Washington Coast Magazine, June 02, 2015

It’s Picturesque!

QUEEN OF THE SILVER NITRATE WESTPORT : A WORKING TOWN | FISH SHACK ATTACK

SUMMER 2015 The Daily World

$3.99

summer 2015

contents

FEATURES

38

MARCY MERRILL

Photography from beads, Brownies, Kewpies and Altoid tins.

TOP Sunset at Westport. Photo by Gabe Green ABOVE Left: A welcoming entrance to the Frosts’ home.

Right: Workspace of camera transformation. Photo by Julie Rajcich COVER Marcy Merrill’s self portrait , “Carmen Miranda” creation from a vintage camera.

44 52

WESTPORT DESTINATION

This working town is much more than a salmon-fishing town.

THE HOUSE OF COLOR

This fun house has a vertizontal hold on the viewer.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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summer 2015

contents

60

68 ORE SEE M U E S” R BL E M “S U M YLE IN ST

IN THIS ISSUE 12 BOOK

“Washington Pacific Coast”

32 DINE

Bennett’s Fish Shack

14 DIY

58 RECIPE

TOP LEFT Erik Sandgren’s Wishkah TOP RIGHT Ride aboard Lady Washington, a replica of an 18th century tall ship.

Photo by Aaron Lavinsky.

ABOVE Dansko Joanie sandals from Harbor Shoes in Aberdeen

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Summer Fruit Slushy

17 HEALTH

Playground Equipment

60 ART

18 STYLE

64 TRAVEL

18

Making a Pinhole Camera

Summer Blues

20 DRINKS

Coffee101 & Westport Winery

26 HISTORY

The Spruce Girls of 1929

29 BEAUTY

Erik Sandgren’s Art

Farmers’ Markets

66

EVENTS

Pirate Daze & more!

73

WHO & WHY

Why Josh Mayr Loves Living Here

Power of the Pedicure

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 Aren’t Just For Summer The Heart of Washington Coast offers not just a Home, its a Lifestyle.

360-532-4000 | editor@washingtoncoastmagazine.com

Representing Buyers and Sellers

Donna Jones Broker 360-580-5354

donnajones55@live.com www.OwnOceanShores.com

Real Estate / Ocean Shores

Publisher

Stan Woody

Editor

Doug Barker

Editorial & Art Director

Richelle Barger

Writers

Britta Folden

Westport-A Working Town

Power of the Pedicure | House of Color

Summer Blues | Westport Winery

Callie White

Queen of Silver Nitrate | Art of Grit and Grime

Dan Jackson Coffee 101

John Larson

Spruce Girls

Jake Schild Fish Shack Attack

Josh Mayr

24, , 3 2 July 2015 6, 25, 2sday, Frid0apym,

Thur rday 7:3 Satu , rday Satu 2:00 pm ay Sund

18 Adults 16 Seniors $ 10 Students $

$

Tickets purchased after June 15th Adult $20 Senior $18 Student $10

TickeTs on sale now!

Why I Like Living Here

Editorial Karen Barkstrom Assistant Magazine Kristina Case, Simply Graphic Graphic Designer Staff Photographer

Gabe Green

BEHIND THE SCENES

ghc.edu/bishop or 360.538.4066 Sponsored by

1620 Edward P Smith Dr. Aberdeen, WA 98520

and

Marion J. Weatherwax Endowment

“Spamalot” is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide, 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018, 800-378-9758 www.theatricalrights.com

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Julie Rajcich photographing our home feature on page 52 with the help of Kokey the cat.

Photographers Aaron Lavinsky Marcy Merrill Macleod Pappidas Steven Friederich Home Photographer

Julie Rajcich

Photo Contributors

Polson Museum Archives

Contributors Kyle Mittan Rick Anderson Rob Burns Ad Graphic Designers

Constance Ellis Emily Evans

Advertising Deb Blecha Jo Treadwell

Mary Anne Bagwell Production Manager

Martin Osburn

Circulation Kris Cearley Doug Ames Subscriptions

Addy Moreno

Distribution

Jennyfer Ames

Contact information Advertising inquiries, subscriptions & change of address 360-532-4000 Back issues $8 plus shipping and handling.

Washington Coast Magazine is published 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. Š 2015 by The Daily World 315 S. Michigan St. Aberdeen, WA 98520

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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SUMMER: LIFE

On your way to Westport — our featured town — you’ll find a winery full of fun things to do inside and out, such as a chess set that is as big as your small children.

If you continue heading south, you’ll come to Raymond where we found one of the most unique playgrounds. It’s made by artist Ernie Kuntz. Get out and play this summer!

PH O T O B Y E R IC SHE L D E N

Your kids (and adults) will love our slushy recipe made with fresh fruit and juices on page 58.

And we continue our feature on coffee. Ever wonder about the difference between light, medium and dark roast? They are demystified in our drink section, with three local roasters for you to visit and test along the coastline.

Enjoying a summer sunset (with windbreaker) on Shoalwater Bay, a favorite spot along the Washington Coast.

S

unshine, long days, late night coastal sunsets and beach bonfires - all reasons to plan a vacation out on the Washington Coast.

True, it is sandal season, and we give you some great excuses for a pedicure in our beauty section. But the truth of the matter is, cool is often the rule at the beach, even in summer. I still have a cute sun dress in my closet - which didn’t get much wear last year - and is dying to come out. The article of clothing you will be most thankful for bringing on your vacation to the beaches in Washington will be that fleece and windbreaker/rain jacket and those leggings to layer under and over that sundress. A stocking cap? You won’t be sorry.

If you are planning an adventure, we have featured the perfect new guide book by Greg Johnston. He also provides a great packing list in his book. It is hot off the presses and will give you tons of insight in advance of your trip to the coast.

Plan to wear a flannel over your swimsuit, like the blue check shirt featured from Seaweed in Ocean Shores in our Summer Blues style page. Check out page 18 for a look at everything sea and sky blue.

If you want more than just one color, flip back to our house feature — the owner did not skip one.

Or maybe a wooden swimsuit is more your style? They were the hit in 1929. Learn a little history about the Spruce Girls on page 26.

Events, pirates and tall ships, farmers markets and festivals, there are so many from which to choose along the coast.

Check out our favorite events starting on page 66. The tall ship, Lady Washington, spends the summer in her home state. You can plan to be a ship’s mate during a tour or adventure sail, or a pirate when it heads to Westport for Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze at the end of June. Bring your best Argghh!

And like that sundress, if you want to come out, visit friendly Hoquiam for Pride Day August 23.

There’s a lot to do on the coast. Don’t forget your camera, and if you really want to record it historically, Marcy Merrill shares her secrets of making pinhole cameras out of an Altoid tin in our DIY section.

That’s a lot! Time to get busy and make your summer memories.

Josh Mayr, raises a shot of whiskey to all of us and tells us why he loves living here. If you have a story or images to share, we want to hear about it. Send them to editor@washingtoncoastmagazine.com.

Be well, have fun and may the sun warm the sand so those socks packed deep in your suitcase stay there.

Richelle Barger, Editorial & Art Director

Artist Erik Sandgren shares his historic and cultural images of coastal grit and grime through paintings, woodcuts and the latest Nirvana and Aberdeen mural that can be seen while walking along the corner of Wishkah and Broadway in Aberdeen, gateway to the coast.

There are plenty of places to head indoors if the sun doesn’t shine, like Bennett’s Fish Shacks. There’s one in Ocean Shores, Westport and a restaurant in Grayland.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Like our Facebook page Washington Coast Magazine for updates, sneak peeks and announcements. We have many exciting things in store for you.

 BOOKS

Check out the coast - by the Book

R EVIEW BY RICHELLE BARGER

Planning your next adventure on the Washington Coast just got a whole lot easier.

All those secret hikes, the unknown coastline, how to find a good fishing location, and where to paddle, they are all now a bit more demystified and made approachable in a hot-off-the press book by Greg Johnston. Washington’s Pacific Coast: A Guide to Hiking, Camping, Fishing & Other Adventures is as much a coffee table book as it is a guide book.

Sunlit photographs bring to life the facts and figures, side bars and personal accounts therein.

The title is almost longer than the 150some miles of the Pacific Coast, to which Washington lays claim.

It’s a dream come true for Johnston, a longtime outdoors writer at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 2009, the paper eliminated its print edition, along with a raft of jobs. With jobs scarce, some journalists invented their own.

As the outdoor writer Johnston received what seemed like every outdoor guide book ever published and never had one crossed his desk that was about the entire Washington Coast.

But his desire to tell a story began sooner than that. Fresh out of college, working at The Daily World, the parent company of this publication, then editor John Hughes, told him when he was finished laying out pages, to “go write about things you like,” and so, he took advantage, getting out of the office and heading to the shoreline to write about anglers, adventure and natural resources.

As the son of a fisherman in Westport, he was steeped in knowledge of the area and familiar with it as well.

Johnston shares anecdotes of the physical features as well as geographic, historic, cultural and personal stories throughout the book.

“My goal as a writer is to tell a story,” he said on his day off, a newly bound copy in hand.

He notes its weight. He’s right. The book has a certain presence, unlike the instability of the coast he discusses.

Broken up into sections starting in the north, Johnston’s wit and story-telling prowess come through.

The vignettes are colorful accounts of each of the areas. He is honest. He tells you what not to miss and what is worth missing. Local characters appear in the salty pages.

One warning about the icons. It may appear, at first glance, when you see the paw print that dogs are allowed on this particular hike, but that is not the case. On the contrary, a paw print means there is wildlife in the area, and therefore, dogs may not be allowed. You must read further to find out whether or not they are permitted.

All in all, this book is perfect for your coffee table or road trip bag.

Johnston shares anecdotes of the physical features as well as geographic, historic, cultural and personal stories throughout the book.

Washington’s Pacific Coast A guide to hiking, camping, fishing & other adventures EXCERPT The ocean is good for the heart and soul — and respiration. It’s just a fun place to be, on the edge of earth and sea and sky. And when you visit the Washington Coast over time, you get to know it better —you start finding beach agates; you see otters, seals, and dolphins in the surf; maybe you find a glass fishing float washed ashore —and it piques your curiosity. You find yourself wondering things like, how did two 90-foot sea stacks end up side by side like giant geologic teeth on an otherwise sandy beach?

The coast casts a spell. You can’t get enough of it. You want to know Washington’s Pacific Ocean shoreline.

For me at least, now that I do know it, I feel compelled to tell others about its singularity, its beauty, its history both natural and cultural, its fragility, and its exquisite importance. This is a place humanity must love, nurture, protect, and enjoy forever and ever.

