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In this issue: Gems of the Sea | Lighthouses Lake Quinault Lodge | Storms Irish Dining & Drinks

WINTER 2015

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winter 2015

contents

FEATURES

STORMS SLAM THE SHORELINE

LIGHTING THE WAY

Mighty storms take over the coast and storm watchers love it.

TOP Patio at Lake Quinault Lodge ABOVE The mantle at Donna Grow’s home COVER At sunset, a starfish hangs on a rock at Rialto Beach north of La Push. Photo by Gabe Green

The five lighthouses of the Washington Coast are full of history.

LAKE QUINAULT LODGE

QUEEN OF HER CASTLE

You’ll find beautiful forests, comfy rooms and great food at this treasure.

Donna Grow’s home in Hoquiam is part museum.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

winter 2015

contents THE VISIT EUM MUS KITE

63 IN THIS ISSUE 13 BOOK “Closer to the Ground”

37 SHOPPING

14 DIY Building a Cold Frame

58 RECIPE

17 HEALTH The Exercise Resolution 20 DINE Irish eats at Galway Bay 26 HISTORY

Commercial Fishing

29 DRINKS

60 TOP Ring created by Judith Altruda ABOVE Chinese kite at the Kite Museum

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Wine picks, Irish Drinks & Coffee101

34 BEAUTY

Hat styles

Chocolate Torte

60 TRAVEL

20 Museums

63 ART

Judith Altruda’s Gems

EVENTS

WHO & WHY

Our Favorite Ones

Why Britta Folden Loves Living Here

Spa relaxing

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 From the Editor 72 Advertisers Directory

Our work is not about houses... ...it’s about people.

Multi-year winner!

Serving all of Grays Harbor County Residential - Commercial - Land

Windermere Real Estate/Aberdeen

101 South Broadway • Aberdeen • 360-533-6464 • www.windermeregraysharbor.com

Beach Homes Arenâ€™t Just For Summer The Heart of Washington Coast offers not just a Home, its a Lifestyle. Representing Buyers and Sellers

Donna Jones Broker 360-580-5354

donnajones55@live.com www.OwnOceanShores.com

Real Estate / Ocean Shores

Enjoy this Season at the Bishop Center! Spring Musical

Sponsored by

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Saturday . 7:30pm

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Publisher

Stan Woody

Editor

Doug Barker

Editorial & Art Director

Richelle Barger

Writers Angelo Bruscas Britta Folden Callie White Coty MacDonald Corey Morris Dan Jackson Doug Barker Gail Greenwood Ayres Greg Johnston Jake Schild Richelle Barger Stephen Pavletich Editorial Karen Barkstrom Assistant Magazine Kristina Case, Simply Graphic Graphic Designer Photographers Aaron Lavinsky Gabe Green Greg Johnston Jaclyn Peterson Marcy Merrill Sativa Miller Steven Friedrich Stuart May Photo Contributors Jones Photo Historical Collection | Anderson & Middleton Co. Frank H. Lamb Photo Collection Jim Wark, Airphota NA Bob and Sandra Shanklin, The Lighthouse People Quinault Beach Resort

Contributors Brittnee Morris Eric Shelden Janet Taylor Julia Brice Kristina Alnajjar Rediviva Roosevelt Apartments Sam Howe Stephanie Allestad Tinderbox Coffee Roasters Ad Graphic Designers

Emily Evans Constance Ellis

Advertising Mary Anne Bagwell Deb Blecha Steve Crabb Production Manager

Martin Osburn

Circulation

Kris Cearley

Subscriptions

Addy Moreno

Distribution

Jennyfer Ames

Contact info Advertising inquiries, subscriptions & change of address 360-532-4000 Washington Coast Magazine is published quarterly by The Daily World, a division of Sound Publishing and may not be reproduced without express written permission, all rights reserved. No liability is assumed by Washington Coast Magazine, The Daily World or Sound Publishing regarding any content in this publication. A subscription to Washington Coast Magazine is $14 annually. Single copies are available at select locations throughout Grays Harbor and Pacific counties, www.thedailyworld.com ÂŠ 2015 by The Daily World

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

WINTER: The best time to visit the coast

inter on the Washington coast may just be the best time to visit. I understand you may think this debatable, considering the reputation the northern Pacific coastline has for rain and dampness, but whether it is cloudy or sunny, you can’t go wrong. Like a blanket, clouds hold in the earth’s warmth and nothing beats a sunny day at the beach. Bring your camera because the low winter light makes for stunning photographs most any time of day. The sunrises and sunsets provide the most brilliant sky display, and you don’t have to wake up early or stay up late to see them. Winter, you are beautiful! Winter gear is always important. If you need to buy a hat, see page 37 for some fun suggestions and where to get them. The beaches are not crowded this time of year, unless of course you are clam digging. In this edition, we feature “Closer to the Ground,” a chronicle of Dylan Tomine’s experiences about eating just outside your back door in this abundant land. We also feature how to build a cold frame so you can start growing your own vegetables now. If you can’t shake the winter chill, find a local spa to heat your body. We’ve mentioned a few ideas on page 34 to get you started. Spa treatments are good for your health, too. If you want a little more activity, don’t forget to keep going to the gym. Gail Greenwood Ayres gives us a few tips on how to keep on, keeping on with your New Year’s Resolution. Don’t stop now.

Trying to measure up to a big tree in the Olympic National Forest.

Ironically, we follow the exercise article with quite possibly the biggest pint of Guinness you have seen. Go ahead, you deserve it. More indulgences, including wine and warm drinks with recipes, follow. We also have a medley of chocolate recipes from Coty MacDonald from Ocean Crest to tempt your tastebuds for the Chocolate Festival at the end of February. Look for them on page 58. There are a lot of events happening. Check out the events calendar with Aaron Lavinsky’s two-page photo essay of the Grays Harbor Mounted Posse. There really is so much to do! Winter stormwatching on the Washington coast is a favorite pastime for many and Greg Johnston shares his experiences and safety tips in our feature on page 38. Or, maybe you want to sit inside? We found the perfect place with a big view of calm water and good food. The Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Forest is worth a visit either overnight or as a getaway lunch destination. There are a few more gems I haven’t mentioned between these pages so you can find them for yourselves, kind of like the coast itself. You never know what you might find. Take time to make an impromptu stop at one of the many beaches during your coastal travels. It abounds with surprises. Enjoy winter now; before you know it, summer will be knocking on our coastline.

Richelle Barger, Editorial & Art Director Like our Facebook page Washington Coast Magazine for updates, sneak peeks and exciting announcements. We have many exciting things in store for you, our readers.

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

BOOKS  

Author chooses to live CLOSER TO THE GROUND, fishing and ... his family. Story by Corey Morris

Dylan Tomine and his wife, Stacy, moved to Seattle in 1992, and about a year after their daughter was born, they settled on Bainbridge Island, moving there in 2004.

“I wanted to get back to the Northwest, and I wanted to be somewhere I could fish for salmon and steelhead nearby.” -Tomine “When Skyla was born, we were still living in Seattle dealing with the usual city things, traffic and crime — we wanted to live somewhere a little more rural and a little more kid-friendly.” Bainbridge Island put the family next to the Puget Sound, a home base that made them feel attached. “It was a relief to be here,” Tomine said. “It felt more comforting to me to be close to the Sound and having access to the saltwater.” There, the Tomines had another child, a son named Weston, and they connected to the world around them, taking advantage of gardening, fishing, clamming and harvesting wild plants for consumption. Tomine wrote a book, Closer to the Ground (published in 2012 by Patagonia Books), chronicling their life as an outdoor family. Dylan Tomine with his children Skyla and Weston clam digging at Grayland Beach.

“In the book you can see that we, as a family, have a really good connection to the Washington Coast,” Tomine said. “It’s a place to live where there are opportunities that are just outside our doors — and a lot of those opportunities involve food, which makes it even more satisfying. There’s hardly another place that has this much edible food around it. To be here and not take advantage of it would be a shame.” Though he grew up in Corvallis, Ore., and went to college in California (where he had started out as pre-med and then changed his major to English writing), home now is the Sound and the coast. “I love Grays Harbor and I love Willapa Bay,” Tomine said. “I love the ocean beaches down there and being able to dig clams with the kids and let the dogs run around.” The book can be used as a loose guide to different outdoor activities throughout the Sound and along the coast. “If you’re an outdoor person with kids, it’s really a good welcome-toWashington book,” Tomine said. “You can read what there is to do and how to do it.”

Book Excerpt Tomine and his daughter Skyla are driving away from the beach after an unsuccessful oyster harvest when they pass an older man who had had a successful day: The guy was still there, returning to his car with a jar of shucked oysters and a bucket of steamer clams. When he saw us, he tried to hide his bounty, clearly unhappy that we’d found his secret spot. I pulled over and waved, and he ignored me, moving quickly now to avoid us. So I unleashed my secret weapon. It would take a hard heart to ignore a little girl in knee boots running up to see what you’ve caught. When Skyla told him of our failed venture, his defenses melted away, leaving a friendly grandfather happy to share the secrets of his no longer secret spot. He pointed out where the clams lived and told us that if we kept going around the corner, we’d find more oysters than we could imagine. Tomine and his daughter have a successful dig at the old man’s spot, and later at dinner, a family friend asks where the spot is. Awkwardness ensues when Tomine refuses to reveal the location. But really, What else could I do? Did I have some kind of proprietary right to ‘our’ oyster beach merely because I’d stumbled into the old man coming back to his car? Was I being selfish and paranoid? Probably. But, as our regional punk-poet laureate, the late Kurt Cobain, reminded us in his paraphrase of a Nixonera bumper sticker: Just because you’re paranoid don’t mean they’re not after you. Or your oyster spots.

Aside from being a somewhat guide, the writing also is clear and vibrant, and the stories are heartfelt, sometimes becoming artful, and always warm with emotion. “You can have these outdoor adventures close to home — you don’t have to go up to Alaska,” Tomine said. “For me, this book is about being grateful for how lucky I am for the life I have with my wife and my kids.”

Closer to the Ground. Dylan Tomine. Patagonia Books, 2012. Pp. 230 Photo by Gabe Green

Book Artwork by Nikki McClure an Olympia, Washington artist who creates her art with black paper and an X-acto knife. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Jewelers Gemologists Rare Coins Gold & Silver Boullion

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 DIY

DO IT YOURSELF (but invite friends) COLD FRAME Photos by Gabe Green

Call 360-532-1900 300 Myrtle St. Hoquiam, WA

“If Pets Could Drive, It’s Where They’d Go!”

Dr. David Westby and Dr. Dan Brown We offer Wellness Plans!

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

To combat the cold winter, building a cold frame – a winter gardening box – will help provide a place for leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, beets and arugula during the colder months of the year. This one cost approximately $100 to build. GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES What you need: First, start with the purchase or acquisition of a window. The window size will determine how big to make your cold frame. An electric drill, preferably two, one to pre-drill holes and a second to screw. A tape measure, pencil and glue. Wood screws that are at least 2 ½” long. You will need 16 to screw in the battens and an additional 16 to screw the corners together. Two hinges (with six 1” screws) and a handle. Wood – we used cedar because it is rot resistant and untreated. If you are planting edibles, you want to stay away from chemicals.

