Aberdeen Daily World - Destination Grays Harbor - Destination Grays Harbor 2016

Grays harbor destination

2016 Visitors Guide

Events • Festivals • Beaches • Parks • Fishing Activities • Lodging • Dining • & More A supplement to The Daily World ∙ The Vidette ∙ The North Coast News ∙ South Beach Bulletin

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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Welcome

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

If you are reading this, it’s probably because you’re already here in our community or thinking about dropping by. Either way, welcome! We think you’ll find lots of ways to enjoy your stay in Grays Harbor.

Grays Harbor is a diverse place.

In the course of a day here, you can see some of the richest farmland in the state, historic timber towns that produced lumber for the country’s expansion of the West, Kurt Cobain’s roots, a world-class national wildlife refuge, the tallest lighthouse on the Washington coast, a rain forest with some of the biggest trees in the world and a fairly expansive stretch of our little piece of the biggest ocean on the planet.

2016 Publisher: Stan Woody THE DAILY WORLD Editor: Doug Barker

You can buy seafood off the floats at Westport, and in the fall, pumpkins off the vine in the eastern part of Grays Harbor County, as well as ripe, plump cranberries right off the bogs in Grayland.

THE VIDETTE Editor: Corey Morris

We’ve designated this guide with a color-coded system to help you navigate your stops in the area. It’s split up into four geographic areas: RED for what we call East County, the communities of McCleary, Elma and Montesano. GREEN is for the inner Grays Harbor area of Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis. The BLUE pages are for Westport and the beach communities south of Grays Harbor. The YELLOW pages are for Ocean Shores and the areas north of Grays Harbor.

NORTH COAST NEWS Editor: Angelo Bruscas

There is a lot of ground to cover in Grays Harbor County. This guide has specific stories about some of the major aspects in each area and we’ve made suggestions for trails, camping spots, museums, events, festivals, parks, car shows, recreational activities and a whole lot more.

SOUTH BEACH BULLETIN Editor: Barb Aue

There are also great “see-and-do” lists for each individual area.

We hope our guide will get you started, but don’t be afraid to get off the main drag and follow your curiosity compass. Be sure to check in with local Visitor Information Centers all around the county for more information and ideas on how to make your visit enjoyable and memorable. We’re glad you’re visiting and we hope you enjoy your stay here as much as we enjoy living here year around.

The Team at the Grays Harbor Newspaper Group

Table of Contents

East County ...........................6 Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis ..............16 Birdwatching ........................30 Kurt Cobain .........................26 North Beach ........................34 Kites .......................................51 Paddling ................................54 South Beach ..........................56 Beachcombing ......................71 Crabbing ................................69 Cranberries ...........................72 Museum ................................74 Whale Watching................. 73 Cover photo by Marianne Pence On the Cover: Cohassett Beach resident, Marianne Pence, captured this image at the Annual Windriders Kite Festival on the beach in Grayland last July.

Circulation Manager: Kris Cearley Production Manager: Martin Osburn Advertising Manager: Jo Treadwell Advertising Sales: Mary Anne Bagwell Brent Hunter Deb Tress-McCormick Editorial Layout/Design: Dave Haerle Creative Team: Constance Ellis Emily Evans Ranette Johnson For further information on advertising in this publication or displaying this publication at your business, please contact:

315 S. Michigan St. Aberdeen, WA 98520 360.532.4000 © 2016

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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Destination Grays Harbor

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EAST COUNTY

BY COREY MORRIS Grays Harbor Newspaper Group

Gateway to the Harbor

W

hile making your way to the beach, don’t overlook the pastoral and scenic East County. East County features state parks surrounded by forest land, meandering rivers, campgrounds and RV parks, festivals and history.

East County is home to Montesano, the county seat. In Montesano, on June 12, 1941, Lake Sylvia in Montesano.. the Weyerhaeuser Co. and various Washington state officials dedicated the nation’s first tree farm, Lake Sylvia State Park is located at the north end of town featuring fishhonoring Charles H. Clemons, one of ing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, Montesano’s foremost pioneer logswimming and picnicking. A 5,000-acre gers. Clemons’ forest practices soon city forest surrounds the state park ofbecame a national standard and, today, Montesano is considered the Birthplace fering additional recreational opportunities and is accessible through the state of America’s Tree Farms. This year, America’s first tree farm is celebrating park and via logging roads (maps are available at City Hall, 112 N. Main St.). its 75th anniversary.

If you’re looking for something to New this year, Montesano will play do, Elma is full of surprises. Nearby host to a Salmon Brew Fest, “Catch activities include farm tours, paintball, Montesano,” at Fleet Park on Oct. 8.

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a major off-road vehicle park, hiking and equestrian trails, golf and disc golf and Elma is home to the Grays Harbor Raceway and county fairgrounds.

The Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds — located just outside city limits — is host to year-round events like the county fair to dog shows, rodeos, youth fairs, outdoor recreational expos, the annual Easter egg hunt and more. A full schedule of events can be seen online at www.ghcfairgrounds.com.

Along the eastern edge of the county is the City of McCleary. McCleary began as a logging camp and grew into a company town named after timber baron Henry McCleary. Today, history comes alive at the McCleary Museum, on South Second Street (open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday). Each year McCleary celebrates its Bear Festival the second weekend of July featuring traditional bear stew in Beerbower Park.

Elma Chamber of Commerce Join us for these exciting events!

Heat on the Street Custom Car & Motorcycle Show

August 5-6

Elma Winter Wine Festival

Jan. 21, 2017 June • City Wide Garage Sale October • Downtown Trick or Treat

December • Santa Pictures with Kids & Pets • Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting Festival

For more information on these and other great events: www.elmachamber.org (360) 482-3055 • 222 W. Main • Elma, WA 98541

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Destination Grays Harbor

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Rediscover ‘Unforgettable’ Grays Harbor...

Unforgettable Hiking, Walking, & Camping

Unforgettable Culinary Experiences

A destination for all seasons... where memories are waiting to be made!

50 Miles of Unforgettable Beaches

Unforgettable World-class Sport Fishing & Charter Boats

800-621-9625 • www.visitgraysharbor.com Visit us online at facebook.com/GraysHarborTourism

Unforgettable Concerts, Festivals, & Events

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Destination Grays Harbor

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EAST COUNTY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS MCCLEARY & OAKVILLE Independence Day Parade and Celebration — 4th of July in Oakville features a parade, food, art, crafts and vendors on Independence Day weekend each year. In years past, a re-enactment of the last horseback robbery in the state has taken place.

Bear Festival — July 8-10 in McCleary. The festival features a car show, a parade, games, food and craft vendors, and, of course, the bear stew. The festival will feature a softball tournament throughout the weekend which traditionally includes a game between police officers and firefighters, known as “Guns and Hoses.” A coronation for Bear Festival royalty also is held at the park. Bear stew is served immediately following the parade. In some past years, the bear stew has also included beef, but in 2015, the stew was made entirely with bear meat, according to organizers. The meat was sweet and had a texture like a beef pot roast, mixed in with the soft potatoes, carrots and other ingredients that mixed for a delicious treat. A Bear Claw Derby (a soap box derby) also is traditionally held. McCleary has celebrated the festival for more than 50 years. In addition to all of that fare and fun, a car show fills the parking lots downtown. For more information, visit mcclearybearfestival.com.

McCleary Fire Department firefighters combine pots of bear stew during the McCleary Bear Festival.

It’s

“Best Arts & Crafts Store”

“The largest independent fabric and craft store in southwest Washington!”

Mon-Fri 9:30-6 Sat 9:30-5:30 Closed Sundays

325 W. Main St. Elma (360) 482-2411

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EAST COUNTY ELMA Grays Harbor County Fair — Aug. 10-14 at the fairgrounds in Elma. Five days of family fun begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and keeps 12-hour shifts throughout the week.

On Saturday, activities and entertainment will take place from 10 a.m.-11 p.m., and the fair will close out with an 8-hour day, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. Come for the fair and animals, stay for the music and food.

Buy a year’s worth of meat at the 4-H auction, or just treat yourself to an elephant ear near the carnival rides.

Tanya Tucker, an inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame, will headline the entertainment with a performance at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 11. Tucker’s hits include “Delta Dawn,” “Two

One of the nightly bands performs at the Grays Harbor County Fair. The Ferris wheel is illuminated in the background.

Sparrows in a Hurricane” and “It’s a Little Too Late.”

Grammy nominee Brothers Osborne also will perform at the county fair. Brothers Os-

borne singles include “Stay a Little Longer” and “Rum.” The country-rock duo takes the stage at 8 p.m. on Aug. 10. More information is

available at www.ghcfairgrounds.com. Adult admission is $10, and senior, youth and military discounts are available.

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EAST COUNTY ELMA — CONTUNUED Elma Winter Wine Festival — Early in 2017 at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds.

More than 20 wineries from all over Washington are expected to participate in the 10th annual event. While the wine is the star, a beer garden, food booths and merchandise booths as well as live music accent the festival. For two consecutive years, Heart by Heart has headlined the entertainment. Pre-sale tickets will be available after Thanksgiving. Watch for more information on the Elma Chamber of Commerce website, www.elmachamber.org.

Home and Garden Show — May 14-15 at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds in Elma. Wondering how to gussy up the yard? The Grays Harbor County Fair & Events Centers, Master Gardeners Foundation of Grays Harbor, and Pacific Counties Home and Garden Show has tips to take homeowners through everything they need to know to take their sheds, shrubs, flowers and decor to the next level. To be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.

Dana Roberst of the Westport Winery explains the difference between the wine in his selection during the 2016 Elma Winter Wine Festival at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds.