Washington’s Pacific Coast A Guide to Hiking, Camping, Fishing & Other Adventures.

Greg Johnston. Mountaineers Books. 2015. Pp. 318 Available for purchase at www.mountaineersbooks.org

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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 DIY

How to make a PINHOLE CAMERA

Photo taken by a pinhole camera by Marcy Merrill.

IN S T RU C T IO N S A N D PH O T O S B Y MA R C Y MER R I L L

Gather your supplies and tools.

YOU’LL NEED:

• • • • • • • • • •

empty Altoids tin flat black spray paint discarded pie tin (or similar) cardboard (matboard is better) sandpaper (about 150 grit) carborundum paper (or extra fine sandpaper) sewing needle black tape drill and bit (around 1/8”- 1/4”) scissors

• • • • • •

center punch wood block (cut to size to support the tin) loupe magnifying light clothespin tweezers

OPTIONAL:

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1  SANDING

STEP 2  PAINTING

STEP 3  DRILLING

STEP 4  CUTTING

Sand the inside of the clean tin with the 150 grit sandpaper.

Get it good and scuffy, so the spray paint will stick.

Spray paint the inside of the tin, with flat black paint, making sure to cover all of the inside surfaces. You may tape off the outside surfaces to avoid overspray, but you don’t have to.

Optional step: Centerpunch your tin (on the ingredients side) directly in the center of the tin.

Cut a small square out of the pie tin. Here, I’ve glued my sewing needle into a clothespin. I make a lot of these cameras and the clothespin makes for an easier grip on the sewing needle.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Drill your tin directly in the center of the ingredients side of the tin.

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

STEP 5  PIN HOLE Place the cut piece of tin on the piece of cardboard (or matboard). Keeping the needle straight, push directly down exerting a minimal amount of pressure. Continue pushing down slightly while turning the needle back and forth. It might take a few pieces of pie tin to get the knack of it.When the needle just barely pricks the cardboard, you’re there! Stop!

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STEP 6  SMOOTHING Turn the new pinhole upside down on the board. Use your carborundum paper (or very fine grit sandpaper) to smooth the back of the pinhole.

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STEP 7  CLEANING You can use a magnifying light to clean out the pinhole. Holding the piece of pie tin with tweezers, lightly put the needle into the pinhole. Don’t apply pressure. Spin the needle just a bit. Inspect the hole using a loupe or magnifying glass to be sure it’s perfectly round and free of debris.

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The smaller your pinhole, the sharper your pictures.

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STEP 8  TAPING Use black masking tape to tape the pinhole into the tin body, aligning the pinhole hole in the center of the drilled hole. Be sure the pinhole is in the center of the drilled hole.

STEP 9  SHUTTER I double-up the black tape to make the shutter. Simply tear a couple of pieces of tape and stick them over the pinhole.

This will act as your shutter. You remove the tape to expose the film (or paper). You could also use some of that magnetic material, cut to size. I find, though, that stuff gets knocked off easily. I prefer the tape. Be certain the black tape (the shutter) is covering the pinhole. (In the future, you may want to replace this tape with a magnet).

313 Wishkah St. Aberdeen,WA 98520 360-532-6140 bryanandsonjewelers.com WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 DIY

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•

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•

Westport 268-1850

How to use your PINHOLE CAMERA LOADING FILM In a completely dark room or film changing bag, cut a strip of 35mm film to fit the inside of the tin. With the film’s emulsion side facing the pinhole, tape the film to the tin’s lid with black masking tape. You can also use photo paper. Better yet, try some direct positive paper! Available through online outlets such as www. freestylephoto.biz, direct positive paper is easy to process at home and renders a positive image on the paper.

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Tape the outside of the tin, all the way around the seam, with black electrical tape to seal any light leaks. To expose the film [or paper], simply remove the tape that is covering the pinhole. To end exposure, replace the tape. I generally use 400 speed black and white film.

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Exposure is completely dependent upon the available light.

Outside, indirect sunlight, I’d start with an exposure of 4 seconds.

Cloudy days might be 10-30 seconds. Indoors can be a few minutes to a few hours, depending upon the desired result.

Experiment! You’ll need to keep your Pintoid steady during exposure. I use the rubber bands that come with broccoli to attach my Pintoid to my tripod. You should be eating more broccoli anyway. Either rubber band it to a tripod, set it on a surface, or tape it to something. I often jam my Pintoid into the sand to keep it steady.

Celebrating 75years

NOTES: You may cut larger size film to the size of the tin. It doesn’t necessarily have to be 35mm. Do not touch the pinhole.

In 1938 the people of Grays Harbor voted to create the Grays Harbor Public Utility District Number One. In January 1940, that transition was complete and the non-profit, community owned Grays Harbor PUD opened its doors. 75 years later YOUR Grays Harbor PUD continues the proud tradition of safe and reliable utility services. Over three-quarters of a century much has changed, but one constant is that YOUR PUD answers to YOU, its customers, and not a group of investors. Your elected board of commissioners meets in the open, free to be questioned and happy to provide the answers. Many of your PUD employees are residents of the District they serve, providing ownership and accountability …. remembering that they are here to serve their customers and neighbors.

Celebrating 75 years of safe and reliable service to Grays Harbor County (and looking forward to the next 75).

It’s just another way your Grays Harbor PUD works for you.

You will need developer, stop bath and a fix and a very dark room, like a closet or a bathroom with no windows.

Depending whether you are using photo paper or negatives, will alter your chemistry time. Follow the directions on the chemistry kit.

of safe & reliable serviCe!

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TAKING PHOTOS

Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

DEVELOPING PHOTOS

FINISHED RESULTS! PHOTOS TAKEN WITH A PINHOLE CAMERA.

HEALTH  

Monkeys, alligators and parrots; OH, MY! Take your kids to a one-of-akind, desert island playground situated conveniently between the library and swimming pool, in Raymond. It was built to match the metal silhouettes that are part of an art installation that has become one of the town’s most identifying features. Randy Dennis, a local businessman, worked with artist Ernie Kuntz who designed and formed the structure with help from his sons. The structure cost $40,000 and was funded by a grant written by Dennis. Log slide, suspended bridge and a low alligator bench all add to monkeys and birds hanging in the trees above the structure.

DON’T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK! Keep your kids’ skin healthy with protection while outside playing.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 STYLE

Summer blues BRING THE HUE OF THE OCEAN AND SKY INTO ANY ROOM. P I C KS B Y B R I T T A FOL DEN

WOODEN ANCHOR, $47 Seaworthy Home, Seabrook

BOOKS, $2-8 WOOL BLANKET, $8 Dandy, Pacific Beach

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

GLASS FLOAT LAMP, $159 McHughs Furniture, Hoquiam

P HO T O S B Y G AB E G R E EN

INFINITY SCARF, $23 DANSKO JOANIE SANDALS, $129 BEE BAR, $8 Harbor Shoes, Aberdeen

STYLE  

BLUE HERON DOWN PILLOW, $185

BLUE CHECK SHIRT, $14 Seaweed, Ocean Shores

Grand Heron, Aberdeen

CHAD REYNVAAN CD, $15 BLUES PROJECT RECORD, $8 Boomtown Records, Aberdeen

PLAID CHAIR, $475 McHughs Furniture, Hoquiam HANDMADE STRIPED VASE, $290 Grand Heron, Aberdeen

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 DRINK

Coffee 101 ROASTING THE BEAN STORY BY D AN JACK SON

C

offee … whether it’s a morning ritual or a leisure activity to partake of a glorious cup, everyone has their preference. But how does it get from green

BEAN TALK “Almost everybody I talk to in the roaster realm is roasting light to medium. Roasting it dark — it’s almost dishonoring the people who grew it.”

-Chad Baier, owner of Tinderbox Coffee Roasters

COFFEE ROASTERS

ON THE WASHINGTON COAST

bean to your coffee mug? The art of roasting is one part science, one part art, utilizing an evergrowing institutional memory of coffee types and all the human senses. Roasters are artisans who steep themselves in coffee bean lore. There’s a meaning and a process behind the “light” “medium” or “dark” roast label on the outside of your coffee bag. Within each of those three basic levels of roast are several nuanced sub-levels whose use are often dictated by the bean’s origin and characteristics. The basic rule: the lighter the roast, the more the character of the particular bean — Sumatran, Colombian, Ethiopian and so on — is showcased.

“Almost everybody I talk to in the roaster realm is roasting light to medium,” said roaster Chad Baier, who owns Tinderbox Coffee Roasters in Westport with his wife Aubrey. The industry trend nowa-days is to roast on the lighter side to showcase the bean itself, he said, a notion he agrees with. “Roasting it dark — it’s almost dishonoring the people who grew it.”

SUMATRAN, COLOMBIAN, ETHIOPIAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN... FIND SOME HERE Tinderbox Coffee Roasters Westport, WA www.tinderboxroasters.com (360) 612-0555 Ocean Beach Roasters Ocean Shores, WA www.facebook. comoceanbeachroasters (360) 289-3100

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Long Beach Coffee Roasters Long Beach, WA www.longbeachcoffee.com (360) 642-2334

DRINK  

Light Also known as City Roast and including its slightly darker

ROASTED BEANS: 320˚-436˚F

cousin City Plus, light roasted coffees are cooked just past the first “crack” — when the beans make a popping sound much like popcorn in a popper. As the temperature rises at a steady 18 to 20 degrees per minute, the beans begin to brown. If the temperature rises too slowly, the beans will have a “baked” flavor, considered a bad word to accomplished roasters. If the temperature rises at too high a rate, the beans will have a “burnt” flavor, losing some of the individual characteristics of the particular regional coffee bean being roasted.

400°

345°

408°

BAIER’S PICK: ETHIOPIAN

320°

395°

430°

436°

P HOTO BY G A BE G RE E N

ra w 426°

413°

390°

Medium Often referred to as Full City and Full City Plus,

this roast pushes farther past the first crack for a darker color and more robust flavor. But don’t wait for the second crack — if you do, it’s on to dark roast you go. Medium roast beans begin to exhibit a slight sheen as the natural oils within the bean just begin to surface. Medium roasts have a lower acidity level than their light cousins in general, though a common misconception is that the caffeine level is lower the darker the roast. Caffeine doesn’t burn away significantly during roasting, so the particular bean being roasted has more to do with the caffeine level.

370°

417°

422°

Dark A realm many roasters these days prefer not to visit too often, dark

roasts like Vienna, French and Italian tend to burn off much more of the character of the bean itself than light or medium. Once the second crack is heard, roasters nervously watch the color of their beans as the temperature continues to rise and the beans transition from a milk chocolate tint, racing toward a near-black color. Dark roasted beans exhibit dots of oils on the outside as the natural oils are cooked out. Acidity is generally the lowest here among the roasting levels. Many roasters simply won’t do an Italian roast, since by that level the beans are nearly charcoal-like and can cause a roaster fire if not carefully monitored.