START BUILDING (STEPS 1-16)

STEP ONE Measure your window and the thickness of your wood. A 2x6 actually measures about 1 ½ by 5 ½ because of the shrinkage in the wood during the drying process. The thickness of your wood will account for space on one of the sides making it 3” shorter than the measured distance on each end. (1 ½” x 2). We made our cold frame two boards high, or 11” tall. STEP TWO Install battens to hold the two boards together and to reinforce the corners. We simply used our end cuts. We placed the corners together (as seen in the photo) and marked the placement of each batten. STEP THREE Pre-drill holes to prevent cracking the wood and screw in the screws. A friend or two makes the process go quickly. Repeat for all four corners.

It helps to have friends along to hold things together.

4 5

STEP FIVE Our finished box. Don’t forget to stand around it and admire.

STEP FOUR Friends are good for holding all the pieces together. We found the optimum number of people was four: two to hold, one to drill and one to set the screws. We also placed the window atop the frame to line up the corner angles, just in case this old frame wasn’t quite square.

STEP SIX Position the window on top.

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STEP SEVEN Line up the hinges on the long side. Be sure that the hinge is in line with the crack between the frame and window. Mark each hole with a pencil. STEP EIGHT Drill holes at the pencil marks making sure not to drill too far to break the glass. STEP NINE Place your hinge.

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STEP TEN Screw the top of each of the hinges.

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Keeping your home warm at the LOWEST COST! As temperatures drop and heaters are turned on, energy bills tend to rise. Many house issues can cause heat to flow out of your home and money to flow out of your wallet. Your Grays Harbor PUD has incentives available to help you save energy and reduce heating costs. The PUD Energy Services Department has all the information you need on rebates available for your heating system and weatherization projects. Improvements to your home can help lower your electric bill and make your home more comfortable plus available rebates can help lower the cost of the project.

For more information and to schedule your energy audit, give Energy Services a call at 360-538-6383. Helping to keep money in your pocket & the heat in your home; it’s just another way your Grays Harbor PUD works for you.

www.ghpud.org

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

STEP ELEVEN Pre-drill and screw the bottom half each of the hinges. STEP TWELVE Mark the handle screw holes with pencil.

STEP THIRTEEN Transfer the pencil marks into the wood by pressing the handle into place. STEP FOURTEEN Drill holes at the mark and screw in the screws.

STEP FIFTEEN Place your cold frame in a location where it can get the most sun. A spot that slopes toward the south is ideal.

STEP SIXTEEN LAST ONE! Prepare your soil and begin planting!

Remember that a preliminary audit of the home is required before moving ahead with projects. In addition, rebate applications and contractor bids need to be submitted PRIOR to any work being done.

It’s Your PUD!

12 15 Great job!

HEALTH  

he start of a new year always seems so promising. Your resolution is strong, your workout clothes are fresh and your gym membership is brand new. This is the year, you tell yourself. This will be the year of the regular exercise program, getting in shape and losing weight.

And then ... then, for millions of Americans every year, something happens along the way. The next thing you know, it’s been weeks since you’ve even put on your gym shoes, you’ve not lost weight and you feel like you’ve failed again. Many Twin Harbor fitness experts said they often see this annual pattern – the huge signup in January and the great fall off in the next two or three months. Don’t despair. They have some tips and tricks to combat the inertia and get you back on the road to working out and better health. “Usually there is a rush in January,” confirmed Jerusala Evans of Anytime Fitness in Elma. “People come in with their New Year’s resolutions ready to rock and roll and for about six weeks the gym is packed. And then we begin to see them fall off.”

A BUDDY CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

“One of the things we try to do to prevent this from happening is that the personal trainers on site encourage them to become active with classes. That keeps them motivated because they have a group or find a buddy,” she said. “And then, if they miss a class, we try to reach out. The class instructor will text them to encourage them to come back to class.”

Consistency is the key for results in the gym.

Story by Gail Greenwood Ayres Photos by Jaclyn Peterson

the exercise

RESOLUTION

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

“One of the reasons working with a trainer is often helpful,” said Lisa Kless, the health and wellness director of the YMCA of Grays Harbor, located in Hoquiam, “is that you’ve made an appointment with someone. Sometimes people just need a trainer for a few months to develop the new exercise habit pattern and they can stay on track after that.” “Even if you don’t have a trainer or a friend to work out with, one thing I tell people is to make an appointment with yourself and decide to stick with it,” Kless said. “Write it on your calendar. It’s OK to tell someone that you need to get off the phone, or you can’t meet at a certain time because you have an appointment – they don’t need to know the appointment is with yourself to exercise,” said Kless. Kless knows the journey personally. Years ago as a young mom with two busy kids, she turned to exercise to help her lose 70 pounds. Little would she have guessed when she started that she would be a popular instructor and trainer someday. Even if you don’t join a gym, having someone to walk with every day – or even just the dog – can make a difference, said Randy Henneman, owner of Randy’s Family Fitness in Raymond. “I see success in my fitness center with people who have a partner to help them stick to it,” he said. “I think you need a support group. Just like Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous, when you are starting a new lifestyle with exercise, I think you need support.”

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

After many years of encouraging people to exercise, another trick to staying with the program, is to not make the program too difficult, Henneman said. “I suggest if you are going from a coach potato into a gym, that you talk to a gym owner or trainer and they will set you up on a routine that isn’t too much for them where you are. … Still the first two weeks, you will be sore, then you will get used to it and you won’t be. “Take your time, pace yourself, don’t overdo it, especially for the first two weeks. Your body has muscle memory. If you lifted weights 10 years ago, it will come back, but not right away. That workout you tried the first day, when you do it in a month you won’t feel sore,” he said. The other trainers and gym owners agreed that taking it slowly is critical to success and 18

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

helps prevent discouragement and injury.

PICK SOMETHING YOU ENJOY As obvious as it may seem, another key to successfully staying with becoming more active is making sure you enjoy the exercise.

“It’s important that people pick exercises that they like,” said Barrett Bollen, owner of Barrett’s Gym in a distinctive red barn-like building in Grayland, the newest gym on the Twin Harbors. “It’s important to make it enjoyable,” Kless agreed. “That’s why I often suggest a class where you can build friendships, particularly for women, because we’re typically so social.” “If you want to lose 10 pounds and tighten up some belly fat, some people would think they had to run and do sit ups,“ Bollen said. “But if you hate doing that, you won’t keep at it. Many people like a partner, but for some people coming in and reading a book while they pedal a bike works. Everyone is different. “Whatever you do, consistency, consistency, consistency will make a difference. Someone who has an unscientific crazy program but sticks to it is better off than one who is working on a scientifically planned exercise regime but hardly ever does it,” Bollen said. Bollen said he works with a nurse in her 50s who was very thin and not strong. “We’ve worked three hours a week for a year and her body has transformed to having toned, strong muscles in her legs, arms and across her shoulders. She’s one of my most consistent clients… She missed very few days. Flesh, blood and bones can’t be tricked, so if you are consistent you are going to see results,” he said.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A MODEL TO WORK OUT

Many of the owners and trainers said that for some people walking into a gym can be intimidating. In fact, Evans of Anytime Fitness in Elma said that to combat that, one of their trainers, Allison O’Rourke, is starting online personal training. She will help people online and over the phone, give them videos and nutritional support. “It’s kind of a new way to reach out to customers. Our hope is that after a while, they’ll feel more comfortable to come into the gym,” Evans said. Dr. Don Bell, owner of Timber Gym knows that his downtown Aberdeen facility in the former Aberdeen YMCA, has a reputation for having a lot of serious body builders. “Yes, we have about 10 competitive weight lifters,

“I see success in my fitness center with people who have a partner to help them stick to it.” Randy Henneman, owner of Randy’s Family Fitness in Raymond.

STAY HYDRATED!

Don’t forget the importance of drinking water throughout the day, and especially during and after exercise. Start at 64 oz., and build up from there.

 people who lift weights as a sport. However, no one needs to feel intimidated coming here, about 97 percent of our members are regular people, from kids to people in their 90s and all shapes and sizes. “We have several people who have lost 50, 75 and 100 pounds and at least three members

“And, what I see all the time is that someone who is physically fit and somehow throws out their back, they can recover much faster than someone who hasn’t been exercising,” he said. In Grayland, Bollen said, many of his clientele are either retired people or people in physical jobs. “Whether you are a nurse or a fisherman, moving patients or crab pots, you will need to have a strong back. A big part of the problem comes from being taught not to lift with your back. You don’t want to strain your back. However, if you never use those muscles, over time they weaken and then those muscles can’t help you when you need them because they haven’t been worked.” Unfortunately, many people are familiar with the negative spiral — being overweight, feeling tired, not having the energy to exercise, feeling down about life, eating more, feeling more tired. However, that spiral also works in reverse: The more you exercise, the more energy you have and the better you feel about yourself, the easier it is to move and the more you feel like moving and the less hungry you are for junk food, and the more you lose weight, which gives you energy to exercise. Or as Dr. Bell put it, “Human bodies are such that the more you do, the more you get to do.”

who have lost 200 pounds,” said Bell, a chiropractor who has his office in the same building.

Above: Working out with a partner helps stay motivated. Above right: Kettlebell workout burns calories during a “Beast Mode” class at Anytime Fitness. Above: Clarissa Miller runs indoors to help stay loose after a spin class.

GET BACK ON THE HORSE

“If you’ve stopped exercising , don’t beat yourself up,” said Kless, “Just get back at it.”

“The trend I would like to see is that people use their physicians to maintain their health instead of only going when they are sick.” People who regularly exercise are less likely to get sick or injured, he said.

“Those who we see succeed are committing for a lifetime lifestyle,” agreed Evans. “So, life happened and you took a little break. Just come back to it. Even if you take two or three or four weeks off, don’t dwell on that, just come back in.”

In addition to walking on the beach, here are some places to exercise in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties.

ABERDEEN Timber Gym 500 East Market St. (360) 532-8339

ELMA Anytime Fitness 3 Shouweiller Road (360) 861-8340 HOQUIAM YMCA of Grays Harbor 2500 Simpson Ave. (360) 533-3881

RAYMOND Randy’s Family Fitness 337 Peters St. (360) 942-0073 GRAYLAND Barrett’s Gym 1674 State Route 105 (253) 327-3450 WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 DINE

Story by Corey Morris Photos by Sativa Miller

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE



DINE  

a warm Irish WELCOME

May the roof above us never fall in. And may the friends gathered below it never fall out. Traditional Irish Blessing

Winter on the Washington Coast can, at times, be overbearing. Wind can whip the rain against window panes and push people from the outdoors and into shelter. Those who seek shelter from the Washington winter at Galway Bay in Ocean Shores will find a peaceful and cozy atmosphere, the perfect pairing for cold hands and empty stomachs. At the center of the U-shaped building — an old strip mall — is an Irish pub, complemented by a large fireplace perfect for toasting away the soaked-in moisture of coastal rain. It’s a marked difference from the atmosphere in the summer, when tourists clamber about the beach, picking things up off the sand seemingly just to touch them. When the winter descends, the beach mostly clears out. Those who stay find a calmer town in Ocean Shores. “Summer is all about families and kids, but the winter is much more cozy,” Galway owner Liam (the Irish nickname for William) Gibbons said. “The fireplace is on, and it’s more for couples.” Guinness and shepherds pie is the perfect Irish combination. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Experience Westport Washington’s “Original” Beach Town

That’s not to say that families can’t also enjoy the coziness. On the family-dining side of the building (the south side) a family of three sits down to dessert and unfolds a board game. My wife and I, a young child of our own at home with a babysitter, take pause wondering why we never thought to play board games at a restaurant. We’re sitting on the other side, beyond the dividing marker separating the drinking atmosphere from the family friendly room. On the far end of the pub next to one of the four fireplaces in the building, a guitar is being tuned. Portland musician Cronin Tierney adjusts microphone stand and then the piano bench while my wife and I order drinks — the Galway Bay Ale and a cocktail.