OAKVILLE

Chamber of Commerce

The City of Oakville is located 12 miles west of Interstate 5 on Highway 12 & is the southeastern gateway to Grays Harbor County.

Oakville offers its own flavor of the past for those who walk or drive through town. Historic buildings like the old corner-style bank has its place in the history books as it is the last bank to be robbed by horseback. Many other historic buildings give Oakville an old fashioned flavor.

Oakville has been called a “frontier logging town nestled between two centuries.” From antiques and historical buildings to rodeos and scenic tours; you will experience the millennium with both the rustic past and the brightening future.

www.oakvillecityhall.com

Look What’s Happening in Oakville: Chili Cook-off April 23, 2016 Wool Days May 14, 2016 Independence Day Parade & Celebration July 2, 2016 Last Horseback Robbery Reenactment July 2, 2016 Junior Rodeo July 2 & 3, 2016 Bill Miller Memorial Horse Show September 3, 2016 Community Harvest Festival September 17, 2016 Tree Lighting & FREE Spaghetti Dinner 1st Saturday in December December 3, 2016

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Destination Grays Harbor

EAST COUNTY

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food vendors, local art vendors, local bands and a beer garden. The festiMONTESANO val also will collect Festival of Lights — December in canned food donaMontesano. Residents go all out with tions for the local their holiday lights. The city takes it food bank. seriously: there’s a choir in the county Discover Lake courthouse, a yule log at Fleet Park Sylvia Fall Fesdowntown, and a lighted nighttime tival — Sept. 17, parade on Saturday that goes through from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. downtown with each float elaborately at Lake Sylvia decorated. After the parade, Grays State Park. The Harbor Transit has typically provided Fall Festival offers buses to take patrons on a special route to showcase some of the best-decorated fun for all ages as homes in Montesano. visitors enjoy the Historic Montesano Car Show and state park through Working trucks decorated for the yuletide are featured in the Kids Summer Fest — Saturday, July 16, mountain bike and annual Festival of Lights Parade each December in Montesano. from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 14th annual off-road running Historical Montesano Car Show hits the races, live music streets again on Saturday. The show typ- Chamber of Commerce. For more infor- and even shopping for art around the mation, contact (360) 580-7941 or email park. The day traditionally is kicked ically draws more than 200 registered off with a pancake breakfast followed cars, featuring streets rods, classic dpfoss@comcast.net. by the beginning of the races. Near Salmon Brew Fest, “Catch Montecars, muscle cars and special-interest the stage along the lake shore, vendors sano 2016” — October 8, noon-9 p.m. vehicles of all kinds. While the cars get and organizations have booths set up, at Fleet Park. Fans of good food and their rev on, get your groove on to live good brews will catch the fishing bug at including nature arts and crafts for music. A swap meet also will be held. children hosted by the Girl Scouts, and Last year kids’ games were held at Fleet the Salmon Brew Festival. Family fun a cooking demonstration and tasting by activities will be paired with a fishing Park on Fleet Street one block from the Boy Scouts. downtown, sponsored by the Montesano swap meet, a smoked salmon cook off,

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

EAST COUNTY RECREATION Hiking trails, fishing opportunities and beaches not your thing? Don’t worry about it, East County has you covered.

Grays Harbor Hostel and Guest House, Disc Golf — 6 Ginny Lane in Elma. Safe, comfortable, clean and affordable accommodations are made available to travelers from spring through fall. The hostel also is open by reservation year-round. In addition to the relaxing environment of a guest house, and the friendly environment of a hostel, the Grays Harbor Hostel and Guest House also sports an 18-hole disc golf course.

While the hostel is closed during the day, the disc golf course is open daily spring through fall. For more information call (360) 482-3119.

Straddleline ORV Park — 15015 State Route 8 in

McCleary. Those wishing to try their own luck behind the wheel should head just north of McCleary and take to the dirt tracks at Straddleline ORV Park. The park offers an action-packed season with 4x4 events, trail rides, enduros and Pacwest motor cross action. There are even some ways to get dirty at the ORV park without two or four wheels by participating in unique events such as the Dirty Dash or the extreme zombie run. The park operates through the end of August. Learn more at straddlelineorv.com.

Elma Paintball — 20 S. Union Road in Elma. Charge the enemy line or cower behind a structure, but whatever you find yourself doing, the paint is flying at Elma Paintball. Rent the equipment or bring your own and get into battle. Group pricing

is available and “Mom plays free” with any paid son or daughter. For more details, call toll free (866) 525-2877.

LOCAL PARKS The City of Montesano is host to nine city parks including, Fleet Park downtown, Crait, Nelson and Vessey fields, a playground at Kelsey Park, a park at each entrance to town on Pioneer Ave., Bryan Park at the east entrance and Triangle Park at the west entrance.

In addition to the parks, Montesano also has a 5,000acre city forest north of the city and within city limits.