BAIER’S PICK: ETHIOPIAN

BAIER’S PICK: MEXICAN CHIAPAS

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 DRINK

Wine Tasting Rooted

in COASTAL SOIL Cruising along the southern edge of Grays Harbor, winding over bridges and through the tree-lined highway toward the ocean, you might be surprised to see signs pointing you toward a winery.

A coastal winery?

Of all the surprises in store at Westport Winery, the location is just the first.

ST ORY BY B R I T T A F O L D E N PHOT O S B Y G A B E G R E E N

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

O

wners Kim and Blain Roberts opened the winery doors seven years ago, after many adventures as a couple. They met in Westport, while Kim was working at the Westport Shipyard and Blain was in the shipyard doing some boat building business for his Maui diving venture. Blain was ready to whisk Kim away to a life in paradise (Hawaii), but Kim wouldn’t go without his promise to return to her paradise (Grays Harbor) someday.

Blain kept his promise and the couple eventually made the decision to return to the Washington Coast. As experienced and wise business owners, they did their research on potential ventures and eventually landed on the idea of a coastal winery.

A friend in the wine business recommended that they set out on a quest to do 10,000 tastes, a not-so-terrible task maybe, in order to refine their palate and discover what they truly appreciate in wine. They found tasting notes that they’d prefer to avoid and also flavors to build on, when creating their own unique wines.

Through their winery, they have sought to teach love of the land, enterprise and community — ideals they not only share with their business relations but also their two children. Dana, their son, is the head winemaker and their daughter, Carrie, the winery’s general manager.

The family’s love of the land has seen them through huge leaps in building up the winery grounds over the past seven years. What began as a field of overgrown weeds and rusting old farm equipment has turned into rolling hills full of surprises. After an attempt to grow their own wine grapes on their coastal land, they realized the benefit of buying instead from the multi-generational family vineyards in Eastern Washington.

Making the business decision to build those relationships with valuable vineyards gave room for Westport Winery to introduce many attractions on their own land — outdoor games, a grapevine maze, an off-leash dog park and beautiful gardens full of sculptures to wander through while sipping on their locally made beverages.

DRINK  

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 DRINK

Both Kim and Blain have used their past experiences to add to the uniqueness of Westport Winery. “We’ve made our living around the ocean,” explained Blain, who spent many years in Maui as a professional surfer and business owner. Kim considers the Washington Coast home and has formal training in architecture and is an artist at heart, so she now considers the winery to be her canvas to create.

Westport Winery is committed to giving its customers a unique and pleasant experience, so the tasting room is only closed two days a year. Even when Grays Harbor experienced major flooding over the winter, the family of four, each of whom live very close by, opened up shop. They are also committed to aiding the community through monetary contributions. Each wine is paired with a non-profit, mostly local to Grays Harbor, to help build the community alongside their business.

As the offerings in wine and entertainment have grown, they continually listen to their customers, taking suggestions to add products, flavors and experiences. Kim explained that many of the additions beyond their initial idea of making wine have come from listening to others’ suggestion. A gift shop, outdoor gardens, a growing tasting bar, a restaurant, bakery, and more now fill the landscape.

Any visitor should be able to find what they’re looking for here. In the tasting room, there’s plenty to choose from, including their newest additions of hard cider and non-alcoholic wine. Beyond the wine, there’s fun here for the whole family.

In the tasting room, wine newbies are encouraged to try new things and go outside their comfort zone, with the aid of a friendly tasting room assistant at their side. Their top suggestions include Duckleberry Grunt (a blueberry Gewürztraminer, $26/bottle) and Rapture of the Deep (a sparkling cranberry wine, $27).

Clockwise from top: A fun signpost gives directions to activities and places at the winery. Kim, Blain and their kids, Carrie and Dana. The Westport Winery lighthouse creates a scenic silhouette at sunset. Each member of the family gets their own label. Guests can find many places on the property to sit and enjoy the gardens. The grounds feature a large hand-carved wooden chess set.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

DREAM

CREATE

kalich & sons

CONSTRUCTION

Montesano,Washington

360.589.4177 See more at

kalichandsons.com

 HISTORY

THE SPRUCE GIRLS of 1929

The Spruce Girls’ veneer attire was made by Laura Martin, mother to Julia and Marguerite. Sadly, the suits were destroyed in a structure fire some years later.

BY J OH N L A R SO N P HOT O S F R O M T H E P O L S ON MUS EUM

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“Why Wear Woolen Wraps When Wood Would Wear Wonderfully – Without Warping” read the Washingtonian newspaper’s headline for the spruce veneer attire modeled at Hoquiam’s 1929 Wood Week exhibition. The young women who modeled these non-warping garments were the Spruce Girls, a group of lovely young ladies who helped put Grays Harbor and its wood-based industries in the national spotlight just as the decade was coming to a close.

As prominently proclaimed on her sash, The Original Spruce Girl was Julia Martin, daughter of Julius and Laura Martin, the latter a talented seamstress who volunteered to transform the Grays Harbor Veneer Company’s thinly peeled veneers into garments. The wood sheets were typically used in the manufacture of plywood, fruit and berry boxes, and, as advertised, “containers for every purpose.” In seeking new ways to market this ultra-thin material, Mrs. Martin set up her treadle Singer sewing machine early in the summer of 1929 and crafted veneer bathing suits, dresses, hats and dolls for Julia (Garrison/Alexander), her sister

Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

HISTORY   Marguerite (Webb), Willa Garrison (Biggs), Eleanor Eddy (Anderson), and sisters Tralice Steen (Lewis) and Theta Steen. The girls were asked to serve as ambassadors for their community and its industry.

News of the Spruce Girls traveled fast and that July, Northwest cameraman Chalmer Sinkey traveled to the Harbor to film the girls for a Movietone News “comedy” that begins on the planked mill yard of the Hoquiam Lumber and Shingle Company and ends with the girls’ “arrest” at Pacific Beach for wearing their suits too short. At the mill, the girls buy a roll of veneer, verifying with a mill man that the material, only 1/80th of an inch thick, isn’t too transparent. They ask Mrs. Martin to craft their suits, then notice the camera is still filming as they begin to dress. In the most (modestly) risqué scene of the film, Julia remarks, “Hey, Movietone is watching us – put that down, for heaven’s sake!” Once they’re “all spruced up and ready for the beach,” the girls giggle and frolic as they bound into the surf, splashing about for the camera.

The girls traveled regionally that summer and fall, promoting Hoquiam and its wood-based industries by distributing the Hoquiam Chamber of Commerce’s “Board Foot,” a campy wood cutout in the shape of a foot. In late October, Julia traveled to Seattle with her spruce suit and a giant plywood board foot promoting Hoquiam’s Wood Week to 600 delegates of the Pacific Logging Congress – a presentation that reportedly “stopped the show.” Though Hoquiam’s Wood Week opened on October 28, 1929 – infamously remembered as the “Black Monday” stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression – these young ladies were all smiles, cheerleading for a community still at the peak of prosperity.

(L-R) Julia Martin, Tralice Steen, Eleanor Eddy, Theta Steen and Marguerite Martin inspect the Movietone News camera between film takes at the Hoquiam Lumber & Shingle Company in July, 1929.

As ambassadors for Grays Harbor industry, the Spruce Girls traveled regionally with promotional materials at the ready.

g The girls traveled regionally promoting Advertisin Materials Hoquiam and its wood-based industries

by distributing the Hoquiam Chamber of Commerce’s “BOARD FOOT.”

In the months leading up to 1929’s Wood Week, additional Spruce Girls were enlisted, including Sylvia Feinson (Michaelson), Dorothy Carlson (Davis), Elsie Carlson (Nagrodski), Lillian Swanson (Cobine), Edna Coats, Adella Marshall and Blanche Young. During the following two decades, new girls modeled the stiff suits. In 1930, the girls appeared with the famed local ship captain Matt Peasley and in 1932 the suits were shipped to St. Louis where girls there wore them at the National Inventors Congress.

Even National Geographic couldn’t resist the Spruce Girls, captioning a photograph in their magazine, “Hoquiam Girls with

Wooden Dresses Might Pose as Tree Nymphs.” In 1938 a new group, including Florence Kari, Virginia Lamoreaux and Elsie Peltola, prepared fresh suits with scallop detailing in advance of Hoquiam’s 50th Anniversary Bunyan Jubilee. And finally in 1946 another – and possibly the last – group of Spruce Girls was featured in a nationally distributed film, shown locally at the 7th Street and D & R theaters. This group included Lois Hart, Betty Poust, Arline Lukes, Mary Viducich, Doris Lucas, Edith Sanberg, Marilyn Coleman, Dorothy Iraola and Gloria Byrnes.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

BEAUTY  

The power of FRIENDS, DOGS, LAUGHTER and the foundation of your feet.

S T O R Y BY R I C H E L L E B A R G E R P HO T OS B Y G A B E G R E E N

S

ometimes we forget, or just don’t make it a priority, to take time for ourselves. For Stacie Barnum and Molle Bouch, their friendship is a constant reminder.

Growing up about four miles apart, the two were standout athletes at rival high schools and during their college years, were sworn enemies. But now, they have found that they have much in common.

They happen to live in the same neighborhood, their husbands work together, they own brother dogs and, when Stacie reminds Molle, they enjoy a pedicure together.

“Molle is very busy and has a difficult time remembering to take care of herself. I have to remind her to come with me,” says Stacie.

While pedicurist Theresa Lowry, owner of A Touch of Perfection in Aberdeen, takes turns rubbing, scrubbing, soaking and moisturizing their feet, they sit next to each other laughing and telling stories.

The shop is in a 1905 carriage house with original woodwork and piping and sits on the grounds of the Aberdeen Mansion, one of Aberdeen’s classic homes from the days of the timber barons.

The pampering session is an opportunity for the two to retell tales of their adventures in life. They laugh and share pictures — mostly of their dogs.

The two are deeply involved in their community and the stories often involve volunteering, community betterment strategy or an upcoming gala, but mostly the talk is about dogs.

Like the time they stopped traffic while en route to a shopping excursion. In heels, they saved a kamikaze dog from the speeding cars along the highway.

Top: Enjoying a moment to laugh.

Molle and Stacie with Albert, Mickie, Maggie, Milo.

The pampering session is an opportunity for the two to retell tales of their adventures in life.

They laugh and share pictures — mostly of their dogs.