Fishing Surfing

Fun at the Beach

For a Saturday evening featuring live music, the atmosphere is low key, intimate even. After a few songs, Tierney takes requests and interacts with the crowd. “It’s been a while since I’ve played that song,” he says. “The last time was probably the last time you asked me to play it.” Our waitress is pleasant and friendly. She’s working several tables but taking the time to make every table feel at home. Her confidence gives the diners confidence in her.

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SPECIALTY BEER & DRINK

Sweet, hoppy and not too bitter. The Galway Bay Ale is brewed year-round by Dick’s Brewing Company especially for Galway Bay.

Galway Bay Ale is an amber with some extra color, call it an Irish red, sweet but not overtly so, and hoppy, but not to the point of bitter. I’d order several if I didn’t have to drive, mostly for the taste, and somewhat because the fireplace is so inviting. Galway Bay Ale is brewed by Dick’s Brewing Company in Centralia. It’s actually Dick’s Irish Ale, a seasonal beer only brewed three months out of the year, but brewed for Galway year round and served on tap. The cocktail, in this case the time-tested classic gin and tonic, is balanced — not too much gin, and not watered-down by too much tonic. It feels like a rare occurrence to find a bartender who understands that a cocktail isn’t made better by more booze, but actually is more about having the right amount of alcohol. Galway Bay has that bartender.

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

The beer, though, is how the whole restaurant came to be. More than 20 years ago, Gibbons owned an Irish import store at a different location (now the Eagles club) in Ocean Shores. Things were going well, but they could be better and Gibbons got the idea to offer a wider selection of beer for those living in, visiting or traveling through Ocean Shores. At the time, the Washington Coast didn’t offer much more than the macrobrews like Budweiser, Miller and Coors. “I got the notion that Irish pubs were on the rise,” Gibbons said. “The Seattle Irish pub scene was starting to take off and microbrews were coming on the scene.” Gibbons put more than a half-dozen Irish staple beers on tap — Guinness, Harp and the like.

DINE  

“We were the first ones to do that (on the coast), and now everybody’s got that on tap,” Gibbons said. In 2004, Gibbons moved into the old strip mall, and things took off. More beer, more food. Above: The fireplace creates a warm inviting atmosphere, just the thing for couples on a date night. Below: Not hungry enough for dinner? Try an order of Black and Tan onion rings drizzled with Guiness.

“We take traditional food from Ireland and nearby, and we try to make it taste good. Ireland isn’t known for its flavor.” -Liam Gibbons, owner

Last year, Galway Bay partner Chris Doyle came on board. Doyle brought with him several years of restaurant management experience. He took charge of the menu, which had in the past been under the purview of Gibbons’ former partner Barry Bennett, and reworked the management of the staff. “You’ll never find an Irish pub as authentic as ours in look and feel,” Doyle says. The menu today is abundant — steak, seafood, sandwiches, pizza, stew — but it would be a disservice to an Irish restaurant to avoid the traditional menu items. We ordered bangers and mash, traditional Irish sausages with colcannon and Guinness gravy, and Forfar Bridie, a Scottish dish. “We take traditional food from Ireland and nearby, and we try to make it taste good,” Gibbons said. “Ireland isn’t known for its flavor.” WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 DINE Left top: Liam’s Cigar shop. Left: Owner Liam Gibbons (right) smokes a cigar with regular customer, “Cuban Dan.” Below: Irish whiskeys

The best way to describe the Guinness gravy is “inviting.” The gravy melded with the other ingredients, neither overpowering the flavors nor sitting subserviently aside on the taste buds. A slight hint of heat carried through, enough to arouse the senses but not enough to make the food unattractive to those with a heat resistance. The gravy also includes whole grain mustard, Gibbons said. Forfar Bridie was invented by a Forfar baker in the 1850s, Gibbons says. Beef and lamb braised in white wine, flavored with sauteed onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic and herbs, is baked in a puff pastry and covered with whiskey cream sauce. We chew and savor as Tierney croons.

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

There’s more to do than eat and hear music at Galway Bay. A game room is attached to the pub, and out back is a covered and heated beer garden, where guests can smoke cigars and relax outside while still staying warm and dry. The Irish import store is alive and well, too. Around the corner from the lounge, a long room of hats, sweaters, mugs, shot glasses, artwork — all things Irish. All of it — the family dining, the game room, the beer garden, the lounge, the import store — is centered around the Irish pub. Winter is not the end of Ocean Shores or enjoyment on the Washington Coast. Fun can still be had, but it can get cold. “Come out to the ocean and then go to places like Galway,” Gibbons says. “Galway is a great place to go to stay warm — sit next to one of the four fireplaces and listen to some good music.”

 HISTORY

Story by Doug Barker Photographs from Jones Photo Historical Collection | Anderson Middleton Co.

A FISHING HISTORY For well over 100 years commercial fishing has been a major ingredient in the economy of Grays and Willapa harbors. In all kinds of weather at all times of year, fishermen have returned with catches of salmon, crab, tuna, shrimp, bottom fish, halibut, sardines, whiting, eels, sharks and whales. Apologies to any species left out. Their vessels, from tiny skiffs to huge floating fish factories, have been powered by oars, wind, gasoline and diesel, allowing them to go out farther and farther. It’s hard, sometimes dangerous work that happens far from help. Sometimes — especially in the early days — the vessels didn’t return at all. On April 5, 1933, a sudden storm took the lives of 19 fishermen trying to get back in over the Grays Harbor bar, the worst fishing disaster the area’s ever seen.

Fishing cannery. Hand tinted photo from Frank H. Lamb Collection

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

It’s hard to say exactly how far back commercial fishing goes. A history on the website of the Port of Grays Harbor, which runs the Westport Marina, where most of the Grays Harbor fleet is based, dates it back to the 1880s. It may depend on how one defines commercial fishing. A few years ago at Hoquiam, archaeological evidence was discovered of Native American fish traps dating back 650 years. If someone traded that salmon for elk meat, you could say it goes back at least that far.

Salmon was the target at first, with traps and gillnets. When the traps were outlawed, gillnets were used in the harbors and the boats had sails. As gas and diesel engines were introduced in the 1920s, troll fishing for salmon and trawling for bottom fish grew. Ernie Summers, who headed the Crab Fishermen’s Association for years, thinks the dungeness crab fishery probably dates back to the 1920s when small boats stayed in the harbor and dropped small ring nets over the side and pulled them up to check them a short time later. In the 1930s or ‘40s, large, metalframed pots covered in wire were introduced and the catches were much more plentiful and the fishery moved from the bay to the ocean. The first pots were made from copper frames, Summers says, but he recalls seeing one in the early days that was made of bent crab apple branches covered in chicken wire. Another thing that sparked a huge expansion was the proliferation of canneries, Summers said. Before that, fish buyers from Portland

HISTORY  

L-R: Cooking crab. Offloading sardines. Stacking crab pots. Fishing fleet at Westport.

and Seattle took most of the catch for the fresh market. According to the website Historylink.org, commercial fishing flourished during World War II, when the government ordered tons of salmon and tuna for the war effort, and then after the war when the Port of Grays Harbor expanded the marina to accommodate a bigger fleet. “Upgrades to the Westport Marina brought commercial and sport fishing vessels, and by the end of the 1940s their business proved good enough to maintain two stores, two fishpacking plants, a tavern and a restaurant,” according to Historylink.org.

on Grays Harbor with a 16-foot skiff and a Mercury motor. In those days they fished at night because the nets were made from linen and during the day, fish could see them and swim around. He lived on the water in a float house five days a week and went home on weekends. “There were three of us, I don’t think it was even 10 by 12, four bunks and a big stove,” he recalls. “We were comfortable. It was what it was. We just lived that way.”

technological advances and the regulatory approach designed to protect certain species, Downs said. “It’s not about catching more fish, it’s about reducing the bycatch” of unintended species.

He remembers a particular day in the first few years when he considered a career change. He was on the water, in a blizzard, with nothing but cotton gloves on his hands. “I was making $15 dollars a day and I wanted to quit so bad, but my wife was home, pregnant, and I just couldn’t.”

The halibut fishery on the Northwest coast goes back more than 100 years, Downs said, when vessels of 80 to 100 feet would go way out on the ocean and launched dories so men could fish with hand lines. The large vessels could stay out for months, packing their catch in salt, he said.

Ground fish trawling started in the 1920s with diesel engines, Downs said. Before that, vessels powered by sail didn’t have the pulling capacity to drag the nets.

He lived on the water in a float house five days a week and went home on weekends. “There were three of us, I don’t think it was even 10 by 12, four bunks and a big stove,” he recalls. “We were comfortable. It was what it was. We just lived that way.” -Dick Branshaw After the war, improvements in equipment and vessels and investments in canneries were responsible for more growth. Dick Branshaw is 87 and fished until about six years ago. He started in 1947, gillnetting

Benjamine Downs is in his 39th year as a commercial fishermen, most of it as a trawler, dragging large nets for bottom fish, Pacific whiting, pink shrimp or spot prawns.

The groundfish fleet, what’s left of it on the West Coast, goes out farther and fishes deeper than ever, he said, but it’s virtually gone from Westport.

The bright spot right now is the pink shrimp fishery, Downs said. Millions invested in processing facilities have caused the pink shrimp fleet to grow from 8 to 28 boats. A few years ago a really good year on Grays Harbor would be 10 million pounds of pink shrimp. Last year it jumped to 29 million.

The biggest changes he’s seen are the WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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DRINK  

Winter WINE Picks WALLACE BROOK PINOT NOIR 2012

Four great wines to warm you and your tastebuds!

TREVERI EXTRA-BRUT “BLANC DE BLANCS”

Willamette Valley Ore. Retails at $15 per bottle.

Columbia Valley Non Vintage Retails at $14 per bottle.

Wallace Brook is a “second label” from Adelsheim Winery of Newberg, OR., which means it easily provides the quality of Adelsheim wines, but with a very budgetfriendly price.

Treveri Cellars located in Wapato, Wash., is the state’s premier sparkling wine house. The “Blanc de Blancs” is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes and is exceptionally dry with flavors of apple, toasty bread and bright

acidity. This sparkler is better than many at two and three times the price. Treveri Cellar’s wines were the featured sparkling wines at all State Department holiday receptions in 2011. The combination of a glass of crisp and toasty sparkling wine, a cheese plate and a warm fireplace can turn a cold winter night into a celebration.

This wine provides great winter flavors of ripe cherries, spice and a hint of citrus. Pinot noirs are perfect for cold weather, as they are both earthy and warm, and they pair with a wide variety of winter’s bounty.

BURIED CANE “HEARTWOOD” 2010

Columbia Valley Wash. Retails for $25 per bottle.

Buried Cane wines (along with Walla Walla’s Cadaretta Winery and Paso Robles California’s Clayhouse Winery) are brought to us by Grays Harbor’s own Middleton Family. This is a medium-bodied, spicy, wintery red blend made from 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 26% Cinsault and 14% Syrah. Share a warm blanket and a bottle of “Heartwood” with someone special and don’t be surprised if it gets spicy.