Chapin Collins Memorial Forest is used for city income, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat.

Just west of Montesano is Twin Bridges county park.

The park last year was taken back under the purview of the county and is free for day use. The park has access to the Chehalis River, as well as restrooms and picnic tables.

Currently, the park is being readied for public use, but it is expected to be open this year. Take Devonshire Road and turn left on County Farm Road after the overpass. The road crosses railroad tracks and ends at the park.

The City of Elma features two flagship parks: Gladys Smith/Lloyd Murrey Park, and the East County Playground.

The Gladys Smith/Lloyd Murrey park was named for the those who provided the land for the city’s largest park, which comprises about 10-acres and is located in the heart of the city, playing host to recreational activities, picnicking and a world-class playground facility. The East County Playground provides a safe and fantastical recreational opportunity to

children.

Outside the Elma city limits is Vance Creek Park, featuring trails and fishing. The pond is stocked with up to 14-inch rainbow trout in April and May and is open to licensed anglers.

Vance Creek Park, like Twin Bridges Park, is owned and operated by Grays Harbor County.

The City of McCleary is home to Beerbower Park.

Beerbower Park features a park kitchen with covered eating area, men and women restrooms, a playground, softball and baseball fields, a soccer field, and a basketball hoop, as well as a large grassy area for family activities.

STATE PARKS Schafer State Park 1365 W. Schafer Park Road, Elma, (360) 482-3852 Campgrounds closed Oct. 1 through April 27. The park is open year-round for day-use.

Hours: 8 a.m. to dusk Schafer State Park is a 119-acre camping park on the Satsop River, midway between Olympia and Ocean Park. A big attraction to park users is the abundant fishing for steelhead, cutthroat trout and salmon on the Satsop River. Wading and swimming in the shallow water make it an equally attractive site for family gatherings. Rich in local history, the park is a state and national historic site as designated by the Washington Heritage Register and National Register of Historic Places.

Traditionally, the Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia hold a salmon bake on the 2nd Saturday in October. On the second Sunday in December, families are invited to the park for a Yule log hunt which was followed by smoked salmon chowder last year.

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EAST COUNTY STATE PARKS, CONTINUED Lake Sylvia State Park 1812 N. Lake Sylvia Road Montesano, (360) 249-3621 Hours: 8 a.m. to dusk Lake Sylvia State Park is a 233-acre camping park with 15,000-feet of freshwater shoreline. The park is an old logging camp in a wooded area. Aside from the interesting displays of old logging gear and curiosities, the lake is good for fishing, and the rustic charm of the park makes for excellent day outings and group camping trips.

TRAILS Whereas nearly 90 percent of Grays Harbor County is forestland (88 percent), it only makes sense that the county would be full of trails for outdoor and forest recreation. Some trails allow pets, some don’t. Some trails are appropriate for mountain bike use, some are not. Whatever your personal situation might be, the trails throughout East County are bound to have one or more that match your needs.

While we’ve included some of our

favorite trails below, note that these are a small sample of the trails available.

Addition permits, passes and licenses may be required.

Lake Sylvia State Park (Discover Pass required) Lake Sylvia, outside Montesano’s city limits. Lake Sylvia allows for day use and has some 5 miles of hiking trails. In addition to the standard 5 miles of hiking trails, a trail about a half mile long has been constructed to Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Bird watching, swimming, fishing — they’re all along the trails and waiting for your participation.

Schafer State Park (Discover Pass required) north of Brady. Interpretive activities are available throughout the park, and 2 miles of hiking trails will get you around. The park is ideal for bird watching and wildlife viewing, and the best bet for either is away from parking lots along one of the hiking trails. The park trail connects with the City of Montesano’s trails.

Montesano City Forest. The City of Montesano has its own forest, and that

forest is lined with trails for residents and visitors, including the Sylvia Creek Forestry Trail, a 2.25 mile interpretive loop meandering down the valley, crossing Sylvia Creek before climbing back to Lake Sylvia. The trail was constructed in 1991 and was reconstructed in 2012.

Blue Slough, Blue Slough Road, Cosmopolis. The 3-mile Blue Slough interpretive trail wanders beside the Chehalis River. Along the way, the interpretive trails gives outdoor enthusiasts a free tutorial on the biology of the trail.

Professional hiking gear or just tennis shoes would be equally appropriate on the groomed, well-marked trail (formerly rail tracks). The trail connects to Preacher’s Slough, which features an observation tower.