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 BEAUTY

“Molle is very busy and has a difficult time remembering to take care of herself. I have to remind her to come with me.”

Stacie left, and Molle enjoy a pampering pedicure at A Touch of Perfection Salon.

“Cars were backed up for two miles!” they exclaimed. It’s a favorite story of how dogs play a major role in their lives.

Alternately, Stacie and Molle stare out the window to manicured gardens of the mansion, where large calla lilies peek up and over the window sill. In between bouts of laughter, is calmness and serenity.

Painting your toenails dates back to 3000 BC to ancient China and Egypt. Social classes were color coded — paler colors were for townspeople, while bright and metallic colors were reserved for the higher born.

Though in ancient times pedicures were to protect the nail, now it is a fun, simple excuse to take care of your feet, add a little color and maybe even to be silly. And an excuse for a foot rub.

Your feet, supporters of your entire body, have more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments and 31 pressure points. Feet are responsible for your stability, balance and mobility. They are your foundation. An abnormality

in your feet could cause back problems, and footcare for diabetics is imperative, says Lowry. Foot and leg massages increase blood flow, which in turn makes for a healthy heart and brain.

And remember, pedicures are not just for women. Men stand on their feet all day long, as well. Just because you might be a fisherman, logger or dressed in a three-piece suit, there is no reason for you to forgo the delight of a foot rub. “I wish my husband would come to Theresa,” Stacie said, “then he would know heaven.”

A foot massage may put an extra spring in your step or maybe it will inspire you to roll in the grass with a friend.

You don’t need to paint your toenails to be silly or to have fun with a good friend, but it sure is a good excuse to be healthy and beautiful at the same time. And it’s a great excuse to take care of your foundation.

If you’ve never had a pedicure, it’s about time you did. They range in price from $10 for a basic foot care to about $55 or more for the spa treatment.

“Pedicures are only powerful if you believe

relaxing is powerful, if you believe spending quality time with wonderful friends is powerful, if you believe in the power of self care, if you believe experiences are more powerful than stuff, and if you just happen to have good hygiene!”

Keelee Frost, teacher, Harbor High

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PEDICURE

Power What is so fabulous about the pedi?

Locals weigh in.

“We women don’t take care of ourselves, because we are always taking care of somebody else.”

Theresa Lowry, owner, A Touch of Perfection Pedicure

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 DINE

Fish Shack

ATTACK fried with pride

S T O R Y B Y JA KE S C H I L D P H O T O S B Y GA B E GR EEN

Some things just don’t make sense.

And for Ron Lambert, Operations Manager for Bennett’s Coastal Restaurants, one of his biggest questions when he moved to the area nearly 10 years ago was why there wasn’t a restaurant dedicated to fish and chips in either Westport or Ocean Shores, two coastal communities right next to the water.

So, after starting Bennett’s Restaurant in Grayland in 2005, Lambert and his family first opened a fast-casual fish shack of the same surname in Westport in 2010, followed by an Ocean Shores location in 2011.

The Westport shop, deemed by Lambert a “conceptual” project, flourished, turning into a successful eatery that caters to hordes of seasonal tourists at the coast and natives, alike.

“It has exceeded our expectations in every measure,” said Lambert of the Westport location.

After finding success in Westport, Lambert and his family set their sights further up the coastline and opened another store in Ocean Shores.

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Bennett’s speciality hand-battered fish and chips, shrimp, and clam strips served on a bed of french fries.

DINE  

The Westport shop caters to hordes of seasonal tourists and natives, alike.

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 DINE “Ocean Shores had twenty-some eating establishments and not one place that specialized in fish and chips and clam chowder,” he said.

Lambert’s intuition was spot on again, with customers coming from near and far to get a taste of Bennett’s fish and chips.

But, Bennett’s ability to win over customers is no fluke. All three restaurants serve fresh halibut from fisheries in Alaska, where their cod comes from, as well. Shipments of fish come in every other day and are trimmed and filleted to the restaurant specification’s daily.

The oysters at Bennett’s are sourced locally from Brady’s Oysters while the crab comes from Nelson Crab in Tokeland. The restaurant’s tartar and cocktail sauces are made in house and Bennett’s uses 100 percent canola oil to fry its food.

“It makes a difference in our product,” said Lambert of buying his ingredients locally. “We believe in a sustainable fishery. Being sustainable is important to us.”

Bennett’s has won numerous awards, including the Professional’s Choice Award for the best clam chowder at the 9th annual Razor Clam Festival & Seafood Extravaganza in March of 2015.

Bennett’s Fish Shacks are known for their hand-breaded halibut, beerbattered cod, grilled salmon, crab cakes, clam strips, fresh oysters and clam chowder, but also offer gourmet hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and fish tacos. Gluten-free options are available at all three restaurants, as well.

The Fish Shacks are labeled “fast casual” restaurants. Patrons order at the counter and are then given a number on their receipt letting waiters know where to bring their food.

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The Ocean Shores location offers microbrews and Northwest wines.

DINE  

Left page: The bar keeps their taps stocked with local microbrews as well as domestic favorites.

Bottom: Bennett’s keeps their menu fresh based on daily offerings.

Right: The Apple Wood Bacon Cheeseburger is made with fresh, local ingredients and offers big flavor you can barely wrap your mouth around.

Bennett’s Fish Shacks are known for their handbreaded halibut, beer-battered cod, grilled salmon, crab cakes, clam strips, fresh oysters and clam chowder, but also offer gourmet hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and fish tacos.

Bennett’s Restaurant offers full table service and has a more diverse menu, serving steak, pasta and chicken entrees on top of seafood options.

Both the restaurant and the fish shacks have a nautical motif that provide patrons with a fun dining atmosphere. The Ocean Shores location has a bar adjacent to the dining area, and all restaurants offer microbrews and Northwest wines.

If you’re at any of Bennett’s three locations, don’t overlook their hamburgers. The Apple Wood Bacon Cheeseburger as well as a Southwest burger, are delightful.

The restaurant and fish shacks take their name from Lambert’s grandfather, whose last name was Bennett.

“They wouldn’t ask you if you were hungry, food would just appear on the table,” said Lambert of his grandfather’s family. “The great hospitality we grew up with is now extended to the public.”

There is a lot of tourism in both Ocean Shores and Westport, especially during the summer, and Lambert thinks a majority of the area’s visitors come from the I-5 corridor looking for a mini getaway.

BENNETT’S FISH SHACK

Westport 2581 Westhaven Dr Westport, WA 98595 (360) 268-7380 Ocean Shores 105 West Chance A La Mer NE Ocean Shores, WA 98569 (360) 289-2847

“I think it has to do with a lot of people not being able to take a five or seven day vacation. This works for them to recharge and breathe,” he said.

So, whenever you’re hankering for a cod fillet basket and a beer, make the drive to the coast and drop by Bennett’s. And, in a moment of repose, after your hunger and thirst has been satiated, thank the Bennett’s crew for bringing authentic seafood to the Washington Coast.

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 DINE

The great hospitality we grew up with is now extended to the public.”

- Robert Lambert, owner

The hardworking and friendly front-of-house, back-of-house and management staff at Bennett’s in Ocean Shores.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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Merrill takes particular pride and joy in the images she takes with her pinhole cameras, which she constructs out of all different kinds of boxes.

M

arcy Merrill never knows what she’ll find on a trip to the beach, but chances are it will be something worth documenting with her camera, repurposing, or even upcycling into art. In Merrill’s hands, old things get new life, often through being expressed in photography steeped in old methods and materials.

Left: Local artist, Marcy Merrill has a studio which is as eccentric and creative as her personality.

“Every time I go to the beach” mere steps away from her North Cove home, “I find something interesting. And you never know what it will be or how it will inspire you,” Merrill said.

Above: One of Merrill’s wetplate photographs.

A photographer by profession, Merrill started documenting her finds with her camera. After many, many months of walks with her dogs (she fosters them), she collated her photos into a self-published book, “200 Things.” She made just two copies – one for herself, and one for a friend.

There are many, many pictures of bird skulls and empty bottles, but there are also washed up objects from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. And shoes. So many shoes.

“People seem to come to the beach and take them off and forget them,” Merrill said. “Who even knows what that’s about.”

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Right: Merrill creates colorfully beaded old Brownie box cameras which fill the shelves of her studio.

Far right: Dog portraits at a local shelter, some of Merrill’s favorite work.

MARCY MERRILL THE SILVER NITRATE QUEEN: Photography from Beads, Brownies, Kewpies and ALTOID TINS S T O R Y BY CAL L IE WHIT E | PHO T O S BY G ABE G RE E N

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In Merrill’s studio are numerous cameras — not necessarily of the pinhole variety — that she’s similarly decorated, gluing and wrapping them with sparkly beads in a variety of colors and patterns.

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Beach Finds The beach is what drew Merrill to North Cove, about 10 miles south of Westport.

She had left her home in Flint, Mich., as a teenager, settling in Seattle and pursuing a career in art. But about two decades ago she was on a trip with her husband to the coast.

She said she looked at her husband and said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to live on the beach?” and suddenly, they were moving and they weren’t looking back. Instead, they became a part of the Tokeland area’s artist community.

The beach is a source for Merrill’s creativity, whether it is the constant flow of human and animal detritus on the shore, the energy of the ocean, or the fresh air and exercise that comes when one is responsible for dogs.

The “200 Things” project seems a far cry from Merrill’s bread-and-butter wedding and corporate photography, but it’s part of her sensibility, which tends toward found objects, oddities and finding new contexts for old processes. Her home, for example, has floorspace that is tiled with pieces of pottery and glass she found on the beach, and driftwood and floats decorate her yard and porch.

Pinhole cameras

Merrill takes particular pride and joy in the images she takes with her pinhole cameras, which she constructs out of all different kinds of boxes.

“Every time I travel I usually load my ‘pintoid’ cameras,” Merrill said, flourishing a few old Altoids tins she had taped up to be “lighttight” and with a small hole drilled in the front. “I use these a lot, so I like to have them ready to go whenever I’m somewhere I think would make a good image.”

Pinhole cameras are extremely simple — all they consist of is a box with a small hole in the front, which lets light in to strike film or light-sensitive paper set in the back of the box in lieu of a lens. Loading a pinhole camera can be tricky, since any light will ruin the film before it can be properly exposed, but Merrill’s hands work rapidly and assuredly inside a black bag. (See how-to on page 14) Opening old photo albums she’s collected, they are filled with images of Americana taken from the pintoid cameras. Diners, roadside attractions and interesting characters fill the pages in black and white images she has often washed over with color, giving the slightly eccentric pictures a new layer of interest.