KIONA LATE HARVEST RIESLING 2013

Kiona Winery in Benton City, Wash., makes some of the state’s most impressive and most affordable dessert style wines. This wine -- made from very ripe Riesling grapes -- is everything a dessert wine should be. Ripe fruit flavors, abundant sweetness and balanced acidity. Pull a peach cobbler (or even a tray of crème brûlée) from the oven and pair it with this sweet treat and you’ll forget all about the winter blues.

A quartet of winter wines.

Columbia Valley Wash. Retails for $15 per bottle.

THE WINE EXPERT

Stephen Pavletich is the General Manager of Swing Wine Bar in Olympia. Prior to Swing, Stephen was the Front-of-House Manager and Wine Director at Rediviva Restaurant in Aberdeen and the Wine Director at the Ocean Crest Resort in Moclips. Stephen is obsessed with good coffee, and is an avid collector of vintage Fiestaware and is a Morrissey devotee.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 DRINK

Irish coffee DRINKS Recipe compliments of Galway Bay. Photos by Sativa Miller.

IRISH LATTE

cold

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Pour in a rocks glass over ice: 1 1/2 shots Bushmills coffee-infused whiskey 1/2 oz of Simple syrup to sweeten Fill with Half and Half to the top. Place fresh whipped cream on top. Garnished with a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans.

DRINK  

IRISH COFFEE

hot

1/2 tsp brown sugar Pinch of white sugar 1 1/2 shots of Irish Whiskey Fill with brewed coffee. Place fresh whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

DRINK  

Coffee 101

Oh, that elixir of the morning. It is estimated that half of the entire population of

America drinks c offee daily. Averaging a little more than 3 cups each day, 150 million Americans start their day with an e spresso, cappuccino, latte, iced or simply a brewed cup of joe. The only place in America that is warm enough to grow coffee is in Hawaii. So when it arrives in the continental U.S., it looks something like what you see on this page.

the process Before what you see here – green or raw beans – the seeds are planted.

BRAZIL

After 3-4 years, the plant bears fruit, called “cherries.” They are harvested when they turn bright red.

ETHIOPA

They are then dried, hulled, polished, graded and sorted.

COLUMBIA FINALLY THEY ARE EXPORTED.

MALABAR

In the next issue, we will discuss coffee roasting.

You can’t hurry a good thing.

GUATEMALA

PERU

Photo by Gabe Green

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 BEAUTY overwhelming but a few hours of being pampered, can go a long way. The very sound of the word is relaxing: spa. In my mind the three letters stand for Serenity and Pampering that makes you exhale, “Ahh.” Surprisingly, it might actually be an acronym for the Latin words “Salus Per Aquam.”

Water has been used for centuries for its purifying qualities — probably from the beginning of time. Steam baths and saunas are popular hydrotherapies. Warmth feels good. In addition, many spas offer a multitude of addons such as wraps, scrubs, facials and paraffin dips, extending the massage into an afternoon of blissful relaxation. The masseuse continues to gently — yet firmly — roll your cares away. While you might fight off sleep, take heed. Masseuse Jamie Lowe at Oceana Spa in Aberdeen says relaxation to the point of falling asleep allows the maximum benefit. “The more you let go, the more you benefit,” she says. When getting your massage, think about adding soothing hot oil to your hair. The Quinault Beach Resort and Spa at Ocean Shores makes their own secret mixture of oil from natural oils like sunflower, jojoba, almond and avocado, with various essential oils, such as rosemary, sandlewood, neroli, bergamot, myrrh, petit granin, clary sage or ylang ylang, all natural and nurturing scents. When looking for a spa, feel free to shop around. Your body will thank you for your effort. Quinault Beach Resort offers a sauna and a steam bath, which help hydrate the skin and relax

Photo provided by QBR

SPA, FINDING your OASIS Story by Richelle Barger Photographs by Gabe Green

On the table you lay languidly, like a mermaid (or merman). You’ve been whirl-pooled, scrubbed with sea salt, dipped in lavender wax and wrapped in seaweed. You’ve been steamed, soaked and sauna-ed. Now, it is time to be tenderized. There is something so wonderful about laying completely naked — or clothed to the level of your choosing — on a warm bed with the promise of your worries disappearing. The day-to-day, built-up list of to-dos can be 34

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Above left: A relaxing massage at Oceana Spa in Aberdeen. Above: A sauna at Quinault Beach Resort in Ocean Shores is the perfect pre- and postmassage treatment.

BEAUTY   your body before and after your massage. Many spas also have tanning beds that may be added to your day for a small amount, adding an extra glow of sunshine to both your skin and your attitude during the dreary damp winter months. Ambiance Massage and Spa in Aberdeen also offers add-ons to their very popular massages, such as hand and foot paraffin dips which seal in warmth to those overworked hands during your massage. The best part: the easy removal of the wax during the hand or foot massage. “Massage is the single best thing you can do for yourself,” says Krystal Shope, who has been a masseuse for 14 years and receives weekly therapeutic massages for shoulder injuries as well. It may be the health benefits of the massage that bring you into the spa, but the added pampering to your face, head, hands and feet may be the reminder for you to come back regularly.

Above: Hot paraffin wax dip restores moisture to dry, winter hands at Ambiance Massage and Spa in Aberdeen. Left: Lighting and aroma therapy are important to the ambiance of your treatment. Come early and lounge at Oceana Spa before your treatment.

It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority.

It’s necessary.

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Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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SHOPPING  

BUY a good HAT.

Photos by Gabe Green

Nothing – besides a coat, long johns, a scarf and a good pair of boots – will add as much coziness as a good hat. Let’s not dispel the worth of the funny hat either. It brings a sense of happy heat to those you pass on the street during these cool months.

Chris Miller Playtime Family Fun in Ocean Shores Clucker hat from Beach Town Toys in Ocean Shores, $20.

Kristina Alnajjar Public Health Educator at Grays Harbor

Woolrich Woolen Mills fur-lined, winter hat from Dennis Company $25.

Frank Chestnut Mayor of Cosmopolis Dorfman Pacific Company, wool felt, water repellent, crushable hat from Dennis Company, $27.

Michelle Traer Ocean Shores Librarian Knit slouch pillbox hat, wool and acrylic from Beach Town Gifts, $35.

John Larson Director of the Polson Museum Carhartt conductor’s hat from Dennis Company in Aberdeen, $13.

Arnold Samuels Ocean Shores Senior Center Wolf hat from Beach Town Toys and Games in Ocean Shores, $20.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

STO 38

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

RMS SLAM THE SHORELINE Story by Greg Johnson Photograph by Stuart May

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

t’s easy to love the beach on a sunny day. But what about when a powerful storm roars in from the Pacific Ocean — nature in uncontrolled chaos? The fact is, the Washington Coast is fascinating regardless of the weather, every single day of the year.

When the storm winds blow in from an angry sea, the sheer spectacle can be almost astonishing. As Kipling put it more than 100 years ago in The Sea and the Hills:

“Who hath desired the sea? — the sight of saltwater unbounded — The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded? The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing— Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed hurricane blowing—”

That happens here, regularly. The Washington Coast is on the tail end of one of the most climatically tempestuous regions on the planet — from the Gulf of Alaska south along the Northwest Coast. Every year visitors and locals alike get the opportunity to really experience the power of the largest body of water anywhere, the mighty Pacific Ocean. The wind here can really scream and howl. Swells and waves crash and explode upon shoreline rocks. The rain, well, you know. It pounds, plummets, pummels. It’s all fun to watch.

“Severe weather is something people find extremely interesting,” says University of Washington climate guru Cliff Mass (he’s actually a professor of atmospheric sciences), who writes a popular weather blog. “I think it’s sort of like a religious experience. People tend to be in awe of a force that is bigger than themselves. It is tremendously exciting to experience that power.” As any avid adventurer along the Washington Coast knows well, timing is everything. Weather is a controlling factor in whatever you want to do along our coast. Storms and steelhead angling in our rainforest rivers don’t really mix. Rivers get high and dirty, the fishing is no good. Razor clamming too. You don’t really want a storm for digging, the clams won’t show and it can get dangerous when swells are big. On the other hand, there’s a magic time on the shoreline right after a big storm. Swells continue for a spell, so the surf remains lively, but you can get out and hike without being blown sideways or getting saturated by sheets of rain. Beach-combing is best post-blow, since storms push in things like glass fishing floats, crab pots, crab pot floats, curious bottles — even things like coconuts. The crashing waves churn up the beach gravels and improve agate hunting, and sometimes they uncover old shipwrecks and such.

Top: Storm watchers and their dog are drenched by the surf crashing into a jetty in Westport during a severe storm in September 2013. Photo by Aaron Lavinsky Above: Students on a field trip huddle together during a hail storm at Copalis Beach. Photo by Steven Friederich

“I THINK IT’S SORT OF LIKE A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE TEND TO BE IN AWE OF A THAT IS BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES. IT IS TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING TO EXPERIENCE THAT POWER.” -CLIFF MASS

FORCE

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

STORM SENSE:

Staying Sane and Safe

STORM

SAFETY

You really need to watch out while storm-watching. The raw beauty of a powerful storm crashing in from the sea can be mesmerizing, and people often seem to want to be part of it. I’ve seen it more than once: people standing on the edge, snapping selfies as the storm sends waves and spray crashing overhead.

If you’ve got the flexibility, watch the forecasts (see the accompanying list of weather web sites) and try to time your trip toward the end of the storm track. Then you can witness nature’s fury and the rewarding results. Speaking of rewards, weather professor Cliff Mass thinks towns along the Washington Coast are missing the boat on some. “I get emails all the time from people who want to go storm-watching,” he says. “The Oregon Coast gets a lot of that. But the Washington Coast is closer to us here, the biggest population center in the Northwest. And, economically, things are not great on our coast.” He has pitched a vision for some sort of storm-watching museum or interpretive center — say in Ocean Shores or Long Beach — that would explain how our often stormy weather is the manifestation of the region’s geography and geo-physical history. It could include exhibits on shipwreck history, beach erosion (think Washaway Beach near the Grays Harbor/Pacific County line) versus accretion (think Damon Point at Ocean Shores), tsunamis, plate tectonics and subduction quakes. Geologically speaking, this coast is a very active place. “That’s the vision anyway,” says Mass. “I’m

convinced you could have a really compelling place.” But he says his suggestion has fallen on the deaf ears of local leaders. At the same time, there are already ample and terrific places to stay during Poseidon’s regular outbursts on the Washington Coast. There’s cool history to experience and great beaches to hike when the weather abates, or is at least tolerably miserable. (I carry full rain gear).

Top: Members of the Washington tsunami debris experts team inspect a dock from Japan that washed ashore near Forks, WA in December of 2012. National Park Service photo. Above: North Head lighthouse on the Long Beach Penninsula. Photo by Greg Johnston.

In February of 2010 during a storm pushing 18-foot swells, I watched at least a dozen folks in rain gear standing atop the Grays Harbor north jetty being sluiced by the sea. To them it must have seemed like harmless fun. Then one particularly large wave broke over the jetty and knocked two men into the rocks below. One of them fractured his leg. Savvy storm-watchers know that nature is indifferent. It can stun you with its beauty one moment and stun you dead the next. Here are a few tips to keep you safe. Do not stand on any jetty or rocks or seawalls during a big blow. If the briny sea is crashing up there, watch from a safe distance. Take care during high tides and around drift logs. When the tide is up, it can trap you around bluffs and carry you away. A raging surf can roll two-ton logs faster than a big-legged logger in a mill pond. Don’t tempt fate by hiking the beach when the high tide sends the surf crashing into the driftwood. Never turn your back to a big surf; you never know when a rogue wave will roll in. Don’t get lit up by being outside when lightning is flashing. Retreat to your favorite beachside bar, so you can watch the storm while getting a safe buzz. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

STORM WATCHING LOCATIONS

So here is a short list of my favorite storm-watching places along what I truly believe is one of the most singular and outstanding stretches of ocean shoreline anywhere on this spinning orb we call Earth.