Friends Landing, 300 Katon Road, Montesano. Friend’s Landing has earned national and state honors as an “obstacle-free” park. Now owned by the Port of Grays Harbor, the 152-acre site sports handicap accessible recreation opportunities including a 1.7 mile paved path to a 32-acre man-made lake.

t i s i V Montesano Running Anvil Carriage House Grays Harbor County Courthouse Historic Montesano Walking Tour Chehalis Valley Historical Museum Lake Sylvia State Park Friend’s Landing

Hiking Fishing ŽĂƟŶŐ

APRIL Awards Dinner MAY Community Center “Spring Fling” JULY Historic Car Show and Kids Fest JULY - AUGUST Saturday Market

AUGUST Golf Tournament City Wide Garage Sale OCTOBER ^ĂůŵŽŶ &ĞƐƟǀĂů NOVEMBER Farm City Dinner DECEMBER &ĞƐƟǀĂů ŽĨ >ŝŐŚƚƐ

Montesano Chamber of Commerce l PO Box 688 l Montesano, WA 98563 l 360.249.5522 info@montesanochamber.org l www.montesanochamber.org l Facebook: Montesano Chamber

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EAST COUNTY

Armed with a parasol to beat the summer sun, Jackie Campbell of Live Oak, Fla., browses the cars and motorcycles during the 2015 Heat on the Street car show in Elma.

CAR SHOWS Heat on the Street — Friday, Aug. 5, at 4 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 6, at 9 a.m.

Elma’s annual custom car and motorcycle show kicks off on Friday night with a free cruise-in party at 4 p.m. Cruise in to the Edward Jones parking lock (3rd and Waldrip streets) and bring the family for a preview of the cars and a night of music. There, participants can register their cars.

Registration costs $15 and the first 100 pre-registered vehicles will receive T-shirts, dash plaques, Grays Harbor Raceway tickets and a raffle ticket. A poker run also will be held on Friday.

On Saturday a show and shine takes place at 9 a.m., with music, a raffle, vendor and food booths and beautiful cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Public admission is free.

Awards will be presented at 3 p.m. For more information visit www.elmachamber.org or call 360-482-3055.

Also, held in conjunction with the car show, on Saturday, area churches last year partnered to host a children’s carnival, with several games set up to win tickets followed

by a raffle for prizes.

Historic Montesano Car Show — Saturday, July 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The 13th annual Historical Montesano Car Show hits the streets again on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. Last year’s show drew more than 200 registered cars, featuring streets rods, classic cars, muscles cars, and specialinterest vehicles of all kinds.

The registration fee is $15, or $10 with a donation to the Montesano Food Bank and other local charities.

The show will feature not only vehicles, but also food and vendor booths and a swap meet. Kids games will be held at Fleet Street, sponsored by the Montesano Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the day will have a poker walking tour of downtown Montesano, tours of the historic County Courthouse, live music by Slightly Awry, awards and goody bags for participants and the whole event will culminate with a cruise through Montesano after the show.

For more information, contact (360) 580-7941 or (360) 249-5423 or email dpfoss@ comcast.net.

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

BY DOUG BARKER Grays Harbor Newspaper Group

M

ajor highways roll through Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis and they’ll take you to amazing places — world class tourism destinations such as the ocean and the Olympic Peninsula.

Take my word for it, those places aren’t going anywhere. It’s worth your time to stop and check out the communities that make up the Inner Harbor area of Grays Harbor.

This section of Destination Grays Harbor will offer you suggestions for experiencing the towns of Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis. There’s a list of parks if you’re looking for a place to have a picnic. There’s a story that will direct you to sites associated with Kurt Cobain, who was born and raised here.

There’s a list of some of our favorite spots. And each community has a wide choice of restaurants and specialty shops.

A pair of museums, the Polson Mu-

of recounting life in the early days of these old timber communities.

Aberdeen is also homeport to a pair of tall ships, the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain. The ships are often on a voyage to other ports, but if you’re lucky enough to be here when they are, don’t miss seeing them. There’s also a story in this section about some A teenager scales the climbing tower at the annual Splash of the murals and Festival at Morrison Riverfront Park on the 4th of July. public art around the area, including the newest installation – a mural that depicts Kurt seum in Hoquiam and the Aberdeen Cobain and Nirvana. Don’t miss it.

Museum of History, do an excellent job

The Inner Harbor

FESTIVALS

city of

ABERDEEN washington

Rich in

HISTORY and

For more information about Aberdeen, please visit www.aberdeenwa.gov

Growing for the

FUTURE!

ABERDEEN • Aberdeen Artwalk — Annual downtown summer artwalk event featuring lots of art, food and music. July 22-24.

• Founders Day — A parade and music celebrate the founders of Aberdeen. July 2.

• Downtown Oktoberfest — German heritage is celebrated downtown, Sept. 23-24.

• Splash Festival — Aberdeen’s annual day-long 4th of July celebration, featuring live music, food and plenty of fun for kids, capped off by a professional fireworks show.

July 4.

HOQUIAM • Shorebird Festival — Three days celebrating the annual migration of shorebirds at Hoquiam’s Bowerman Basin. Includes a fun fair, field trips, lectures and

lots of viewing. May 6-8.

• Grays Harbor Pride Festival — Downtown Hoquiam festival to raise awareness for the LGBTQ community.

