathered gray driftwood logs rests on a Puget Sound shoreline at low tide, with yellow dandelions and beach grass in the foreground and a wide expanse of green algae-covered mudflats stretching toward the water. Across the bay, a forested shoreline and distant hills sit beneath a bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds.
A weathered piece of driftwood with pale, streaked grey and brown wood lies diagonally across damp sand strewn with strands of bright green seaweed and eelgrass on a beach at Saltwater State Park.
A broad tidal flat exposed at low tide, carpeted with bright green algae and seagrass over sand, with Puget Sound’s blue water and a forested shoreline in the distance under a bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds.
A waterfront park with scattered picnic tables on a dry grassy field beside a paved path, bordered by a dense wall of green trees on the right and a rocky shoreline leading to calm water on the left, under a bright blue sky with large soft white clouds.
A low-tide beach at Saltwater State Park covered in bright green algae and scattered rocks, with a few small figures standing near the water’s edge on the left. Calm blue waters of Puget Sound stretch to a distant tree-lined shore under a mostly clear blue sky with scattered white clouds.

There is also a small network of trails in the forests and hills behind the shoreline:

A narrow dirt footpath curves through dense green woodland at Saltwater State Park, flanked by sword ferns on the right and leafy shrubs and ivy on the left, with dappled sunlight filtering through the foliage.
A narrow dirt trail winds through dense green forest at Saltwater State Park, flanked by sword ferns, leafy shrubs, and tall moss-covered tree trunks, with a concrete bridge visible through a gap in the canopy in the distance.

The underside of a tall concrete highway bridge viewed from directly below, its deck and tapered support piers receding into the distance over a green ravine. Lush deciduous and evergreen trees fill both sides of the frame beneath a clear blue summer sky.
The road geek in me enjoyed the opportunity to walk under this 1930s-era highway bridge.

A narrow dirt trail winds through a lush green forest at Saltwater State Park, flanked by dense ferns, ivy, and underbrush, with moss-covered tree trunks and a leafy canopy overhead letting dappled sunlight filter through.
A tree whose sinuous roots have grown over and engulfed the decaying stump of an older tree, perched atop a mound of reddish soil beside a forest trail. The surrounding woods are dense with evergreens, ferns, and ivy in dappled green light.
A dirt hiking trail winds through a lush green forest toward a wooden footbridge with slatted railings, flanked by dense sword ferns and ivy-covered slopes with tall trees overhead at Saltwater State Park.
Delicate shadows of fern fronds fall across a sunlit sandy trail scattered with pine needles and small pebbles, with darker shaded ground and a few real green fern leaves visible along the right edge.
Close-up of a tree trunk where a vertical patch of bark has been stripped away, exposing pale, weathered wood with wispy spider webbing across it. Dry, leafless twigs and small roots cling to the greyish-brown bark surrounding the bare section.
Looking straight up into a forest canopy, with vibrant green leaves and branching tree limbs framing a patch of blue sky dotted with white clouds at the center.

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