LONG BEACH PENINSULA

The 28-mile finger of sand on the south Washington Coast is full of fine oceanview hotels and loaded with great places to dine (the Depot, Shelburne Inn, Nanci & Jimella’s and others). But what blows me away is the best state park on the entire Washington Coast, Cape Disappointment (www. parks.wa.gov/486/CapeDisappointment). Its rocky ramparts provide prime, easy-to-reach spots to watch “the halt and hurl of the comber wind-hounded.” A weather station there at North Head in 1921 recorded gusts of more than 120 miles per hour — until the wind gauge was blown off its base. The North Head Light is an historic structure and is reached just a few skips away from its parking area — don’t bother with an umbrella, wear rain gear! The park’s Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center is perched on Cape Disappointment above the Columbia River north jetty, a great spot to watch the sun sink into the seemingly endless sea. Stormy weather is also a perfect occasion to take in the center’s intriguing exhibits. If it’s not too nasty out, the half-mile hike from there to the historic Cape D Lighthouse (circa 1853) is most worthwhile. Another fine short hike in the park is the Bells View Trail, which also starts at the North Head parking area. My favorite storm-watching watering hole on the peninsula? The Pickled Fish restaurant atop the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach provides a fine view of the surf. 42

PACIFIC BEACH AREA

Three of what I would call traditional ocean resorts — the Sandpiper, Iron Springs and Ocean Crest — make this area Storm-Watch Central on the Washington Coast. Throw in the newer, upscale resort Seabrook and you’ve got ample accommodation in a stretch of some 10 miles. The Sandpiper sits basically right on the uplands above the surf. Iron Spring’s blufftop cabins were completely renovated two years ago. Ocean Crest has rebuilt its quaint restaurant after a fire a few years ago, and most say it is even better than before. A great beach-combing hike nearby? Copalis Spit at Griffiths-Priday State Park (www.parks.wa.gov/516/ Griffith-Priday-Ocean), where vehicles are not allowed anytime (although I have seen post-storm tire tracks there). I’m also partial to the Green Lantern Tavern at Copalis Beach. A few years ago four of us stopped in toward the end of a blow, played pool and enjoyed ales and burgers while watching trees floating down the swollen Copalis River — my style of stormwatching!

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

KALALOCH

The bluff-top cabins at Kalaloch Lodge and resort are super cozy during a storm — or anytime — and Olympic National Park’s nearby Kalaloch Campground has sites with tremendous views of the ocean if you travel in a comfy RV. Several years ago I checked in the family at a Kalaloch cabin during a storm with 40-knot gusts. At dawn the storm had broken, so I pulled on my hiking boots and hit Beach Four. A half-hour’s hike north revealed a basketballsized green glass float resting on the high tide line and plenty other interesting flotsam. The float now graces my garden. All the Kalaloch-area beaches are pristine and superb for hiking (www. nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/ visiting-kalaloch-and-rubybeach.htm), and those from Beach Three north especially are exquisite. The lodge’s restaurant provides an appropriately moody view down the mouth of Kalaloch Creek to the ocean, a fine warm spot in a storm.

LA PUSH

The Quileute Nation (www. quileutenation.org/) operates a fine resort on scenic First Beach, Quileute Oceanside Resort, and it serves as a fine base for exploring the La Push area’s superb Olympic National Park beaches. Rialto Beach (www.nps.gov/olym/ planyourvisit/rialto-beach. htm), on the north bank of the Quillayute River, offers an accessible path from the parking area to the surf — which in my experience is especially growly here, perhaps owing to the steep, gravelly nature of the shore. If the weather is not too insistent, the 1.6-mile hike from Rialto Beach to sea stack-strewn Hole in the Wall is one of the finest on the entire Washington Coast. Another absolute gem near La Push is Second Beach (www.nps.gov/olym/ planyourvisit/second-beachtrail.htm); it’s 0.7 miles to the stunning beach between impassable Teahwhit Head and Quateata heads, with sea arches on both sides. You’ll also see the northern corner of the lithic sea-stack kaleidoscope known as the Giant’s Graveyard. –G.J

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Greg Johnston is a former Daily World reporter and longtime Seattle-area journalist whose book Washington’s Pacific Coast; A Guide to Hiking, Camping, Fishing & Other Adventures will be available in May 2015 via Mountaineers Books.

Washed up beach treasures. Above: A barnacle bottle. Below: A bulb from a ship’s port side. Photos by Marcy Merrill

STORMY WEATHER on the Web

Always topical blog site of University of Washington atmospheric sciences Professor Cliff Mass http://cliffmass.blogspot.com National Weather Service Seattle, click on map at appropriate location for forecast and/or click on offshore locations for marine forecast, with predicted swell heights, wind speeds, etc. www.wrh.noaa.gov Department of Ecology’s Washington Coastal Atlas, for information and photos of all the state’s marine shoreline https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/coastalatlas/tools/ShorePhotos.aspx UW Radar Viewer www.atmos.washington.edu/weather/radar.shtml UW Probability Forecast http://probcast.washington.edu/ Federal tide forecasts for Washington http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ tide_predictions.html?gid=259

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Story By Angelo Bruscas Photos by Greg Johnston

the way TO SHED SOME LIGHT

on the history and the geography of the Washington Coast, thereâ€™s nothing better than a visit to one of the five lighthouses that still stand guard from the Columbia River to Cape Flattery. Some of the best history can be found in a visit to the Grays Harbor Lighthouse, which can be reached at Westport Light State Park. Dating back to the 1890s, an estimated 50 ships had wrecked near the entrance to Grays Harbor before the beacon was lit in a public gathering on June 30, 1898. 44

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT LIGHTHOUSE - Ilwaco:

At the mouth of the Columbia, built in 1853, it is the second oldest on the West Coast, but is not open to the public.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Here are the other four lighthouses you will find in Washington, both on the coast and inland.

NORTHHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

- Ilwaco: Built in 1898, located in Ft. Canby State Park with panoramic views of the Pacific.

Architect Carl W. Leick considered Grays Harbor Lighthouse his masterpiece. -Lighthousefriend.com.

GRAYS HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

- Westport: This beacon was lit on June 30, 1898 and stands 107 feet tall.

â€œStanding 107 feet tall, the octagonal tower is the tallest lighthouse in Washington, and the third tallest on the West Coast. The base of the lighthouse rests on a twelve-foot-thick foundation of sandstone. The lighthouse walls, which are four feet thick at the base, are made of brick with a coating of cement on the exterior. A series of 135 metal stairs lead to the lantern room. Windows originally provided light for the interior of the tower, but to cut down on maintenance, they were cemented over when the station was electrified.â€? In 1898, the lighthouse stood just 400 feet from the high tide line, but massive amounts of accretion, due in large part to the jetty system put in place at the entrance to Grays Harbor, have since built up, and the lighthouse currently stands approximately 3,000 feet from the shore.

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

DESTRUCTION ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE - Ruby

Beach: Located three miles out to sea and built in 1891 it is now a solar powered lighthouse. The original First Order Fresnel lens is magnificently displayed at the Westport Marine Museum. Considered one of the best lens displays in the world, according to website www.pacific101.com.

CAPE FLATTERY LIGHTHOUSE

- Tatoosh Island, Neah Bay: Built in 1857, this is one of the oldest still standing and operating lighthouses on the West Coast. It marks the most westerly spot in the lower 48 and can be viewed from a trail on the Makah Indian Reservation.

Top photo by Jim Wark, AirphotoNA. Above illustration courtesy of National Archives. Right photo by Bob and Sandra Shanklin, The Lighthouse People. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Story by Jake Schild Photos by Gabe Green

Lake Quinault Lodge Big Timbers inside and out When heading north on U.S. Highway 101 near Quinault, it is impossible not to become enthralled in the surrounding natural beauty the Pacific Northwest is known for. Towering evergreens on both sides of the highway create a canopy that allows just the right amount of light in on a sunny day, with snowcapped mountains in the distance. At the heart of all of this natural beauty, in an atmosphere that is rugged, yet restful, is the Lake

Quinault Lodge. The lodge lies in the heart of the Quinault Rainforest, the only temperate rainforest in the lower 48 states, and is surrounded by the Olympic National Forest and the Olympic National Park, providing miles of wilderness trails and scenic pathways. Built in 1926, the lodge sits on Lake Quinault and the aesthetic of its architecture is just as impressive as the country that surrounds it. The split cedar siding and size of the V-shaped structure gives the lodge a rustic and almost castle-like façade, with a veranda and expansive lawn that slopes down to the water, dotted with Adirondack chairs on nice days. When entering the lodge, it’s hard

not to feel like you’re back in the 1920s. The most impressive room in the building is the lobby, with ornate chandeliers and elk heads mounted on cedar-paneled walls. The lobby’s crown jewel, however, is the brick fire place that is surrounded by leather couches and chairs — a perfect spot to read the paper or enjoy a warm cup of coffee. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had lunch at Lake Quinault Lodge in 1937 on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula and the hotel’s dining room is now named after him. Roosevelt signed a bill in 1938 that created Olympic National Park. Today, the dining room will satisfy the most sophisticated of palates, with a variety of options for breakfast,

DESTINATION: Olympic National Forest

lunch and dinner. In addition to good food, patrons sitting in the restaurant have views of the lake and the lawn behind the lodge. Of its 91 rooms, spread out among four different buildings, the fireplace units stand out the most. With a gas fireplace, heated bathroom floors and private balcony or patio, these rooms are perfect for a comfortable getaway. All of the rooms give off an idyllic vibe that perfectly fits the lodge’s location. Old, black and white photos of the lodge are in each room, creating a refreshing motif that strays away from typical hotel room artwork. Guests can stay in the main lodge, boathouse, lakeside building or fireplace suites. Given its surroundings, the lodge offers plenty to do for guests. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are available for rental May through September. If you’d rather stay indoors while vacationing, there is an indoor pool, sauna and game room for the kids. The best part of a visit to the lodge might be the rainforest tour in a 12-passenger lodge van. The tour not only showcases the majestic flora and fauna of the area, but also acts as a great lesson in history. Charlie, a tour guide with an encyclopedic knowledge of Pacific Northwest, points out houses and land that was homesteaded by settlers in the late 1800s as well as identifying Sitka spruce, cedar, Douglas fir and hemlock trees. “It’s hard to call it a job,” Charlie said of giving the tours. He obviously enjoys what he does and he’s good at it.

Left page top: The exterior of the lodge features a raven rain gauge carved by Judy McVay of Humptulips. Left page bottom: Bunch Creek Falls is located along South Shore Road. Upper right: The dining room. The lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Left: The Quinault big cedar in Amanda Park is more than 1,000 years old.

Built in 1926, the lodge sits on Lake Quinault and the aesthetic of its architecture is just as impressive as the country that surrounds it.

MORE INFO It’s worth the drive.

