Taking a nature cure means getting outdoors to a park, a beach, a garden, a wild place and letting the simple act of being in that place, surrounded by nature, lift your spirits, reduce your stress, make you feel more alive, humbled and in awe. Here are easy ways wild places on the Long Beach Peninsula can help you get reconnected, relaxed and rejuvenated:

• Start the day with a wake-me-up walk on the beach. Stop every so often. Face the ocean and take in several deep breaths of invigorating ocean air. Exhale slowly, with attention to your breath. Notice what the waves have washed ashore. What do you see? Are there bits of seaweed, crab shells, clamshells, driftwood… other treasures

• Visit North Head Lighthouse. From its base, breathe in the expansiveness of the Pacific, its endless rhythm. Climb to the top for an extra bit of exhilaration.

• Hike the trail from the North Head Lighthouse parking lot south toward Cape Disappointment and feel what it is like to stand next to a 300 year old Sitka Spruce. Head the other way towards Beard’s Hollow. Breathe in the scent of majestic old-growth Doug fir and the lush, mossy undergrowth.

• If its high tide and stormy, embrace the power of waves crashing against the Cape D headlands. The view of the sea spray shooting up the cliff face from the breakwater near Waikiki Beach in Cape Disappointment State Park is especially spectacular.

• If the tides are low, head out to the tide pools at Beard’s Hollow. Be still and quiet and see the many small creatures that appear.

• Explore Leadbetter Point early in the morning or at sunset…close your eyes. How many different birdcalls can you hear? Open your eyes and use your peripheral vision to watch for wild things – a Great Blue Heron? A protected Snowy Plover?

• If the night is clear, bundle up, grab a blanket and head to the beach. Lie down and watch the stars multiply and become more vivid as your eyes adjust to the velvety darkness. Let go of time and get lost in the night sky. If you see a meteor, make a wish. Make a wish anyway.