Merrill has other, larger pinhole cameras she’s constructed. She even has a tent that functions as a sort of pinhole camera. It’s called a camera obscura. Its roots are ancient and its principles led to the cameras we know. On Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, an event coordinated very loosely by the website pinholeday.org and usually in late April, Merrill often sets it up to show youngsters and other curious people, who can go inside and see how the light hits the back of the tent and forms an image.

Beading But when she takes pictures she’s more likely to use a box-like one wrapped in bright beads and decked with a large beaded seal — her “pinniped camera,” a pun on the

scientific classification of the seal family.

As a youth, Merrill got her first exposure to art from her mother, a painter. But kismet struck when she picked up a camera. She was enchanted by the many knobs and dials to tweak images, and the relationship between the eye and technology. And the more she explored photography, the greater the appreciation she gained for the technology of earlier cameras. With that appreciation came her own experiments with different cameras, including wet plate photography, from which she gained her nickname, “The Queen of Silver Nitrate,” the chemical that reacts to light.

In Merrill’s studio are numerous cameras — not necessarily of the pinhole variety — that she’s similarly decorated, gluing

THE WORK Left: (clockwise) Beaded Kodak box camera lined up. The Flamethrower, a Kodak Autographic bellows camera. The Coronet a 3-D camera. A purple beaded Kodak Hawkeye. The Pinniped with lobster shutter, pinhole camera.

Above: Beach finds WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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and wrapping them with sparkly beads in a variety of colors and patterns. Again, she has punnily named some of them, like Camera Miranda, a punchy orange and blue beaut with a stack of fruit-shaped beads on top.

Her cameras are all styled uniquely, some with gold beads, others in shiny purple and red. Some have silver-beaded flashes, others have beads shaped like lobsters or tiny seashells or coins wrapped into them.

And though they are colorful and shiny, Merrill practices enough restraint on them so that they never go overboard with the kitsch factor, and they always keep their utility.

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“They all work. I would never do something that would stop that,” she said. “It’s important to me that they work. And I even use some of them.”

Merrill gets most of her old cameras from people who hear she is a photographer and pass on an old camera they happen to have. She has them lined up in her studio on long shelves, Kewpies, Brownies, and even a 3D Bakelite camera, waiting to be used or repurposed.

Retro Technology

The most retro of the camera technology

Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

that Merrill embraces is taking photos on aluminum plates. It’s a complicated process that entails Merrill setting up her subject — most often friends and neighbors, and often musicians (“they come in with their instrument, and they entertain me while I’m getting ready, then after we shoot sometimes we have a jam session”) — and composing the shot before running to her darkroom and bathing a sheet of aluminum in a light-sensitive solution of silver nitrate and collodion, placing it in a box, then getting it in her camera. A single exposure necessarily lasts seconds or even minutes — far longer than it takes a conventional

Though Merrill’s work relies on her creating strata upon strata of reused materials and old techniques, her artist’s eye makes the many layers fresh and the effect is always modern, never cluttered or kitschy.

camera. And the image captured on the plate is a positive — and the only one that will exist of that picture.

The payoff, though, are images that look like they’ve been taken out of time, and even out of this world. Partly it’s due to the starkness of the black on silver, partly because most people can’t keep their eyes still for the exposure, so their irises are ghostly. And it’s partly because of Merrill’s use of unlikely props, from plants to tools to animal skulls — more of her beach findings.

And though Merrill’s work relies on her creating strata upon strata of reused

materials and old techniques, her artist’s eye makes the many layers fresh and the effect is always modern, never cluttered or kitschy. Even in her life, Merrill finds ways to repurpose old theater seats and a confessional in her studio while still having a streamlined, open and fresh space; she has beach-found materials in the floors and along the walls of her home, which feels cozy and airy at the same time. And some of her closest companions are dogs she finds when they have been cast off or discarded, and revitalizes them with love and energy.

Left: Merrill uses a large format, 8 x 10 camera given to her by a friend, to create some of her photographs.

Right: Riley, the splotchy dog loves his picture taken on the beach by Marcy.

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is mutchhan more

WN

ING TO H S I F N O M L A SA

W

estport is a beach town that works for a living.

It’s got all one would expect from a tourism-friendly beach destination — kites, kitsch, even kittens, the infamous jetty cats that roam the rock revetment around the marina looking for a free seafood lunch.

But the tourism draws near the marina at the heart of the town share space with a hard-working commercial fishing fleet and give the place coastal soul and a sense that the ocean is more than just a backdrop for postcards.

S T O RY BY DO U G BARKER

PHOTOS BY GABE GREEN

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It billed itself as the Salmon Capital of the World and the charter boat fleet was what brought most people to town. It still brings visitors by the drove, but for at least 20 years now, in addition to salmon, the trips are for tuna, bottom fish or whale watching excursions.

Westport is located on a spit at the southern entrance to Grays Harbor, about in the middle of the Washington Coast. It’s the largest of several beach communities in the area locals call the South Beach, which stretches from Grays Harbor south to Willapa Harbor.

From the marina, protected by rock armoring from the ocean and Chehalis River currents at the mouth of Grays Harbor, one can look north across the harbor to Ocean Shores and, on sunny days, see all the way to the snow-covered Olympic Mountains. And from June through September there are lots of sunny days. The view from the marina also includes the ship traffic from freighters calling on Aberdeen farther up the river, and the commercial fishing boats with catches of Dungeness crab, shrimp, tuna, salmon, hake and a host of other species, depending on the time of year.

Some of it can be purchased at a fresh fish shack right on the dock or at one of several fresh seafood markets near the marina. Crab from the Seafood Connection fish shack is cooked in a pot right on the dock.

The marina is divided roughly in two. Looking from Westhaven Drive, the street that spans the length of the marina, the right side is given over to commercial vessels. For the most part, they’re working boats, with a rusty charm and not many creature comforts. Skippers and deck hands scramble around the vessels doing maintenance and getting the boats ready to go out again. The noise from barking sea lions sunning themselves on a float at that end of the marina is almost constant. They’re cute, but give them a wide berth and don’t feed them. Not bad advice when it comes to the deck hands, as well.

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A modern Coast Guard station at that end of the marina, and the former Coast Guard station — a Cape Cod style building that now houses the Westport Maritime Museum — are a reminder that what they do on the commercial boats is risky and the North Pacific Ocean is a serious body of water, particularly in winter. A more sobering reminder is the Fishermen’s Memorial on the far side of the marina, with its plaque that reads “In Memory of All Mariners Lost at Sea.” To find the memorial, drive along the marina

LODGING

The area has a broad variety of lodging options, from straight up motels to condos, bed and breakfast inns and some short-term rentals.

For campers, there are also two good state parks: Twin Harbors and Grayland.

A good one-stop-shopping site to check things out is: www.westportwa.com/ business/motel.html

and follow the road as it curves around to the right, past the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill.

Park at the end of the road and you’ll see the whitewashed memorial spire. There’s also a wooden walkway with a deck built over the rocks and great views of the harbor.

And that’s where you’ll see the jetty cats, dozens, maybe scores of them, living in the rocks. Local animal lovers have been caring for them for years and Boy Scouts have built feeding platforms for them.

The non-commercial side of the marina is for charter fishing boats and private vessels.

Charter fishing offices line Westhaven Drive on that end of the marina, along with a number of cafes and gift shops. An observation tower stands at the far end of that side of the marina.

Looking out over the ocean, the marina and harbor are to the right and the aptly-named Half Moon Bay in Westhaven State Park, a favorite area for surfers, is to the left.

In the past decade or so the popularity of Westport as a surfing destination has grown tremendously. The Clearwater Classic, a surfing competition, attracts dozens of contestants from around the world and thousands of spectators to Half Moon Bay. Timing of the competition has moved around a bit. This year, the 14th annual version is Sept. 25-27. It gets bigger every year and includes family-friendly events around surfing, including a surf camp for kids.

From the observation tower, a paved dune trail walkway goes along the shoreline and over to Westhaven State Park and then over to the Grays Harbor Lighthouse. The trail is about 2.5 miles long and mostly flat. Westhaven State Park is about half way. From there the trail parallels the beach and looks out over the ocean.

Left page: Even little helpers take part at the fishing dock at Westport.

The Westport Maritime Museum and former Coast Guard station.

Above: Sea lions bask in the sun on the dock.

Left: The beach has plenty of souvenirs, like sand dollars.

Below left: Glass wind chimes at the Basket House.

Below right: Rope, nets and buoys on the dock.

If you don’t feel like walking to the lighthouse, it’s easy to find by car. As you drive along Montesano Street, the main road in and out of town, there’s one stop light, at Ocean Avenue.

Turn toward the ocean. It’s about eight blocks down. The summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Monday. It costs $5 to climb to the top for a tour with one of the volunteer “watch standers,” but if you don’t like steps, there’s plenty to see on the grounds and in the gift shop. It’s 114 years old and, at 107 feet, it’s the tallest lighthouse on the Washington Coast and third tallest on the Pacific Coast.

Westport gives you choices. If you’re a shop browser, you’re covered. If you want something more participatory, a fishing charter is the quintessential Westport experience.

If you like great seafood, go-carts, scenery or surfing, it’s all there. And then, of course, there’s the beach. Don’t get so caught up in what the town has to offer that you don’t get some sand between your toes.

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6

(L) A burger from The Hearty Galley (R) Treasures from The Basket House

SPOTS NOT TO MISS IN

SEE The Fresnel Lens

If you were building a death ray in the 17th century, this is what it would look like — a huge, slowly turning array of glass prisms that magnified a light source when it was used as a lens at the Destruction Island Lighthouse from the 1890s until 1995. The Westport Maritime museum built a special building for it and a museum ticket gets you in.

2201 Westhaven Drive, Westport www.westportmaritimemuseum.com

DRINK The Westport Brewing Company

This is a cross between your family room and a brewery. If that sounds like your real home then this is definitely the spot for you. The beer is brewed on the premises and the warm, yeasty odor on a brewing day puts you in the mood to try them all. Order a flight and you can do just that, sampling as many as you like in small glasses that hold a few ounces. Your choices will include Wetsuit Wheat, Bottle Beach Brown Ale, Plank Island Porter, Beach Bottle Blonde and a half dozen or so more. If you’re a one-beer person, make it a Cohasset Cream Ale. The atmosphere is great. Stacks of board games, furniture arrayed for conversation and a pull-up garage door that brings the outdoors indoors on nice days. And free peanuts in the shell. It’s away from the main marina area, but The Hearty Galley worth getting back in the car for.