Directions: To get to the lodge from Portland or Seattle, take exit 104 at Olympia off of North Interstate 5 and then head straight west to Aberdeen-Hoquiam before continuing north on U.S. 101 for 40 miles to milepost 125, turn right on South Shore Road and go two miles to Lake Quinault Lodge. For more information on the lodge and the rainforest, or to make a reservation, visit http://www.olympicnationalparks.com/ accommodations/lake-quinault-lodge.aspx or call (360) 288-2900. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Left: Sunlight shines through a dense canopy of trees along South Shore Road. Right (clockwise): The Quinault Lodge banquet room can be rented out for private events. Quinault shells n’ cheese is a great comfort food prepared with a house-made cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, scallions, sharp cheddar and an option of grilled chicken or smoked salmon. Humptulips Jessie and other historic faces of the area line a stairwell of the lodge. A fireplace room.

Olympic National Park is the 13th largest in the United States, with 926,000 acres of majestic hiking trails and camping opportunities. Surrounding the park is Olympic National Forest, where one will find attractions such as Merriman Falls, roughly a 40-foot waterfall that makes for a great photo opportunity.

Nothing Ordinary about this

Twin Harbor Drug

Pharmacy!

Hoquiam’s historic

7TH STREET THEATRE Where the stars light the sky and the stage Live Performances

Classic Films

Visit our website for event listings & rental information www.7thstreettheatre.com

acy r m r ha F éco Nauull Service P ome D and MORE! tical Gifts, H 733 N. Montesano St. | Westport | 268-0505 50

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

313 7th Street | Hoquiam | 360.537.7400 Just 20 minutes from Ocean Shores

The rainforest is also home to some recordsized trees. The largest western red cedar in the world outside of California sits in the forest at 174 feet tall. There is also a Douglas fir that measures 302 feet high, a 191-foot Sitka Spruce and a 172-foot western hemlock. “This is my first time at the lodge, but it won’t be my last. It’s just beautiful up here,” said one of the guests on the rain forest tour. He’s right. Lake Quinault is beautiful inside and outside the lodge, with cozy rooms and recreational options for outdoor enthusiasts as well as those who prefer to stay inside. The next time you’re thinking about leaving town for a couple of days, consider making your way up to Quinault. It’s worth the drive.

Elton Bennett Original Silkscreen Art

from the estate of Elton Bennett

Shown by appointment in Hoquiam.

Call Barbara Bennett Parsons at 360-532-3235 or email barbarapar@comcast.net www.eltonbennett.com

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Queen

of her

CASTLE

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Donna Grow and her dog, Peaches, in the tea room.

Story by Richelle Barger Photos by Gabe Green

tanding in the tea room with her hands cupped at ease in front of her, Donna Grow recites the history of the Hoquiam Castle as she has done many times during the 11 years she has lived here. She tells the tale of Robert Lytle, who first made his money in the grocery business. When he had the opportunity to purchase a lumber mill, he put in the first electric saw “and that is where he made his fortune,” she explains. It’s called “the Castle” because Lytle built a mansion that was just a little bit bigger and better than his brother’s next door. That one is simply called “Lytle House.” Robert Lytle began building the 10,000-square-foot “castle” in 1897. Three years later, the five-bedroom house was finished. After moving to Portland, Lytle sold the house to his niece Theadosia after she married. When she died in the late 1950s, everything was sold and put on the market for $14,000. The house remained vacant until 1968, when it was purchased by Bob Watson who restored much of the house and furnished it with many of the antiques seen there today. “He really saved it. One way or another he ought to get a pat on the back for what he did,” Grow says.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Antique & Collectible Show – February 14-15 • Beachcombers Fun Fair – March 7-8 Razor Clam Festival & Seafood Extravaganza – March 20-22 Fine Art, Photography & Electronic Media Shows – April 24-26 12th Annual Chamber/Ocean Shores Food Bank Plant Auction – May 5 Shoppin’ at the Shore – May 9-10 • Grays Harbor Expo – May 22-24 Wearable Art Show – June 6 • Festival of Colors – June 6-7 (Kite flying on the beach) Flag Day Parade – June 13 • Five Star Dealerships Sand & Sawdust Festival – June 26-28

WASHINGTON COAST REAL ESTATE 251 Montesano St. | Westport, WA

360-268-0977 wacoastre.com

Providing Exceptional Service for All Your Real Estate Needs 54

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

“Sharing our home is what we do.” Grow genuinely loves her home, and you can see the pleasure in her face as she speaks of what she loves most about it. “I enjoy having people in it all the time. I enjoy having these tours. I am really a people person.” She offers tours for a donation, which she gives to her church, Hoquiam Baptist. “I don’t want to run a business,” says the octogenarian. Eleven years ago — a year after her husband passed away — Grow purchased the home and ran a bed and breakfast with her two daughters, but now she lives with Peaches and her eldest grandson and caretaker, Chris Adamson. She also shares her home for Bible study and prayer meetings four days each week and for tours by appointment. “Sharing our home is what we do,” she says and Adamson agrees with her. “It’s what we do,” he echoes. Lumbering down the stairs in overalls is Keith Knox. Grow invited him and his wife, Louise, to her house after their house was damaged in recent flooding. Today, he is getting ready to move furniture from his house into a storage unit. He prepares a sandwich in the kitchen and makes himself at home at the dining table while we continue our tour. The table, flanked with eight of the 13 carved griffin chairs, is beneath a chandelier that the Watson family found in a barn. It was from a building that had been torn down in Montesano. There are antique hutches in the room, a huge mirror with an ornate frame that tilts toward the table and a knight standing guard. Top: Dining Room Middle L-R: Ballroom. Peaches enjoying the Princess room. Bottom L-R: Fireplace mantle in the den and an ivory emperor in the Princess room both show Far Eastern influences.

Though filled with antiquities — Grow purchased the house furnished — there are bits and pieces that she and her family have added.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

Furnishings for Coastal Living.

The suit of armor was a Christmas gift from her children — she has 14 of them, as well as 47 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, two of them great-great-grandchildren. As he leaves, to attend his task of the day, Keith gestures to Donna in gratitude, “This is the closest thing to a saint that we have in this world.”

Come have a beautiful shopping experience!

In the downstairs bathroom, you will find a maid’s clawfoot bathtub that is only three feet long. When the sink had to be replaced, Grow chose a modern, above-the-counter bowl that is reminiscent of the Art Deco period yet pulls in the feeling of a hand basin, pre-plumbing. When built, the house had all the modern ammenities, the first on the Harbor to have electricity, with plumbing and a furnace. Meandering up the stairs to the second floor, we venture past two of the original stained-glass windows, which now are bowed from more than 100 years of gravity’s toll. Outside, alcove lights illuminate the glass at night. At the top of the stairs is the third fireplace, as well as the Princess, Queen and King rooms. Off of the Princess room is the family bathroom. In the corner sits the ornate porcelain commode, an original to the house and period, made by none other than Thomas Crapper.

522 Simpson Ave. • Hoquiam

360.532-2434 mchughsfurniture.com

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

In the Princess room the decor becomes apparent. Though little talked about in design circles, it’s a perfect example of the Aesthetic Movement — a blend of Victorian and Arts & Crafts, with a Far Eastern influence and prominent use of nature, plants and animals. The Castle is a museum. Continuing to the third floor, we come to the grand ballroom. A rosewood piano sits on an elevated stage at the far end of the hall in front of large windows overlooking the city and harbor. Off to the east is another room with a full bar, minus a sink. “It was

Get a Load of our legs. Aw Win ard Smo ning Salmked on

Gourmet, Home Canned Tuna, Salmon, Seafood and Custom Processing. Didn’t catch the BIG ONE? Buy it here, we won’t tell! We can vacuum pack your fish! Above: Original stained glass windows, more than 100 years old. Below: The maid’s bathroom with a replaced Art Nouveau wash basin.

• Gift Boxes Available •

Merino’s Seafood Market 301 E. Harbor St. • Westport • (360) 268-5009 1 Block West of the Derby Booth, Next to the Aquarium! w w w. m e r i n o s e a f o o d s . c o m

Country Closet

the first house to have electricity, but there is no running water in the bar,” says Grow, puzzled. The bar was originally installed in Portland, making a journey around Cape Horn to get there. When the Watsons brought it to Hoquiam, the 20-foot bar was hoisted — in one piece — up the side of the building and was brought in through the third-floor windows. Back through the ballroom, you can venture outside to the turret overlooking the younger brother’s mansion. It is for sale, if you’d like to live in the neighborhood, and are in the market for a mansion, but not quite a castle.

Décor 2 Baby Boutique 2 Holidays 2 Gifts 209 S Broadway | Aberdeen | 533.5152 WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

RECIPE Chocolate Mousse Torte For the Torte:

10 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%), coarsely chopped 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 7 large eggs, separated 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt To make the torte: Preheat oven to 350Â°. Generously butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch square silicone cake pans. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Place chocolate in a heat-safe bowl over a double boiler until the chocolate melts when stirred. Set aside to cool. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing until each yolk is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Three variations of chocolate: mousse torte, meringue and ice cream with pomegranate sauce and winter pansies.

All about the

CHOCOLATE Recipes by Chef Coty MacDonald Photos by Gabe Green

wanted to represent chocolate in a number of different ways as well as highlight some seasonal ingredients in garnish and accompaniments. Bringing in different textures and consistencies, techniques and treatments of chocolate to highlight its versatility and create a dish with a dynamic personality. The variance of texture and temperature and seasonality is crucially important to me in a plated dessert.

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Add the cooled chocolate to butter and sugar mixture until combined. Mix in vanilla. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold about 1 cup of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture. Add remaining egg whites and continue folding gently just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth the top evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the top of the cake is set. Do not over bake. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. Once it has cooled, use a thin knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then, remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto wire rack and peel off the parchment paper. Use another rack or a plate to flip the cake upright.

Chocolate Mousse (middle layer):

15 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate 3 cups heavy cream, divided 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, softened in 4 tablespoons cool water For the middle layer: Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl. Bring 1 cup of the cream to a boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream mixture gently, until smooth; if the chocolate doesnâ€™t melt

RECIPE   completely, heat it briefly over your double boiler, and continue to stir until melted.

clean, dry bowl set over simmering water, to about 125º.

While the chocolate is melting, bloom the gelatin in a small dish with the cool water. Once it has softened, heat it in 5 second intervals in the microwave, stirring to dissolve. When the gelatin mixture is completely free of lumps, stir it into the melted chocolate. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream, being very careful not to over whip it. It should just hold a soft peak.

Remove from heat and let it cool to the low 80ºs. Drop a good-sized chunk of solid tempered chocolate in, while cooling, stirring frequently. Motion equals good tempering. Hold your chocolate between 88° and 91°. This is the “tempering zone” for most dark chocolate.

Check the chocolate mixture. It must be free of lumps and the temperature should be about 80 degreesº – warm enough to keep the chocolate from setting up, but not so hot the whipped cream melts when it’s whisked in. Add about half of the whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk and fold as you did while making the cake. Fold in the remaining whipped cream once the first half is folded in. When the chocolate and cream are evenly blended, pour the mousse over the top of the cooled cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Return the cake to the refrigerator and allow to fully set (about an hour). After Mousse has set, top with tempered chocolate. Garnish with chocolate meringues

Tempered Chocolate:

5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided The first step is to melt the dark chocolate in a

Don’t let it get above 91° or you’ll have to begin the process all over again. If it cools too much, rewarm it gently to bring it back up.

Chocolate Meringue:

3 egg whites ¼ cup cocoa powder 1 ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar Whip the egg whites until they begin to hold soft peaks. Continue whisking and slowly add the cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Once fully incorporated transfer mixture to a piping bag. Pipe into flat sheets, or drops whichever you prefer on strips of parchment and place in food dehydrator at 150° for 12 hours.

