What's in a Name? Ch. 02

"Actually yes, but only if you're interested. You know that I've visited the 'clothing optional' beach on Sauvie Island. I was wondering if you might be interested in going there with me."

"I remember you inviting me a few years ago. God, I was shocked at the thought of seeing you naked, and mortified of you seeing me. For some reason, those don't seem to be issues any more."

"I thought I had made it clear that I would only see you naked if you chose to remove your clothes, but it's a common misconception."

"I don't think I got past the idea of seeing your 'junk,' to use your term. Even though I'd seen it a few years earlier, I had changed by then, and so my feelings about that stuff had changed as well. I've kinda' wondered what the place is like since you first mentioned it, but Joan's curiosity couldn't compete with her modesty. I haven't really thought about it recently." She paused briefly before finishing with, "sure, let's do it. I'll text Karen that I've made other plans. "

"OK, while we're getting ready, there are a few ground rules I should mention. Although it's technically a 'nude beach' it's family-friendly and you don't have to be naked. If you're uncomfortable taking off your clothes, you don't have to. In fact, more than a third of the people there wouldn't look out of place at Waterfront Park downtown. I'm assuming that you won't mind if I choose to go nude, since you've already seen everything. 'Family Friendly' means that the nudity is completely non-sexual and also means that the beach is not a 'meat market.' If the forecasts are right and it gets up to the mid-90s, there will be lots of people there. They will be of all ages, including children. I'm probably pretty close to the average age. There aren't many Millennials like yourself, but they're out there, and younger kids are more common. The issue is that, with kids of any age around, NC-17 behavior is not allowed. I talked to one of the 'regulars' and he said there are a group of guys that 'police' the beach fairly effectively. If somebody - almost always a guy - gets out of line, one of the 'regulars' will approach him, and ask him to cool it. Other regulars will take notice, and 'wander over.' Typically the asshole is drunk, but sufficiently sober to realize that he's suddenly facing a handful of guys more than willing to physically 'cleanse' the beach if necessary. He told me that on rare occasions there might be a slight commotion, but most people won't see it if they aren't involved. If something like this has happened any of times that I was there, it was handled quietly enough that I didn't notice."

Beth commented "You've talked about it before, but never gotten into detail like that. It also sounds like you haven't yet qualified as a 'regular.' In any case, it makes a little more sense now. In fact, it sounds a lot like the Family Changing Rooms we were talking about earlier."

"Exactly." I had never really connected the two, but it was an obvious parallel. Family changing rooms were provided so that mixed gender family members could change together, limiting exposure to the family itself. Mom, Dad, and the kids have all probably seen each other naked around the house (and younger kids wouldn't be bothered either way). As for the 'regulars and assholes' on the beach, I likely hadn't noticed the incidents (if they occurred) because I generally 'camped' between the two most crowded parts of the beach. The 'regulars' patrolled the southern end, and there was a 'Party Crowd' that set up near the center of the park, that probably has a similar system.

"I personally don't like tan lines, and will undress as I'm setting up my spot on the beach" I continued. "I've never had an erection there, but etiquette suggests that I cover it if I do." I tossed her my phone. "Open up Sauvie.txt. It has a list of what to pack. I'll transfer the beach chair to your car, and it should only take a minute or two to find another one. You and I will both need towels, and you'll want flip-flops." Although both of us were already dressed, we had to completely undress to replace our underwear with swim suits. Beth asked my opinion in terms of her swim-wear. "I would suggest one of your two-piece options, in case you feel comfortable topless, but not naked. I've seen women wear a one-piece around their waist, but it's easier to be semi-nude with a bikini."

Beth selected one of her more modest two piece suits (odd, if her plan was to take it off anyhow). "Will this be OK?" she asked, and I nodded. I loaded the cooler with soft drinks (diet, of course), some beer, and a couple jugs of filtered water. I decided we'd pick up something to eat on the way.

Beth glanced at my phone. "The list implies that you're going by yourself, since you mention bringing a book."