Aug. 20.

• Logger’s Playday — One the nation’s last surviving classic logging shows, where loggers share their skills and compete for the title of All Around Logger. Day-long celebration includes a downtown parade and fireworks at the end of the logging show and competition at Hoquiam’s historic Olympic Stadium. Sept. 10.

EVENTS May 6-8 — Shorebird Festival, Hoquiam. Shorebird fun fair, field trips, lectures & viewing. Contact: Shorebird Festival (360) 289-5048 May 7 — Run for the birds, Hoquiam. 2 mile, 5k, 10k runs. Contact: City of Hoquiam (360) 538-3970

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ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM EVENTS, CONTINUED June 11 — Hoquiam Half Marathon. 5K run and 2M kids walk.

July 4 — Splash Festival, Aberdeen. Day long festival with games, music & fireworks. Contact: City of Aberdeen Parks Dept. (360) 537-3229 July 22-24 — Aberdeen Artwalk. Annual downtown summer artwalk event featuring lots of art, food and music.

July 23 — Midnight Cruisers Rod Fest, Aberdeen. 2nd annual Rod Fest in downtown Aberdeen. Contact: Bill Jenkins (360) 532-8690 August 20 — Grays Harbor Pride Festival, Hoquiam. Festival raising awareness of LGBTQ. Contact: Miki (360) 5003444 September 10 — Reynvaan Run, Hoquiam. 2 mile, 5k, 10k run. Contact: City of Hoquiam (360) 637-6040

Fireworks light up the sky above the Chehalis River during a past Splash Festival in Aberdeen.

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ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM EVENTS, CONTINUED

Local loggers Philip McCloy, left, and Johnny Boggs make waves in the water hazard during the chocker setting event at Loggers Playday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.

September 10 — Logger’s Playday, Hoquiam.

Loggers share their skills and compete, plus a parade, vendors and lots of food. Contact: City of Hoquiam (360) 637-6040 October 20-23 — Celtic Music Festival, Hoquiam & Ocean Shores.

Featuring dozens of bands, this festival celebrating all things Irish.

Contact: (360) 532-5700 Oct. 29 — Haunted Hoquiam Run. 2 mile, 5k, 10k run. Contact: City of Hoquiam (360) 532-5700 December 3 — Ho Ho Hoquiam Fun Run. 2 mile, 5k, 10k run. Contact: City of Hoquiam (360) 532-5700

BLACK WHITE * Read All Over! and the Grays Harbor Newspaper Group 1883 *

1889

1985

1987

1992

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2016

Destination Grays Harbor

Page 19

Historic Billy’s Bar & Grill is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.

• Try one of our famous Billy’s Brick Burgers served on a Torta Bun. • We serve only the finest certified Angus beef.

• Prime Rib Friday nights!

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• Take-out orders available

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As Fresh as You Can Get Without Catching It Yourself!

Our fresh seafood market includes a variety of fresh fish arriving daily.

We also carry a variety of locally canned seafood products.

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Our seafood & chowder house has hand-breaded fish and chips, home-made clam chowder, oven broiled salmon, a large selection of seafood entrées, and a variety of salads.

We serve beer on tab and wine by the glass.

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Open 7 days a week

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Large deck for outdoor seating with water view!

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Page 20

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM ing, restrooms.

• Morrison Riverfront Park — An 11-acre complex along the shores of the Chehalis River on the East end of Aberdeen. A bronze logging sculpture marks its entrance, and it boasts the multi-use Rotary Log Pavilion, which can be rented for events through the Aberdeen Parks and Recreation Department. The complex includes picnic tables, a fishing and viewing dock, waterfront walking trail and modern playground equipment.

• Stewart Memorial Park — Located in the northeast outskirts of Aberdeen, this 74-acre park has been left in A river otter rests on a log on the banks of the Chehalis at its natural setting. It boasts Morrison Riverfront Park in Aberdeen an elaborate trail system, a PARKS wandering creek and a rustic ABERDEEN PARKS of timber with five acres of Located on the eastern edge kitchen facility.

• Bishop Athletic Complex • Lake Aberdeen Recre- land developed for recre- of the city just off Highway ation Area — About 640 acres ation, and 100 acres of water. 12. Swimming, fishing, boat- — A 38-acre athletic complex RECREATION YMCA of Grays Harbor — Offers a lap and recreation pool, gym, workout center, aerobics classes and more.

Aberdeen Skate Park — Located at Aberdeen’s Pioneer Park Hoquiam Skate Park — Located at Hoquiam’s Gable Park 28th St. Landing — In Hoquiam along the Port Industrial Road, offers a viewing tower and boat launch for recreational watercraft.

Bowerman Basin — Offering bird watching, walking trails and views of Grays Harbor and the Bowerman Field airport.

