Owen Beach

I found Owen Beach down a quiet curve of forested road, the salt air arriving before the water did. When I stepped out onto the rocky shore, I thought, “This is the kind of place that keeps its secrets until you slow down.” The promenade stretched out before me, paved and even, golden light catching on the surface of Puget Sound, with Mount Rainier faint beyond the waves.

The beach was quieter than I expected—a hush broken only by the salty breeze and the occasional seabird calling. Logs were tethered near the edge for sitting, and a whale-shaped sculpture awaited children’s laughter. New picnic pavilions offered shade and shelter, and the restrooms were clean, simple, and a relief after the drive in. The wide lawn behind the beach invited blankets and quiet afternoons. Around the corner, kayak rentals offered a way to drift toward the open water, where seals often bobbed near the surface and orcas passed offshore when seasons aligned.

I wandered along the promenade until hunger nudged me toward Point Defiance Marina. A few blocks from the beach I found Anthony’s At Point Defiance, with tables looking over the water. I had a bowl of clam chowder—cream-rich and peppery—with sourdough bread that smelled of yeast and sea spray before I even broke into it. Sitting there, warmed by the sun and full of salt, I thought, “This is the kind of calm you can taste.”