"You know me, I'll read standing in line at the grocery store if I have a book with me. I'm planning on bringing one anyway, and recommend that you bring one as well. Frequently, I won't open the book even when I'm going solo. I generally end up talking with people there. The main purpose of going is to have an excuse to be out in the sun, naked. If I don't find someone to talk to, I'll read. More than once, the book itself started a conversation. I'd prefer that you don't bring your notepad but I'm sure you can find something in the den. One more thing - you'll want to use the facilities here before we leave. There are port-a-potties out there, but they're more like ovens on days like today. Peeing there is easy, the other - not so much. Sorry to be blunt, but you won't have a comfortable chance to shit for most of the day, so this is your chance." My recommendation to not bring her notepad was concern about theft, although I've never had anything stolen on that beach - one of its many unique attributes. All forms of anti-social or illegal behavior (such as littering or petty theft) are almost unheard of. The only exception is... I'll get to it.

It took about half an hour to get our shit together and another half hour to drive. As usual, she drove, and I rode shotgun. We stopped to get sandwiches for lunch, and proceeded to Collin's Beach. She smirked at me when I mentioned that I already had a parking pass (I grabbed it when I moved the beach chair). "Why does it not surprise me that you have one?" she quipped.

After our stop, I commented: "Our discussion earlier about modesty, or lack thereof, in locker rooms is similar to the situation at the beach. Less than half the guys will typically be clothed meaning that the rest will be nude. The women are about evenly divided between clothed, topless, and nude. I'm not sure why men are more willing to 'let it all hang out', while women, who are almost revealing more going topless than 'bottomless' are more reluctant to go nude. 'Family oriented' also means a nude woman will never spread her legs more than a few inches apart - if that. It's OK to try to get a tan between your thighs, but you should avoid 'exposing' yourself. Looking is OK, but leering is not. If I see a couple of women walking together, one topless and the other nude, I will scan the four parts that would be, or are, covered by two-piece suits, but it will probably tale less than a second. As in locker rooms, I won't spare more than a quick glance at a man's junk."

We arrived a little before noon, and I could tell from the road that it was already crowded. There are 6 or 7 trails from the road to the beach, and all parking spaces near the trails were taken. I had silenced both our phones and put them in the glove box before crossing the bridge to the island. We had 2 chairs, a cooler and a bag with the rest of our stuff. I rolled the cooler and carried the bag while Beth carried the chairs.

We got to the beach and found I was right - there were people of all ages. Most were over 30. At 47, I was close to the average age. If counting only those who were nude, I was well below the average. While nudism seems to be increasing in popularity everywhere else on the planet, it's definitely fading in the US. Beth wasn't the only (or oldest) teen, but the population of 10 to 25 year-olds was pretty sparse. Among the young adults that I could see, a minority were nude. The children were about evenly split with younger kids more likely to be nude. Only one of the few babies I could see was wearing a diaper. If anything, the percentage of people (especially females) who were at least partially nude was a bit higher than usual. As I started to undress, Beth did as well. She was down to just her suit bottom, and gave me a funny look when I sat down with my running shorts on. "Remember what I said about erections? I'll take these off when I can" I explained.

She responded with her usual giggle as she glanced at the bulge in my shorts. "Too bad I can't help you with that."

I continued "I'm not sure who it was, it might even have been my sister, your Aunt Wendy, who commented on how much easier it was for women on a nude beach. 'Women can think about anything they want, and nobody will ever know.' Erect nipples are a sign of arousal, but far less prominent than a hard-on. They also can be caused by being cold, a guaranteed phenomenon if you go swimming. The problem for me right now is that, while I've been here before with someone I'd slept with the night before, you turn me on more than anyone else. Men can get an erection from other causes, sometimes just from having to urinate with no convenient facilities, but the unwritten laws, at least here, are that erections indicate arousal and must be hidden. If you're comfortable undressing, don't let my problem stop you. If you decide to remove the bottom of your suit later, let me know before you do. I may need to cover myself, but 'covering' can be as simple as turning over if I'm lying down or throwing a shirt onto my lap. What I'm trying to say is that it's entirely your choice go topless or be totally nude. As you can see, you'll fit in regardless."