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2016

Destination Grays Harbor

Page 21

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM PARKS, CONTINUED just outside Aberdeen along the Westport Highway (State Route 105). Includes soccer fields, fastpitch and baseball fields.

• Pioneer Park Sports Complex — On the south side of Aberdeen, this 24-acre park is adjacent to Stevens Elementary School. It contains three softball fields, two minor league fields, a Little League field, a Babe Ruth field and a multipurpose area. It also offers tennis courts, horse shoe pits, a basketball court and a playground, as well as the city’s skate park.

• Sam Benn Park — A rustic, treefilled 14-acre park that overlooks the core of Aberdeen, just to the north of downtown near Aberdeen High School.

It offers picnic areas, playground equipment, tennis courts and a disc golf course along its rolling, grassy hills.

• West End Playfield — A neighborhood 3 1/2-acre park that contains a playground, combination ball field, parking area and a paved multi-use area • Finch Playfield — A 2-acre park

Grays

H ar bor

We have a seat for Top quality theatre for all ages throughout the year!

playground equipment and a grassy playfield with a backstop.

• North Aberdeen Playfield — A 2-acre park on the north end of town that contains a paved basketball court, baseball diamond and playground equipment.

• Zelasko Park — A 1/2-acre park just inside the eastern entrance to the city, situated between the Wishkah and Heron Street bridges. It contains benches, carvings and historical monuments.

SMALLER PARKS • Alder Creek Park — A 1/4-acre park The statue of St. Joseph donated to in the Alder Creek neighborhood in Aberdeen from the St. Joseph Hospital South Aberdeen. stands out at the Sam Benn Memorial • Totem Pole Park — A 1-acre park Park in Aberdeen. on the south side of the Chehalis River Bridge.

• Herbig Park — A 1/2-acre park atop that offers a wide variety of activities, including playground equipment and a Bel Aire Avenue • Hood Park — A residential 1-acre spray park.

• Franklin Field — A 2-acre downtown park with benches and trees.

• McKinley Park — A 1/2-acre park on community park boasting a large, multia grassy corner lot use field.

• Robert Gray Park — A 1/4-acre park • Garley Park — This 2-acre park in South Aberdeen has off-street parking, in downtown Aberdeen.

C ol le g e

YOU!

We keep you moving!

Plan to attend a Bishop Center performance when you stay on the Harbor.

Check our website for upcoming performances: www.ghc.edu/bishop 360.538.4066

705 30th St. Hoquiam 360-532-2770 1-800-562-9730 www.ghtransit.com

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

Bret Casterline attempts to kick flip over a skateboard at Central Playground in Hoquiam.

COSMOPOLIS PARKS • Makarenko Park — A 39-acre park with more than 2 miles of paved and gravel trails for walking, running and biking. The park, nestled on the hills in residential Cosmoplis, also includes two soccer fields.

OTHER PARKS • Mill Creek Park • Cosi Lions Park HOQUIAM PARKS • John Gable Park — Provides 23 acres directly adjacent to Hoquiam High School on the west side of Hoquiam.

Facilities include two softball fields, basketball court, new playground equipment, restroom facilities and a new

skate park.

• Olympic Stadium — A nine-acre athletic complex located in the eastern portion of the city. Facilities include the stadium, which accommodates high school interscholastic athletics, baseball, youth sports organizations and is the home of the Loggers Playday show held annually in the City of Hoquiam. The stadium can seat upwards of 8,000 people and the athletic fields include picnic tables and support facilities. Recent improvements have made the stadium more ADA accessible.

• Art Pocklington Central Play Park — Located in the central portion of the city, his park provides an open play

area, state-of-the-art playground equipment, a spray park, which opens from mid to late May and stays open through the summer as weather permits. It has a fenced basketball court and is ADA accessible. This oneacre park also includes several benches, picnic tables and a covered picnic shelter, as well as restroom facilities.

• Elton Bennett Park — A nine-acre wooded site located in north central Hoquiam, providing a picturesque mileplus hiking trail through the densely forested landscape.

The trails have been graveled in areas as well as some steps installed in the steeper terrain. The steep terrain makes the trail a challenging experi-

ence for the disabled user.

• Sunset Memorial Park/ Cemetery — Located in north central Hoquiam, covering approximately 40 acres. It is well maintained with large trees and shrubs and paved walking areas, which has made it a popular destination for walkers.

• Beacon Hill Park — A 2.5-acre park located in east central Hoquiam. The park is situated on the permanent cover of the city’s reservoir and includes one basketball court, a playground area and two tennis courts. Landscaping and support facilities provide for passive enjoyment of the scenic view of the Hoquiam River and the harbor.

There are no restrooms.

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Destination Grays Harbor

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ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM PARKS, CONTINUED • Johnny Green Dike — A landscaped dike located between the Hoquiam River and Riverside Avenue. The park consists of open green space, benches and a paved pedestrian walkway which provides access to the river loop and the Farmers Market.