CALLING ALL CHOCOLATE LOVERS!

Chocolate on the Beach FESTIVAL

Febr

uary Marc 27 h1

Sink your teeth into 10 miles of delectable chocolate at sister communities of Moclips, Aloha, Copalis Crossing, Seabrook and Copalis Beach. This is a fun, family festival offering something for every chocolate lover! There are chocolate vendors, artists and crafters. You can attend a cooking class or enter your favorite recipe in the recipe contest. How about entering an eating contest? chocolateonthebeachfestival.com

To Plate:

Cut the layered and fully set torte into portions of roughly 3” by 1”. Place on plate with a few pieces of meringue Garnish with a pomegranate sauce and pomegranate seeds, chocolate ice cream and edible flowers such as pansies.

Chocolate Ice Cream 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream 2 cups (500ml) whole milk 1 cup (250g) sugar 9 egg yolks Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon Xanthan gum 4 ounces chopped chocolate ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the heavy cream, cocoa and half the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining half cup of sugar. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and drizzle a small amount into the yolks, slowly, and whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Do this a few more times to warm up the yolks before pouring the yolk mixture back into the cream, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the chopped chocolate until melted. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl placed over a bowl of ice. Once cooled pour ice cream base into blender, blend on medium and add xanthan gum. Let sit refrigerated overnight and freeze according to ice cream maker’s directions.

ABOUT THE CHEF Coty MacDonald is the executive chef at Ocean Crest. He was trained in New Orleans and attended Culinary School in Chicago and Le Cordon Bleu in Portland where he also worked at familiar restaurants such as Aquariva at the Avalon Hotel, El Gaucho at the Benson Hotel and as executive Chef at the Shilo Inn at Ocean Shores. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 TRAVEL

11 10. Maritime Museum in Westport. 11. Carriage Museum in Raymond. 7. Museum of North Beach in Moclips.

to 20 MUSEUMS Explore! Visit one today! What are your interests? There is everything from cranberries to timber and carriages.

Makah Museum (Makah Cultural and Research Center): 1880 Bayview Ave., Neah Bay 360.645.2711 www.makahmuseum.com

Museum at the Carnegie: 207 South Lincoln Street, Port Angeles, 360.452.6779 www.clallamhistoricalsociety.com

Jefferson County Historical Society: 540 Water Street, Port Townsend 360.385.1003 www.jchsmuseum.org

Forks Timber Museum: 1421 South Forks Avenue, Forks, 360.374.9663 www.forkstimbermuseum.org

Aberdeen Museum of History: 111 East Third St., Aberdeen, 360.533.1976 www.aberdeen-museum.org

Port Townsend Marine Science Center: 520 Battery Way, Port Townsend, 360.385.5582 www.ptmsc.org

Lake Quinault Museum: 354 South Shore Road, Quinault, 360.288.2317 www.lakequinaultmuseum.org

Westport Maritime Museum: 2201 West Westhaven Drive, 360.268.0078 westportmaritimemuseum.com

Museum of the North Beach: 4658 State Route 109, Moclips, www.moclips.org 360.276.4441

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Polson Museum: 1611 Riverside Avenue, Hoquiam, 360.533.5862 www.polsonmuseum.org

Northwest Carriage Museum: 314 Alder St., Raymond, 360.942.4150 www.nwcarriagemuseum.org

TRAVEL   15. Marsh’s Free Museum in Long Beach. 16. Kit Museum in Long Beach. 9. Curt Cobain at the Aberdeen Museum of History.

You can see just about anything at a museum along the Washington Coast; kites, canoes, sea creatures, glass floats and the history of timber. Have fun!

9 Willapa Seaport Museum: 310 Alder Street, Raymond, 360.942.4149 www.willapaharbor.org/regionalattractions/willapa-seaportmuseum/

World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame: 303 Sid Snyder Drive, Long Beach 360.642.4020 www.kitefestival.com

Pacific County Historical Museum: 1008 W. Robert Bush Drive, South Bend, 360.875.5224 www.pacificcohistory.org

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center: 3029 Spirit Lake Hwy, Castle Rock, 360.274.0962 www.mountsthelens.com

Cranberry Museum: 2907 Pioneer Road, Long Beach, 360.642.5553 www.cranberrymuseum.com

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center: 244 Robert Gray Drive, Ilwaco, 360.642-3029 www.parks.wa.gov/187/lewis-clark-interpretive-center

Marsh’s Free Museum: 409 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, 360.642.2188 www.marshsfreemuseum.com

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum: 115 Lake Street Southeast, IIwaco,360.642.3446 www.columbiapacificheritagemuseum.org Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum: 1101 SW Sylvenus St., Chehalis, 360.748.9593 www.steamtrainride.com

Admission prices vary between museums, and often are free, especially for children. Visit the websites to ensure open times, especially during any holiday. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

FOR ANY OCCASION! • We ship! • Gift packs available • Shucked & in the shell oysters • Fresh & frozen razor clams • Cooked & live crab

OPEN DAILY 9am - 6pm

Call ahead for fresh fish selection!

1-800-572-3252 or 360-268-0077 www.bradysoysters.com West of the Elk River Bridge HWY 105 WESTPORT

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

ART  

FLIP of a COIN

Judith Altruda’s sea studio melds beauty and fierceness.

Story by Callie White Photos by Marcy Merrill

Far Left: Judith working in her studio. Left: A necklace made of Blue Labyrinth-chased shibuichi alloy with sea glass and silver.

udith Altruda’s studio lies on a corner of a road that traces the edge of the water. From her windows, she can see the raised sand of Empire Spit, the tip of the Long Beach peninsula, the expanse of Willapa Bay’s green-gray waters and the misty fingers of the low winter clouds. There is a starkness to the landscape but tons of layers and textures, with bird feathers, evergreen needles, brushy grasses and dense mosses.

“I find this view really inspiring,” Altruda said. Everything about Tokeland, her chosen home, feeds her aesthetic: a mixture of lush and stark, where nature’s roughness is as appreciable as its bounty. It’s part of Altruda’s evolution, as a California girl who began her artistic career as a painter, obsessed with hidden history of glossy Barbie, to a jeweler who is sparing with shininess but long on coaxing depth and feeling from the materials with which she works.

Altruda started her career with Brent Bryan of Bryan and Son Jewelers after studying at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She liked the process of making jewelry – how, unlike a painting, she could walk away from a piece she was working on and come back to it much later to add to it, or to change it. In Tokeland, beauty and fierceness are two sides of the same coin. In Altruda’s studio, that is literally the case, as the jeweler works with ancient coins, setting them in necklaces

and on bracelet cuffs. Years ago she had ordered a bag of Roman coins that were in bad condition. Altruda expected she would melt them down and repurpose them in her work but once she saw them in real life, she found herself drawn to the colors, textures and designs on them, and started incorporating them into her pieces. Now she seeks the coins to give them a place of honor.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 ART Her pieces can infuse the old coins with new relevance. Take a necklace with an ancient coin bearing the crab of Cancer and fish of Pisces, “There are a couple of fishermen who have their eye on that one,” Altruda said. “They think the crab looks like a Dungeness.” Altruda also works with sea glass, a material that she sources from Britain. During the Industrial Revolution (and many years after), glass factories along the English coast often dumped their waste near the ocean, where rocks and water wore away at the pieces, giving them a frosted, opaque look and softening their jagged edges. Sea glass texture fits in with Altruda’s aesthetic but instead of treating it as a dreamy, pastel material she places the slivers amid etched metals. Sometimes she uses shibuichi, a Japanese alloy of silver and copper that takes a patina and was traditionally used on samurai armor. It’s another way for her to fuse beauty and strength, and to transfigure the martial or commercial into the ornamental. She also uses basalt and iron chunks she finds along the beach by her home for her pieces. Basalt, cooled volcanic lava that becomes a common

black rock, is striking when set in gold, she said. Altruda also sees the Northwest as a place of cultural fusion and in her art she mixes cultural influences as well as metals. This summer Altruda went to Ireland to learn from a master metalsmith, Brian Clarke. She studied the ancient art of chasing: taking a piece of metal, setting it on a stand slathered thickly with gooey pitch, and using a hammer and punch to bang out designs. She had to learn to “think in reverse, which isn’t that easy,” she admitted. At home, she is taking that Celtic art and applying it to metals with designs from the local tribe. She is collaborating with her friend Earl Davis, a carver and member of the Shoalwater Bay tribe, for future pieces. The designs and the myths come from different places but they have the same elemental power for the human spirit. “There’s a reason we’re still telling the same stories over and over again,” Altruda said. Instead, she is telling them in her own way, in metal and glass and stone.

ALTRUDA ALSO SEES THE NORTHWEST AS A PLACE OF CULTURAL FUSION AND IN HER ART SHE MIXES CULTURAL INFLUENCES AS WELL AS METALS.

Above left: Ancient Cancer crab coin necklace Above: Sea Candy Ring-Victorian era marble, with reticulated silver, 22kt gold and diamond. Left: Judith at home with her two children. Below: Tools of her trade

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

ART  

Above: Studio display of jewelry. Far Right: Judith’s workspace with her varied materials: metals, sea glass and stones. Right: Electra Cuff etched shibuichi alloy with 22kt gold and sea glass.

TO SEE MORE:

See Judith Altruda’s work on her website at www.judithaltruda.com, where you can purchase items by linking to her Etsy site, follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or contact Altruda if you would like to make an appointment to visit her studio. Also see her during the North Cover Art Studio Tour April 18.

RiverSea Gallery in Astoria, Oregon at 1180 Commercial St.

Artemisia stores in Chicago and Geneva, Ill. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 EVENTS

Here for you when you need us most

our favorite

EVENTS February 6

First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for your shopping convenience and to feature different artists and musicians.

14, 15, 16

Seabreeze Walking Festival – Ocean Shores Biennial volkswalking festival featuring six walking trails and a bicycle route through Ocean Shores, along the beach, through state parks and up the North Beach. Routes vary in length from 3 to 18 miles. www.capitolvolkssportclub.org.

C ol e man mor t uary 422 - 5th Street

•

Hoquiam

•

360-532-4090

Subscribe! Call 360.532.4000

14-15

Antique and Collectible Show – Ocean Shores The Convention Center will host the 12th annual antique show starting at 10 a.m. each day. Vendors offer many vintage artifacts, including baseball cards, American pottery, dolls and glass. Experts will evaluate your collectibles for $4 per item, entry $3. www.oceanshoresact.com.

20-21

Asian New Year Kite Celebration – Long Beach Check out the kites and cultures of different countries each year. Plan to take part in hands-on activities, watch videos and see demonstrations.

27- March 1

Chocolate on the Beach Festival Sink your teeth into 10 miles of delectable chocolate at sister communities of Moclips, Aloha, Copalis Crossing, Seabrook and Copalis Beach. www.chocolateonthebeachfestival.com. See also page 58 for a great recipe. issue: In this a | Lighthouses

the Se ms Jewels of ult Lodge | Stor na ks Lake Qui g & Drin in in D Irish

March 1

Gray Whale Watching - Westport Boat excursions leave the Westport marina daily, offering whale watching trips through May. Call 800-345-6223 for reservations.

Annual magazine subscription: $14 66

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for your shopping convenience as well as to feature different artists, musicians or even have special sales.