As she removed the bottom of her suit, she answered. "When I agreed to come here, I decided that I would go nude. I don't think I'll ever get rid of my tan lines, but I'd like to at least fade them a bit. Can you help me with the sunscreen?" I complied, liberally applying it to her back while she took care of the rest. For obvious reasons, my hands did not roam as they had in the shower. She could easily reach all sensitive areas, so I left them for her. She did, however, ask me if she had gotten all of her butt.

"Your ass is fine," I chuckled. "Oh, you mean the sunscreen." There was a streak of it that hadn't been properly spread, but a quick swipe took care of it. Yes, I was touching her butt, but it was obviously done only to address the sunscreen. "OK, now it's covered." After she was protected, she offered to return the favor, but I declined. I had already been to the beach more than a few times, so my tan was already well established. In her case, however, sunburns were likely to be in embarrassing locations.

A short time later, I could safely take off my suit. Beth looked at me afterwards. "You're serious about not liking tan lines. Some parts aren't quite as dark, but there's not a clear 'line' anywhere that I can see." At this point I slipped my watch up my wrist a bit to show the one tan-line that I (intentionally) maintained. She stuck our her tongue. "Show-off!"

The two of us walked down to the water to cool off. Beth thanked me for having flip-flops on the checklist; "I added them because the sand in the sun can get hot." We left them just above the water line and she stayed with me as I waded waist-deep into the water. "You probably aren't aware that the urine content of any body of water will always be higher near a public beach." Beth responded with a sour look, and I explained "If you have to piss, the most discrete option, other than the ovens up in the parking area, is to be waist-deep in the water. I haven't visited a swimming pool that didn't have some sign politely asking visitors to not 'pee' in the pool. Wearing a suit isn't going to change it. I've occasionally come across a guy watering a tree here, but I think just about everybody goes in the river." When she wrinkled her nose, I pointed out that the concentration is still very low, and urine is essentially sterile anyway. I had relieved myself as soon as my penis was covered and noticed a slight relaxation indicating that she was now doing the same. "This was why I had suggested using the facilities before we left home. As I said then, peeing isn't a problem. Solid waste is a different issue. I haven't noticed shit floating in the river, so I assume that virtually everybody refrains from taking a dump in the water."

When we returned to our place we found a young family had 'camped' next to us. The parents were in their early 30's and they had two kids (one of each) who appeared to be in the 4 to 6 range. The parents hadn't finished arranging their stuff before both kids were streaking to the water. I watched the youngsters take off, and glanced at the parents.

"This place is a Godsend." The mother waved in the direction her children had headed "Matt and Linda have returned to their natural element. Oh, excuse me, I'm Lucy. We moved here from Phoenix last fall. In Arizona, we had a pool in our back yard and it was easier to just let the kids run around naked most of the summer. Last fall, Jake" her husband nodded "was offered a position up here. We discussed it briefly then moved without hesitation. Everything was so much better than Arizona. Experiencing a real winter, mild as it was, was a treat. It wasn't until it warmed up that we found that 'bathing suit' was a foreign concept to the kids. He's 5 and will be starting kindergarten in the fall; she's just over a year younger. We discovered through a company support group that it was a common problem, and then we heard about this place. Matt still prefers swimming naked, but he'll wear a suit at preschool. Linda's a bit more stubborn, but she mimics her older brother, so it's all good." By the time Lucy finished, their 'camp' was set up, and they seemed to be as well. Jake was wearing mid-thigh swim trunks. Lucy was topless, with bikini bottoms (a few covert glances confirmed that she had no more hair than Beth's bikini trim, but may have less). "Like your wife, I don't need a bra, and go without whenever I can get away with it." Mentioning her breasts implicitly gave me permission to look at them. I'd guess she had C-cups with fairly large areolas and prominent nipples, but her assessment wasn't inaccurate - there was no indication of sagging. She seemed to be able to go without a bra enough that they were as tan as the rest of her torso, although her arms and face were slightly darker. She definitely qualified as a 'MILF.' She was slender, with shoulder-length brunette hair, currently tied back in a pony-tail. She didn't have Beth's muscle tone (very few people do), but I had to assume that she worked out regularly. She and I were both wearing sunglasses, so I'm not sure of her eyecolor, but there was nothing in her face to detract from her attractiveness.