If you’re looking for the best burger 118 W. Pacific Ave., Westport in town — and who isn’t — this is www.westportbrewing.com it. If you’re looking for the most random collection of various ’70s collectible toys, this is also it. This Half Moon Bay Bar is just good, well-prepared food and Grill with top-shelf ingredients. Fries It’s the Bloody Mary, silly. There are great. Burgers are great (with are other reasons to go there, not fresh, ground sirloin). Shakes are the least of which is the view of the great. They also serve breakfast marina from the bar, but with the and dinner and the reviews are Bloody Marys they serve, you don’t universally good. If you’re a freereally need another reason. The Half thinker who wants to branch out Moon Bay Bar and Grill is located beyond burgers, try the B.L.O.R.T. in the Islander, a motel that’s a – a bacon, lettuce, onion rings and Westport institution. tomato sandwich.

EAT

421 E. Neddie Rose Drive, Westport www.halfmoonbaybarandgrill.com

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2111 N. Nyhus St., Westport www.facebook.com/heartygalley

SHOP The Basket House

You know those grabber toys that have a shark’s head on one end of a stick and on the other end a trigger you can pull to make the shark’s mouth open and close? This is where you go if you need a new one. The Basket House is a classic souvenir store with a wonderful variety of fun toys and gifts. It’s been there since 1960. In the market for crab-shaped salt shakers that say Westport on them? When it comes to Westport souvenirs, if they don’t have it, you don’t need it. The best part might be the location. It’s at the end of the long pier that divides the marina. As you walk out to it, you wonder a little bit whether you’re supposed to be there. Crab pots are stacked along the way and commercial fishermen are unloading their catch at the end of the dock. Mind the forklifts.

PHOTO BY RICHELLE BARGER

400 Dock St., Westport

LOOK The Westport Aquarium

This is an eclectic homage to all things oceany, at least from the ocean around Westport. It’s been in Westport since 1955 and has a little bit of a sweet, roadside attraction feel, like a marine life version of a giant ball of string.

But don’t sell it short. There’s some real science here and the respect for marine life is readily evident. They’re in the process of reassembling a 39-foot gray whale skeleton from a whale that washed up on the beach. There’s a touch tank with octopi and sharks and you can buy a cup of salad shrimp to feed the fish in the aquariums. There’s a small admission fee: $5.50 for adults, $3.50 for kids and seniors, and children 3 and under get in free. It’s a bargain. Check out their Facebook page to get a feel for the place.

321 E. Harbor St., Westport 360.268.7070 www.facebook.com westportaquarium.washington

The Westport Brewing Company is a cross between your family room and a brewery.

Top: Proprietess Robin at the Westport Brewing Company serves a variety of beer.

The Fresnel Lens at the Westport Maritime Museum is a must see.

Westport offers surfing for pros and amateurs alike.

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EXCURSION

Charter Boat Fishing Though not necessarily the mainstay of the Westport experience these days, charter fishing is still a big part of the town’s attraction.

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 Full Service Pha Déco N au e tical Gifts, Hom and MORE! 733 N. Montesano St. | Westport | 268-0505 50

Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

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

Salmon, bottomfish, halibut and tuna are the targets. Salmon season opened May 30 and will run seven days a week until Sept. 30 or when the quota is reached. Last year, the fleet never did hit the quota and the quota is bigger this year, so it looks like a full summer of fishing.

If you’re booking a charter of any kind, the best thing to do is go to the Westport Charterboat Association website at charterwestport.com. You’ll find links to the charter office websites, the latest fishing and weather reports and just about all the information you need.

Be warned, it’s best to book ahead. You can’t always walk up and expect to book a trip, especially on the weekend. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $125 to $150 for a salmon trip, depending on the size of the boat and the day of the week. The gear you need will be on the boat.

Bottomfish trips for rock fish and cod start in March and go into October. Bottomfish charters became popular when it wasn’t possible to fish for salmon, but the limits are higher and some people prefer those trips now.

“

It’s a bucket list trip.

The halibut trips are typically about 12 hours on the water. The

season starts in May and doesn’t last long so advanced bookings are a must.

Albacore tuna trips usually fill up fast. “It’s a bucket list trip,” said Janell Howarth of Ocean Sportfishing Charters. They last from one to three days. There’s no bag limit and the catch averages four to six fish a day, per person.

The fish typically weigh 12 to 25 pounds each and they’re known for their fight. The season is usually sometime in July to sometime in October, with August as the best month.

”

-Janell Howarth, Ocean Sportfishing Charters of their Albacore tuna trips

Salmon trips leave at about first light and boats return by mid-afternoon, unless the boat limits before that.

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 WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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THE HOUSE OF

COLOR STORY BY RICHELLE BARGER PHOTOS BY J ULIE RAJ CICH

This fun house has a vertizontal hold on the viewer

Photos right page: (clockwise) The living room features a “Whoville” chair and the “boat” where Ken and Keelee Frost often sit with their grandchildren. The stairwell comes to life in the center of the house featuring art of local artist, Robin Harlow and Keelee’s high school art teacher. Opal Art Glass fishing floats hang in the windows. Life is weird. A weather vane bird is painted on the wall of the treehouse room to match the bedspread.

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P

Remember the first time your family stayed at a hotel and the kids got to jump on the bed? Well, it’s like that every day at Nana Keelee’s house.

“I want to be the favorite.” she concludes when asked why she allows bed jumping, and then laughs and laughs at her own frankness. Ultimately, she adds, “I want people to feel comfortable in our house.”

As a Harbor High School health & nutrition and sex ed teacher and in charge of the teen parent program, it’s no wonder she was voted teacher of the year and was a recipient of the Golden Apple award.

From the tissue paper covered ceilings to the “Whoville” chair and double-sized chaise lounge, dubbed “the boat” by her grandchildren, the house is a mass of color. The Frosts purchased the four-bedroom, three-bath mid-century-modern house 14 years ago and when all the white walls were gone, they had a Catholic priest come and bless it. “He was throwing holy water everywhere,” remembers Keelee.

“If you paint your house enough colors, everything goes.”

Left: The living room features a comfy place for everyone to sit and peer out of the ceiling to floor windows, a paisley carpet and tissue paper ceiling.

Above: The butterfly room offers a well-lit view of the terraced backyard.

The master bedroom features the jumping bed and Keelee’s favorite artwork by Robin Harlow.

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Furnishings for Coastal Living.

Though she picked out the colors inside the house, her husband, Ken, a longshoreman, chose the color for the outside of the house, which sits on the hillside of Pilgrim Hill in Aberdeen and has a long view of the city and ultimately, Grays Harbor.

Come have a beautiful shopping experience!

“It’s gray around here and when I come home, I want to look at bright colors.”

He may not agree with everything that Keelee does or wants to do to the house, but in the end, he says that he benefits from all of it.

“If you paint your house enough colors, everything goes.” says Keelee of the color scheme.

522 Simpson Ave. • Hoquiam

360.532-2434 mchughsfurniture.com

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Top: A chair, repurposed as a sedum planter. The outside of the house is as colorful as the inside. Keelee and Ken Frost spend many hours enjoying their terraced backyard and tiki fountain.

Country Closet

Décor 2 Baby Boutique 2 Holidays 2 Gifts 209 S Broadway | Aberdeen | 533.5152

Get a Load of our legs.

THE GARDEN

Ken’s dad Richard Frost was the instigator for the backyard — where they now spend most of their summer hours. He was lying on his back looking up under the over-grown rhododendrons and began hollering, “Keelee! I have a vision!” and the rock wall was improved upon and the tiki sculpture fountain was born.

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!

• 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 WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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ď‚…ď‚… RECIPE

Summer fruit SLUSHY T his cool, fizzy drink is delicious and easy to make ahead of time to have on hand for all your summer guests.

A great drink for kids & adults!

BASIC RECIPE: 5 bananas 1 can pineapple juice 2 cans frozen orange juice 1 can frozen lemonade 6 cups water 2 cups sugar 7UP Optional: strawberries, mangos, whole pineapple, peaches Bring sugar and water to a boil. Blend bananas and frozen juices. Add additional blended or chopped fruit such as strawberries or mangos. Freeze in a large ice cream tub for scooping or in individual ice cube trays for easy smashing later.

When ready to serve, simply blend with 7UP or tonic water and a splash of gin or vodka for adults at the party.

Make a large batch to freeze and enjoy all summer long.

add the FRUIT FLAVOR

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Grays Harbor County Expo in Ocean Shores - May 22-24 Ocean Shores Wearable Art Festival - June 6 • Festival of Colors (Kite Flying) - June 6-7 Flag Day Parade - June 13 • Five Star Dealership Sand & Sawdust Festival - June 26-28 Family Fourth Festival - Miles of Fun on the Beach - July 4 • Ocean Shores Beach Blast - July 12 Ocean Shores Triathlon and Foot Festival - July 11-12 • Sun & Surf Festival - July 24-26 Hog Wild - July 24-26 • Ocean Shores Woof-a-Thon - August 15 • Paddle-A-Thon - September 5 AAOS (Associated Arts of Ocean Shores) Arts & Crafts Festival - September 11 - 13

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

360-268-0977 wacoastre.com

Providing Exceptional Service for All Your Real Estate Needs WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 ART

Above: Erik Sandgren applies ink to a roller while preparing a demonstration for his printmaking class at Grays Harbor College.

Below: The Nirvana and Aberdeen mural headed by Sandgren.

Right: Erik Sandgren in his studio.

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ART   ST O R Y B Y C A L L I E W H I T E | P H OT OS B Y GA B E GR EEN

THE ART of GRIT and GRIME Erik Sandgren, artist, muralist, teacher

OF ALL THE ROOMS IN ERIK SANDGREN’S HOUSE, his kitchen is probably the one that best replicates the feel of his work. With its spices and utensils out for easy access, it’s clearly a space that is well used and has been for a long time. The most amazing thing, however, are the walls, which have been partially stripped of multiple layers of wallpaper, leaving behind traces of the past in muted blues, greens and earthy browns punctuated with yellow print.

“The walls had seven layers, I know that because I took them off myself” 26 years ago, Sandgren said. But once he saw how it looked, he decided to keep it.

Indeed, Sandgren’s art is all about layers – of color, of nature, of history and of meaning.

And he has explored Grays Harbor with his work by taking stock of its natural and industrial spaces, painting forests and old boatyards with an eye that is appreciative as much as it is reportorial.

Sandgren’s work will be featured in January at a retrospective at the Polson Museum.

An Oregon native, Sandgren was working in

Maryland when he applied to Grays Harbor College on a whim. At the time, he was assisting his father Nelson Sandgren, also an accomplished artist, on a mural at the Eugene, Ore. airport. Attracted to the idea of being closer to home and in a tenure-track job, Sandgren said he had never heard much about the area before moving here in 1989.