Good Health Is Not Contagious It takes hard work & special planning

6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15

“The Light in the Piazza” - Aberdeen The Grays Harbor College Bishop Center for the Performing Arts presents the musical described by the New York Times as “the most intensely romantic score of any musical since ‘West Side Story.’ ” While sightseeing in Italy during the summer of 1953, Clara, a beautiful young woman, loses her hat in a sudden gust. As if guided by an unseen hand, the hat lands at the feet of Fabrizio (a handsome Florentine), who returns it to Clara. This brief episode, charged with coincidence and fate, sparks an immediate and intense romance. 7:30 p.m. performances on March 6, 7, 13 & 14. 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on March 8 & 15. Ticket info www.ghc.edu/bishop or 360.538.4066.

Washington State Parks Birthday Find the beauty of Washington State. Visit any Washington State Park today without admission or a required Discover Pass. With more than 130 state parks to choose from, it may be difficult to decide, choose a second park to visit on April 4, 22, May 10 and June 6. Note that free only applies to day use and that a Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife – and that Sno-Park permits are still required on free days at designated Sno-Parks during the winter season.

At Aberdeen Health Mart we focus on health See us to transfer your prescriptions or choose from a complete line of vitamins & herbal supplements. 1812 Sumner Ave. Aberdeen 533-1525

Still locally owned & dedicated to your health!

Looking to Buy or Sell a House? We Can Help You!

Aberdeen Realty, Inc. Selling Grays Harbor for over 31 years. We also offer full service Property Management.

Call us 360.533.7100 Toll Free 800.305.7103

Lynn Trefzger - Aberdeen Lynn Trefzger’s start as a ventriloquist/comedienne 30 years ago put to good use her childhood hobby. She has appeared on ABC, TNN, A&E and Lifetime, and now is featured at the Grays Harbor College Bishop Center for the Performing Arts. Be ready for vocal illusion, a lovable camel, a grumpy old man, a feisty little girl and maybe even some audience members who are brought into the action. Trefzger’s trunk full of comical characters makes ventriloquism fans out of the dubious. Ticket info www.ghc.edu/bishop or 360.538.4066.

Nancy Taylor Owner/Broker

Cell: 360.580.6119 Nancy@Aberdeenrealty.com 323 W. Heron St. | Aberdeen

www.aberdeenrealty.com

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 EVENTS

our favorite

EVENTS March 27-29

Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Rodeo – Elma Cowboy hats, lassos and bucking broncos are a common sight at the annual Grays Harbor Mounted Posse Indoor Pro Rodeo at the county fairgrounds in Elma. Participants compete in a variety of events, including bull riding and bareback riding for the pros and stickhorse races for the kids. Photo essay by Aaron Lavinsky

2 Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

EVENTS  

1. Kids get the best seat in the house 2. Equipment manager, Ernie Anderson 3. 2014 Princesses Maleaha and Bobbi Smith 4. Pat Drinkard, bull rider 5. John Quimby with his kids Harley and Owen 6. Vancouver 2014 Queen Amanda Knapp on her horse, Carter 7. Rodeo clown, Scott Logsdon aka “Blaze” 8. Pete Seward, Thurston County Posse, former bull rider 9. Ashley Phillips and her horse Lollie 10. Jayma and Layla Bundy of McCleary with their stick horses 11. Cowboy Glen Slee of Salem, Ore. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 EVENTS

Just what the doctor ordered We offer prescription delivery! Call for delivery areas

• All Occasion Gifts & Cards • Seahawks, Huskies, & Cougars Items

ity C CDenter rug We support our community. Locally owned & operated. 108 E Wishkah • Aberdeen• 532-5182

our favorite

EVENTS April 3

First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for your shopping convenience as well as to feature different artists and musicians.

Spring Saturday Free Day Washington State Parks celebrate spring by inviting you to visit for free. Choose from more than 130 state parks. See other free days on April 22, May 10 and June 6. Note that free only applies to day use and that a Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife – and that Sno-Park permits are still required on free days at designated Sno-Parks during the winter season.

4, 5

Beachcomber’s Driftwood Show - Grayland The 53rd annual Beachcomber’s Driftwood Show offers exhibits and competition for driftwood collectors in Grayland.

World Class Crab Races & Crab Feed - Westport A unique family fun experience. Come to Westport and eat, race and enjoy.

hentic t u A s u o i c i l De od! Mexican Fo Voted Best of Twin Harbors “Best Mexican Restaurant” 19 years in a row! Two Aberdeen locations to serve you!

Gateway Plaza 533-5808

720 W. Wishkah 532-0940

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Tokeland & North Cove Art Studio Tour -Tokeland & Grayland Twenty local artists hold open studio tours and public art displays throughout Tokeland, North Cove and Grayland between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

18-19

Long Beach Razor Clam Festival This was a fun event that took place in the 1940s. The event is being revitalized on the Long Beach Peninsula and is now entering its third year. Learn how to dig clams, watch contests, enjoy live music and don’t forget to stop by the Third Annual Chowder Taste-off and see the giant fry pan. www.longbeachrazorclamfestival.com

Earth Day Washington Parks Free Day Find the beauty of Washington State. Visit any Washington state parks today without admission or a required Discover Pass. With

more than 130 state parks to choose from, it may be difficult to decide, choose a second park to visit on May 10 and June 6. Note that free only applies to day use and that a Discover Pass is still required to access lands managed by departments of Natural Resources and Fish & Wildlife – and that Sno-Park permits are still required on free days at designated Sno-Parks during the winter season.

Grays Harbor Raceway Season Opener - Elma Grays Harbor Raceway kicks off the racing season at the racetrack at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds with sprint cars, modifieds, street stocks and Outlaw tuners. A full schedule of races is planned through the summer and into the fall, with events happening nearly every weekend. Beach Clean Up Day – Long Beach Join the Grass Roots Garbage Gang in Long Beach starting at 9:30 a.m. and clean up the 28 miles of sand. Free chowder included. www.ourbeach.org

Moira Smiley & VOCO Aberdeen Recently named the No. 1 a cappella group in the U.S., Moira Smiley & VOCO is the energy of street singing and the elegance of a string quartet. The group will offer a blend of voices, redefining harmony with the power and physicality of folksong, accompanied by a cello, banjo, ukulele, accordion and body percussion at the Grays Harbor College Bishop Center for the Performing Arts. Ticket info www.ghc.edu/bishop or 360.538.4066.

Ele. Const. LLC

Remodel & New Construction Residential & Commercial From foundation to roof, we are here to meet all your construction needs. Servicing Grays Harbor & Pacific County for 30 years. • Wood, Gas & Pellet stove sales & service • Chimney installations, cleaning & repairs • TUFDEK: World’s strongest outdoor vinyl decking. Authorized tufdek dealer.

May 1-3

The Shorebird Festival-Hoquiam Hundreds of thousands of migrating birds make their way north. www.shorebirdfestival.com

Ocosta Oyster Feed - Westport The 33rd annual Ocosta Oyster Feed takes over the Ocosta Recreation Hall, about five miles east of Westport, from 3 to 7 p.m.

14, 15 & 16

Grays Harbor College One-Act Plays - Aberdeen Grays Harbor College students present their original one-act plays, written and performed by students at the Bishop Center for the Performing Arts. GHC faculty Brad Duffy and Lynne Lerych direct the student productions. Ticket info www.ghc.edu/ bishop or 360.538.4066.

ROCK Construction: We are ROCK solid Open Tuesday-Saturday 107 W. Heron • Aberdeen • 360-533-6399 www.rockconstructionllc.com • rockeleconstllc@comcast.net WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

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50 67 67 72 32 32 36 12 36 51 36 62 14 70 72 22 66 57 8 12 12 8 76 16 62 22 54 36 25 9 16 28 70

7th Street Theatre Aberdeen Health Mart Aberdeen Realty Aberdeen Revitalization Movement Aloha Alabama American Family Insurance Anchor Bank B&B Automotive Bay West Emporium Bennett Art Boley Insurance Brady’s Oysters Bryan & Son Jewelers City Center Drug City of Aberdeen City of Westport Coleman Mortuary Country Closet Donna Jones, John L. Scott Real Estate Flippin 50’s Diner GH Wine Sellars Grays Harbor College Grays Harbor Community Hospital Grays Harbor PUD Grays Harbor Tourism Grays Harbor Transit Great Northwest Federal Credit Union Harbor Shoe Kalich and Sons Construction Kaufman Scroggs Levee Lumber Martin Bruni Liquor Mazatlan Restaurant

56 McHugh’s Furniture 57 Merino’s Seafood 28 Ocean Crest Resort 54 Ocean Shores Chamber 3 Ocean Shores Villages 11 PASHA Automotive Services 2 Port of Grays Harbor 75 Quinault Beach Resort & Casino 14 Raintree Veterinary Center 62 Rayonier Inc. 4 Rediviva Restaurant 71 Rock Ele. Construction 32 Seabrook 50 Twin Harbor Drug 54 Washington Coast Real Estate 28 Westport Inn 7 Windermere Real Estate - Aberdeen

WHO & WHY  

Why I like living here:

BRITTA FOLDEN

I spent most of my 20s bouncing between jobs, apartments and a variety of roommates. Life in Seattle was always moving and changing; businesses opened and closed quickly, friends came and went, and traffic took up a large portion of my day. But Grays Harbor always stayed in the back of my mind. It was where I grew up, where the old empty buildings had inspired me to get my business degree. Every time I returned for a weekend or holiday, those abandoned spaces called to me. I imagined them full of cute things for sale, people sipping coffee or maybe renting a kayak for a trip down the river. I’d think about it but then return to fast-paced city life. I was seeking a slower and more creative life and thought Portland might be the answer. It was the place for small-time crafters to make it big, and I had to give it a shot, but in less than a (dramatic) year there, I realized a few things: 1. I was a little fish in a big pond (and they all knew how to sew), 2. Being surrounded by people doesn’t make finding a sense of community easier, and 3. Life is short … Just do it (thanks, Nike).

“I like it here because:

I sold off most of my possessions and set out on a six-week road trip with my best friend. During this trip I started to realize my preference for smaller towns with friendly and humble people, wide streets and less traffic. As I rolled back into Aberdeen without any obligations or rents to pay or lifestyle to maintain, I thought, “this place has the space I need.”

I have space to craft my story.”

Space. Grays Harbor has lots of it. The buildings that sit vacant are more inspiring to me than depressing. The wide and empty streets are excellent bike paths. The people, though sometimes seemingly distant, are allowing others room to find their own way. There’s wiggle room to try new things, potentially fail and try again. There’s a healthy challenge to find your own self motivation for success. The people, buildings and land here inspire me every day and I’m completely fascinated by their stories and history. I love that I get to go to work every day in my own downtown office in a building over 100 years old and create. This is the place where I have enough space to craft my own story and share the stories of others. This is the place where I see so many possibilities and enjoy growing along with a community. My experience led me on a path to Grays Harbor where I have been able to build my business, nurture a supportive community and better define my place in the world.

Photo by Eric Jackson

Creative, Britta Folden in her second floor Aberdeen studio overlooking the space of Grays Harbor.

Britta Folden is a freelance writer and marketing consultant for her company alder|creative. She writes for a variety of publications, including craft books, local news outlets, and Bullfinchmag.com, sells handmade goods at graysgeneral.com, and recently started a shared working space in downtown Aberdeen for creative people. WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Winter 2015

 LAST SHOT

After the Storm by Marcy Merrill

Winter 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Rainbow over the Cedar River, south of Tokeland after a December 2014 storm.