I responded with a chuckle, "I'll take that as a compliment, but I'm not sure about my daughter, Beth. I'm James, by the way. I've been coming here for several years, and I've invited Beth more than once during that time. She had trouble reconciling the concept of 'nude' with 'family oriented'." I glanced at Beth, "is that a fair assessment?" She nodded and I continued. "She turned 18 a few months ago, and decided to check this place out. In fact, this is the first time she's been here and she seems to have inherited my immodesty."

Beth gave me a mock-stern look. "I don't know about immodesty, but I do have your skin-tone and your distaste for tan lines. Since I'm almost always wearing my soccer stuff outside, I look like a freakin' farmer." The last part was said stated with an element of distaste. I hadn't really noticed before, but she was right. Her rich, bronze tan was limited to her face, arms, and a narrow band on her thighs (above her soccer socks and below her shorts). The rest of her was almost white. I generally didn't bother with sun-screen, but knew that she needed it (and realized that the sunscreen I had applied to her back earlier covered only those areas that were not already tanned). She had done a good job of applying it to the rest of herself. It wasn't until then that I recalled that she had also applied sunscreen to the areas that didn't need it, apparently seeking to even out her skin-tone.

We chatted with the parents for over an hour. I made a mental note to only bring one chair next time - Beth seemed more comfortable on her towel, spending equal time on her back as on her tummy. When I pulled a couple sodas out of our cooler, I asked the parents if they wanted anything. They declined with an indication that they were well stocked. Jake eventually suggested that they collect the kids for lunch. The two kids had never left our field of view, and it was clear that they were more interested in playing than eating, but eventually the parents returned, each carrying a child. When they got back, we asked if they could watch our stuff while Beth and I took a walk. I added "If you want to leave before we get back, go ahead. I've never had anything taken, probably because I generally don't bring anything worth taking."

Beth and I waded out into the water to cool off (and pee) then returned to walk along the wet sand just above the water line. We started out heading south, and soon found the number of people 'au naturel' had declined sharply. "I've walked the entire beach several times, and generally turn around about here. I've been told that there are signs saying where clothing is required, but I haven't found them yet. All I've noticed is that the sign on the road by the first trail does not mention 'clothing optional." The point at which clothing is required is well marked at the other end. Here, I've just gone by the lack of undressed people beyond this point. I once carried my suit, put it on here and continued. The only difference other than clothing beyond here is that the beach there is covered with litter. I don't think I've see so much as a cigarette butt in the nude section."

We retraced our path then continued north. We chatted a bit, and visited with others as we passed. At one point, Beth sniffed. "Is that..."

"Yes," I answered, having detected the same odor. "I was wondering if you knew what pot smelled like, and I won't ask if you've tried it. It's still illegal in Oregon, but pot has been part of the scene since long before I started coming here. It's the only 'crime' I've ever encountered here, and it's not even a crime over there" I pointed across the river as I said this. "Another thing you'll see more of is tattoos. I'm not sure if they really are more common, or if it's only that they're less likely to be covered. Have you noticed anything else?"

"I'm assuming that you mean the - how shall I put it - tendency to shave?"

"That's what I was looking for. I know it's common in the porn industry, but comparing what I see out here with what I see in locker rooms, people who come out here are more likely to be bald between their legs." I continued, "Last Summer, I shaved myself when I started coming out here. I quit in the fall because it was a bother. You know I shave my legs for biking. Pubes grow a lot faster than the hair on my legs, and I had to shave there about twice as often."

Beth replied "a few of the girls on the team shave, but most have a full bush. Among dancers, shaving or at least trimming is pretty much required. Although we're generally wearing jazz pants or something, if we have a single piece where we're performing in leotards, you can't have any hair that shows down there. I started trimming almost as soon as I started growing hair, and I address it when I shave my legs. I know what you mean about the stubble but I generally ignore it, except for performances - but I shave my legs then as well."