In the terms of the art world in which Sandgren was educated – University of Oregon, Yale – Grays Harbor was off the map, but he has been able to explore it with his pencils, his paints, and the knowledge he has built up over countless hours studying art and working with artists all over the world.

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 ART A typical scene will have boats – empty, but they’ve been worked in – on the river by an abandoned industrial site. The paint is scabbed with grit from the air, thick in places and scraped hard in others. Colors are muted, with a high contrast between light and dark.

“I like to work a lot with the paint, to build it up and then pull it back to show what came before,” Sandgren said.

He also makes his historical intent explicit in prints and paintings that are suffused with images of petroglyphs, ancient Native American symbols. He carves out their shapes among paintings of trees and sky, puts them alongside totem poles, and prints them in thickly carved strokes with washes of blood red and blue. They are part of his way of referencing the Indian history that came before, that he feels is often disregarded in the rush to build the future.

Sandgren has a large selection of public art in

the area, with murals at the Montesano and Aberdeen libraries and in the commission meeting room at the Port of Grays Harbor offices. His most prominent mural honors Kurt Cobain and Nirvana on Wishkah Street in downtown Aberdeen. Intentionally made in the shape of a championship belt, it is thick with symbols of the area’s past that mingle in unexpected ways. A logger stands on a springboard stuck in the neck of a guitar; a “misery whip” saw blade is positioned under the swimming baby from the “Nevermind” cover. The few images of innocence – Cobain’s childhood picture – are counterposed with bleakness – clear cuts.

“There is a brutality to this work, as there is a brutality to what has happened here,” Sandgren said. It’s no coincidence that Cobain’s famously difficult childhood was due in part to the decline of the local economy, and that his music mined the tensions

between attitudes in the blue collar and the art communities – similar ground to what Sandgren covers.

“My work has been about environmental degradation,” Sandgren said. “The story of the Northwest is the story of people coming in and taking the natural resources, and moving on. That’s why so much of my work (involves) industrial scenes, or is set in clear cuts.”

But documenting those places also means bringing in the history and resiliency of the people and of nature. Sandgren does not paint simple slogans, he works to make the grit and the light, the thick and the thin, the murky and the obvious come together and play off each other.

“I try to portray what I see with integrity, which is beautiful in its own way.”

“I like to work a lot with the paint, to build it up and then pull it back to show what came before.”

THE ART

Portland Art Museum, Rental Sales Gallery 1237 SW 10th Avenue at Jefferson, Portland, OR portlandartmuseum.org rentalsales@pam.org 503-224-0674 Schrager & Clarke Gallery 760 Willamette St Eugene, OR 97401 541-684-7963 & 541-731-8815 kclarkegallery@mindspring.com Sandgren’s paintings Clockwise: Big Deep, Quinault Spirit Figures, & Coming Into Being, Linocut, one of his latest works.

THE ART: Art in Public Spaces:

Aberdeen Timberland Library, Aberdeen W.H. Abel Timberland Library, Montesano, WA Port of Grays Harbor Centennial Mural, Aberdeen Mahlon Sweet Airport, Eugene, OR also Nirvana and Aberdeen Mural, Aberdeen nirvanamural.com

THE ARTIST

www.eriksandgren.com erik@eriksandgren.com

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Top to bottom: Malachi Phelps, a Kurt Cobain Scholarship recipient, sketches on tracing paper during Erik Sandgren’s printmaking class at Grays Harbor College.

Grays Harbor College art instructor Erik Sandgren and student Jordanna Snider-Wiley work on their respective relief prints during Sandgren’s printmaking class.

During his printmaking class at Grays Harbor College, Erik Sandgren talks to his students.

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AARON LAV INSK Y

 EVENTS

Farmers Markets

Grays Harbor Farmers Market in Hoquiam

Summer is the time to buy fresh, local produce. And there is no better place to do that than your community

farmers markets. Watch for them to pop up all over the coast this summer. To help plan your “buy local” mantra, here is a list of every market we were able to unearth, including start and end dates, times and locations. Happy hunting and gathering!

FORKS OPEN AIRE MARKET

1421 S. Forks Avenue Every Saturday starting May 16 through October 3.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

SATURDAY MARKET AT SEABROOK

Front Street Opens June 27 and runs through Sept 26 Every Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

OCEAN SHORES FARMERS MARKET

Located behind Pacific Bank Opens last week in May through the second weekend in September.

Open Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

GRAYS HARBOR FARMERS MARKET

JAYS FARMSTAND

906 E Wishkah, Aberdeen 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Open daily for produce.

For additional local products, check out the open air market on the weekends.

Call Jeff at 532-8842 to participate.

ELMA FARM STAND AND PUBLIC MARKET 617 E Young St. Building A Open year-round 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PUBLIC MARKET ON THE WILLAPA

412 Alder Street (4th and Heath St. off of Hwy 101), Raymond Local produce in season and vendors year-round.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday

1958 Riverside, Hoquiam Open year round Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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FARMERS MARKET OF SOUTH BEND

Ray Spurrell Walkway (dock) Watch for it on Sundays during the summer

COLUMBIA PACIFIC FARMERS MARKET

Pacific Avenue in Long Beach Begins June 12 and runs through October 9.

Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

SATURDAY MARKET AT THE PORT OF ILWACO

Waterfront Street, Ilwaco Opens the first Saturday in May until the last Saturday of September 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Experience Westport Washington’s “Original” Beach Town

Fishing Surfing

Fun at the Beach

Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce ExperienceWestport.com 360.268.9422 or 800.345.6223

We keep you moving!

saturday service re-instated!

360-532-2770 www.ghtransit.com

Experience Italy in Aberdeen!

Now serving wine & spirits!

116 W. Heron St. Aberdeen 360.533.2442 WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 EVENTS

our favorite

EVENTS JUNE

5 First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for the convenience of shoppers, as well as to feature different artists, musicians or sale events.

6 Wearable Art Show - Ocean Shores Artists in various forms of media create wearable pieces of art, blending whimsy and function at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. 6:30 p.m.

6-7 Festival of Colors Kite Festival Ocean Shores Annual event showcasing kites and kite flying in Ocean Shores.

MACLEOD PAPPI DAS

4-6 30th Anniversary Goonies Day Celebration Fans of the classic movie “The Goonies” flock to Astoria for the annual Goonies Day Celebration for a weekend of treasure hunting, truffle shuffles, trivia, scavenger hunts and more. This year’s 30th anniversary celebration will include cast and crew reunions, film screenings, fan gatherings, film location tours and more.

13 Flag Day Parade - Ocean Shores Salute the Stars and Stripes in Ocean Shores at one of the few remaining small-town Flag Day parades.

Waikiki Beach Concert Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

14 Grays Harbor Civic Choir - Aberdeen Performing an afternoon concert on Flag Day, the Grays Harbor Civic Choir members and director Pat Wilhelms have selected a redwhite-and-blue program of stirring patriotic music, rousing the true American spirit in all. 3 p.m. Bishop Center. $14 Adults, $12 Seniors, $8 Students, 12 & under one free with paying adult.

11 Grays Harbor College Honors Recital - Aberdeen Featuring the best and most talented of the college’s current music students.

Bishop Center 7 p.m. Free.

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AAR ON LAV IN S K Y

7 Grays Harbor Symphony Orchestra The theme for this Bishop Center spring concert is “A Night at the Oscars,” featuring movie classics as well as a few surprises. Under the baton of conductor William Dyer, the Grays Harbor Symphony Orchestra also shines the spotlight on talented young musicians, selected to perform at this concert by area music teachers. 7 p.m. $14 Adults, $12 Seniors, $8 Students, 12 & under one free with paying adult.

EVENTS  



18 Grays Harbor College Music Department - Aberdeen This quarterly concert features the College Jazz Band and Jazz Choir, both directed by William Dyer. Bishop Center 7 p.m. $5.

18 Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe Exhibit The opening reception of the exhibit will take place Thursday, June 18 at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. The exhibit will feature current carvings made with traditional methods used in the current apprentice program in Tokeland. The goal of the program is to restore the traditional carving methods and style of the lower Columbia River, Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor. The exhibit will continue through December 13, 2015.

20-21 Northwest Garlic Festival - Ocean Park Abandon your mouthwash and head for the coast! Sample an array of garlic-laced foods and crafts in Ocean Park on the Long Beach Peninsula.

West End Thunder Drag Races - Forks Watch drag races and check out classic cars at the Forks Municipal Airport at this alcohol free event.

26-27 Aberdeen Founder’s Day Parade & Festival Beginning Friday evening June 26 with a murder mystery dinner at the Aberdeen Museum, the festival continues on June 27 with a parade starting at 11 a.m. Children’s activities and vendors will follow the parade at noon, wrapping up with a street dance in downtown Aberdeen.

AA RO N LAV INSK Y

Fleur de Lis Festival & Art in the Vines Aberdeen Westport Winery hosts a French-themed art market.

MACLEOD PAPPI DAS

Don’t miss out on the Sand & Sawdust Festival in Ocean Shores June 26-28.

26-28 5 Star Dealerships Sand & Sawdust Festival - Ocean Shores Master and amateur chainsaw carvers and sand sculptors take to the North Beach, centered around the Ocean Shores Convention Center, with daily competitions and carving auctions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze - Westport Talk like a pirate at this family friendly pirate celebration in Westport.

27 Savory Seabrook Wine & Seafood Festival - Seabrook Farmers Market, winery and seafood vendors, plus entertainment at Seabrook near Pacific Beach.

Waikiki Beach Concert Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

The longest day of the year is June 21, 2015. Pass the time at the Northwest Garlic Festival or the Drag Races.

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

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 EVENTS

JULY 1-5 Forks Old Fashioned 4th of July Under the theme of “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” the celebration includes a fun run, kiddies and grand parades, a salmon bake, demolition derby, music in the park and more.

3 First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for the convenience of shoppers, as well as to feature different artists, musicians or sale events.

AARON LAV INSK Y

4 Splash Festival Aberdeen Annual all-day Fourth of July festival at Aberdeen’s Morrison Riverfront Park with games, music and performers culminating in a fireworks display over the Chehalis River.

Sail with the Lady Washington You can go aboard the Lady Washington for a tour, but you can also sail on her. The ship offers several different experiences, including what it calls Adventure, Battle, Evening and Passage sails.

Sailing Dates:

The brig, Lady Washington embodies American maritime history of the late 1700s and early 1800s. She is a traditionally built replica that has appeared in several movies and television shows.

Ilwaco July 7

Ilwaco May 30-31 Aberdeen June 19-21 Westport June 26-29 Aberdeen July 3-4 Aberdeen Sept 11-24 Westport Sept 26-30

TICKETS & INFO To purchase tickets for The Lady Washington, go to historicalseaport.org.

Tickets range from a $3 suggested donation to board the ship for a tour, to $39 for kids and $47 for adults for an Adventure sail. For a few hundred dollars, it’s possible to sail on a one-way passage between ports. That includes meals and a bunk, but you have to bring along you own bedding.

For more information, call 800-200-5239.

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AARON LAV INSK Y

Fireworks at the Port - Ilwaco Fireworks at the Port of Ilwaco will occur the Friday before the 4th of July.

Old Fashioned 4th of July Parade - Ocean Park Ocean Park’s family friendly Independence Day parade beginning at 1 p.m.

Fireworks on the Beach - Long Beach Fireworks on the Bolstad Avenue Beach Approach in Long Beach.

4-5 Old Fashioned 4th - Westport Kids activities, games, music and fireworks blend together for this festival in Westport.

10-12 Windrider Kite Festival - Grayland The second largest kite festival in Washington state, held at Grayland.

34th Annual Clallam Bay and Sekiu Fun Days Parades, races, games, food, craft vendors music and entertainment culminate in fireworks on Friday night.

McCleary Bear Festival A carnival, car show, parade, games and more surround steaming pots of bear stew.

11 Waikiki Beach Concert - Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

15-19 Sandsations - Long Beach Sand sculpting extravaganza open to amateurs and professionals alike at Long Beach’s Bolstad Beach Approach.

17-18 Eastside Street Rods Show & Shine - Westport Shining hot rods are the center of attention in Westport, along with a parade and more.

17-19 Quileute Days - La Push A celebration of Quileute Tribal Cultural Heritage and modern lifestyle in La Push. It includes a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, arts & crafts, food, canoe races, stick games and a fireworks display at First Beach.

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

18 Montesano Car Show & Summerfest Car show and festival for the entire family.

18-19 West End Thunder Drag Races - Forks Watch drag races and check out classic cars at the Forks Municipal Airport at this alcohol free event.

18-19 Clamshell Railroad Day - Long Beach The Annual Clamshell Railroad Days celebrates the history of the IR&N Railroad — the only railroad that ran with the tides — which operated on the Long Beach Peninsula from 18891930. Included are model railroad layouts from regional clubs, historical presentations, the kids craft caboose and bus tour.

23-26 Monty Python’s Spamalot - Aberdeen Coming to the Bishop Center stage for only 5 performances is Spamalot. Monty Python stalwart Eric Idle and composer John Du Prez adapt the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail into a musical featuring the Knights Who Say Ni, killer rabbits, accused witches and other Python touches. Spamalot adds swipes at Vegas glitz and Broadway conventions to the film’s anarchic spirit. 7:30 p.m. July 23, 24, 25. 2 p.m. matinees on July 25 & 26. Adults $20, Seniors $18, Students $10.

24-26 Sun & Surf Run - Ocean Shores Thousands of motorcycles converge on Ocean Shores to show off their bikes and take in dances, a parade, competitions and demonstrations.

24-25 Aberdeen Art Walk & Midnight Cruisers Rod Fest Annual event featuring artists, entertainment and a hot rod celebration in the heart of downtown Aberdeen.

Long Beach Rodeo NPRA Sanctioned rodeo and celebration beginning with a parade through downtown Long Beach.

Nancy Taylor Owner/Broker

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

www.aberdeenrealty.com

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

WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE | Summer 2015

69

 EVENTS

Just what the doctor ordered We offer prescription delivery!

Call for delivery areas

ity C CDenter rug We support our community.

Locally owned & operated.

108 E Wishkah • Aberdeen• 532-5182

S TE VE N F RI E DE RI CH

• All Occasion Gifts & Cards • Seahawks, Huskies, & Cougars Items 25 Waikiki Beach Concert - Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

25-26 Tokeland North Cove Woodfest Featuring local wood carving talent along with many other vendors and activities.

26 Elk River Challenge Annual man-powered boat race in the pristine Elk River area near Westport.

31-Aug. 2 Willapa Harbor Festival - Raymond A Raymond tradition featuring car show, parade and Kid Zone, as well as many food and craft vendors, and even battle of the bands competition.

AUGUST 1 Heat on the Street Car & Motorcycle Show - Elma Classic cars and motorcylces, food, vendors and more in Elma.

entic h t u A s u o i c i Del od! o F n a c i x e M Voted Best of Twin Harbors “Best Mexican Restaurant” 20 years in a row!

Two Aberdeen locations to serve you!

Gateway Plaza 533-5808

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720 W. Wishkah 532-0940

Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

5-9 Grays Harbor County Fair - Elma A classic county fair with animals, food, carnival rides and entertainment at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma.

7 First Friday - Aberdeen Downtown Aberdeen businesses stay open late for the convenience of shoppers, as well as to feature different artists, musicians or sale events.

8 Waikiki Beach Concert - Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

7-8 Jake the Alligator Man’s Birthday & Car Show - Long Beach Get ready to celebrate Jake the Alligator Man’s 75th birthday… AGAIN!

8-9 Grayland Open Jet Ski Competition Professional and amateur watercraft riders hit the Grayland beach for this competition.

14-15 Blues & Seafood Festival - Ilwaco Music at the Ilwaco Marina begins Friday at 7PM. Cost is $15. Saturday is all day beginning at 2 p.m. Cost is $25.

Combination Tickets with Sunday’s Jazz & Oysters event are $55.

15-16 Fun Fly - Ocean Shores Novice and professional kite fliers perform on the beach in Ocean Shores.

Westport Art Festival A juried show of arts and crafts, with some available for sale.

16 West End Thunder Drag Races - Forks Watch drag races and check out classic cars at the Forks Municipal Airport at this alcohol free event.

19-22 Pacific County Fair - South Bend A truly old fashioned county fair with animals, food and more at the Pacific County Fairgrounds.

21-23 Makah Days - Neah Bay A celebration of the Makah culture focused around Makah patriotism for the U.S. Includes canoe races, bone games, kids races, royalty, salmon bake, traditional dancing, vendors and a fireworks show.

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.

22 Waikiki Beach Concert - Cape Disappointment Regional musicians present a variety of music starting at 7 p.m. at Cape Disappointment State Park.

23 Grays Harbor Pride Festival - Hoquiam A Hoquiam festival raising awareness of and celebrating the LGBTQ community.

S TE VE N F RI E DE R IC H

31-Sept. 1 Kelper’s Festival & Shake Rat Rendezvous - Pacific Beach A wacky small-town tradition featuring a parade, logging challenge and more in Pacific Beach on the North Coast.

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 | Summer 2015

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AD DIRECTORY 50 7th Street Theatre 69 Aberdeen Health Mart 69 Aberdeen Realty 72 Aberdeen Revitalization Movement 31 Aloha Alabama 31 American Family Insurance 65 Amoré 37 Anchor Bank 13 B&B Automotive 37 Bay West Emporium 51 Brady’s Oysters 15 Bryan & Son Jewelers 70 City Center Drug 72 City of Aberdeen

65 City of Westport 37 Coleman Mortuary 57 Country Closet 75 The Daily World 8 Donna Jones, John L. Scott Real Estate 13 Flippin 50’s Diner 13 GH Wine Sellars 8 Grays Harbor College 76 Grays Harbor Community Hospital 16 Grays Harbor PUD 68 Grays Harbor Tourism 65 Grays Harbor Transit 59 Great Northwest Federal Credit Union 5 Hanson Motors 37 Harbor Shoe 25 Kalich and Sons Construction 9 Kaufman Scroggs 16 Levee Lumber 28 Martin Bruni Liquor 70 Mazatlan Restaurant 56 McHugh’s Furniture 57 Merino’s Seafood 28 Ocean Crest Resort 59 Ocean Shores Chamber 3 Ocean Shores Villages 11 PASHA Automotive Services 2 Port of Grays Harbor 15 Raintree Veterinary Center 65 Rayonier Inc. 4 Rediviva Restaurant 71 Rock Ele. Construction 31 Seabrook 50 Twin Harbor Drug 59 Washington Coast Real Estate 7 Windermere Real Estate - Aberdeen 51 Wishkah River Distillery

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

WHO & WHY  

Why I like living here:

JOSH MAYR

I

consider myself a unique case.

I’m a Gen X’er who was born and raised here, left, then returned a number of years later. I lived here in Aberdeen until my family decided to leave the area for Wenatchee in 1993. I spent my high school, college and a few post college years there until deciding to leave the small town for the big city, Seattle.

In Seattle, I found ample opportunity for a 20-something looking to forge a career in the marketing and finance industries, but after nearly a decade there, I began to realize something was missing. It was something that, living in the city, I thought about often. I missed the togetherness of a small community.

In 2007, I was lucky enough to meet my future wife and her 4-year-old son, who both were living in Aberdeen at the time. I spent

G AB E G R EEN

“Nowhere have I found the kind of people I grew up with here on the Harbor.”

Josh Mayr, master distiller and managing partner of Wishkah River Distillery, toasts the Harbor.

a couple of years driving down to Aberdeen every weekend to see them. It was during this time that I found a new love for my hometown.

Aberdeen was much different than the way I left it in ’93. The years had not been kind. Regardless, I still found beauty in her surroundings. I found a new love of outdoor spaces I once frequented in my childhood.

The fog of fall mornings brought a smile to my face.

There was something else, too, something not quite as tangible. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over this great country, and I’ve met all kinds of people.

Nowhere have I found the kind of people I grew up with here on the Harbor. They are genuine, hard-working people, unafraid to tell you like it is. At the same time, generous and fun-loving people who always treat you like family.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that no matter where you go and who you meet, you will always recognize someone as from the Harbor, whether you know them or not.

It’s as if there is a recognized friendship that transcends ever actually meeting or knowing someone. There is a sense of pride that goes along with this. We are proud to be from Aberdeen.

To me that speaks of being home, where I belong. I’m glad I’m here raising my family and doing my best at running a small business. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else … and it’s why I love living here.

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R ICHEL LE BA RG E R

 LAST SHOT

Velallas at Bruceport County Park beach.

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Summer 2015 | WASHINGTON COAST MAGAZINE

Larger than life; Velallas on the beach

Among the things you may find on Washington’s beaches is the Velalla velalla, a free-floating, surface community of translucent sea serpents. They are about 7 cm long with a stiff sail. They are carnivorous and subsist on plankton. Though you won’t feel their sting when you touch the sticky hydrozoan, it is advisable to refrain from touching your face or eyes afterward.

We are

Growing!

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