• Last Spur Park — A .4-acre urban square which commemorates the community’s logging heritage. It is located in north central Hoquiam and provides two picnic tables. There are no restrooms at this park.

• Eighth Street Landing — Approximately 120 linear feet of public access to the Hoquiam River in the downtown waterfront area. There are picnic tables with shelters and a fishing and boat dock.

SMALLER PARKS • Chevron Memorial Park — A .1-acre park in the business district of Hoquiam.

• Viglasky Park — A .1-acre park with an open play area and playground in north Hoquiam.

• Richie Park — A .1-acre park in Hoquiam’s north end, includes a play area and playground equipment.

• Emerson Triangle Parks — Three landscaped urban squares which provide attractive open space adjacent to busy Emerson Avenue. The three sites total .12 acres.

• Horne Park — A .1-acre park in Hoquiam’s north end, includes a play area and playground equipment.

TRAILS ABERDEEN • John’s River Wildlife Area — Off state Route 105, 12 miles west of Aberdeen, off John’s River Road. The approximately 1-mile trail is paved for about the first half. Single-track trails lead off into the woods.

• Chehalis River Trailway — This 3-mile trail runs begins between the soccer fields at the Bishop Athletic Complex and runs along the shores of the Chehalis River to Mill Street.

• Lake Swano Trails — A two-mile trail through 20 acres of forest on the Grays Harbor College campus, including interpretive signs.

• Basich Trailway — A 1.5-mile trail that meanders through Pioneer Park in South Aberdeen along Mill Creek, ending at the Cosi Lions Park in Cosmopolis.

• Morrison Riverfront Walkway — A 1.8-mile paved walking path in East Aberdeen from the Aberdeen Hotel along the northern bank of the Chehalis River, running to Lakeside Industries just outside of Aberdeen.

• Stewart Park Trail — Just short of a mile of rugged trail up and down hills and across bridges in east Aberdeen’s Stewart Park.

• Sherwood Forest Trail — A rugged trail located off Bel Aire Drive, featuring miles of forested trail to explore.

COSMOPOLIS • Makarenko Park Trail — Two miles of gravel trails in the woods between Bell Hill and Cemetery Hill in residential Cosmopolis, just south of Aberdeen.

• Mill Creek Park Trail — Cosmopolis’ most popular park on C Street past Cosmopolis School, it offers miles of gravel trails around Mill Creek and Mill Creek Pond.

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Page 24

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

Birders attending the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival use their binoculars to watch the shorebirds along Sandpiper Trail in the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.

TRAILS, CONTINUED HOQUIAM • Sandpiper Trail — Located within the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge on Bowerman Basin on the west end of Hoquiam near the airport, the trail offers great bird viewing along a wooden plank trail. The refuge is known as a prime spot in the spring to observe migratory shorebirds. Parking area to the tip of the Bowerman Peninsula is about 2 miles.

• Hoquiam River Loop — The loop begins in downtown Hoquiam at the cor-

ner of 8th and L streets near Hoquiam City Hall, and takes walkers around a loop that crosses both the Simpson Avenue Bridge and Riverside Bridge, and along the north and south banks of the Hoquiam River.

• Elton Bennett Park — Rugged trails in a natural setting in residential north central Hoquiam, with trails that connect to offer a mile-plus of forested hiking.

• Sunset Memorial Park — A popular walking area off Grand Avenue just up the hill from Elton Bennett Park. Offers paved loop roads with gradual inclines and limited traffic.

• Prospect to Endresen Walking Trail — The trailhead is located just off Prospect St., and the trail meanders over a hill and ends on Endresen St., across from a boat launch on the Little Hoquiam River.

Information from the Guide to Walks and Trails of Grays Harbor County, published by Grays Harbor Tourism.

CAR SHOWS Aberdeen • Midnight Cruisers Rod Fest. July 23.

• Aberdeen Elks Car Show. Aug. 20.

Hoquiam • Riverside Run Revival. July 4.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

Electric race cars speed around the 30,000-square-foot indoor track Visitors to the new fun center in South Aberdeen take a whirl on the bumper cars

New fun center open in South Aberdeen South Aberdeen's new Extreme Fun Center is now open, housed in what was once the JC Penney store at the former SouthShore Mall. The 65,000-square-foot facility features an indoor race track with electric race cars, a 5,000-square-foot laser tag room, scores of arcade games, mini bowling and a snack bar/pizza parlor.Hours are 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For further information or to book a party, call the fun center during business hours at (360) 637-8093.

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Page 26

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

Retracing Cobain's footsteps

BY KYLE MITTAN

I

A statue dedicated to Aberdeen native Kurt Cobain, front man for the iconic 90’s grunge band Nirvana, stands in Kurt Cobain Riverfront Park in Aberdeen.

t wasn’t that long ago that Kurt Cobain went unrecognized in the town he grew up in.

The “Welcome to Aberdeen” sign on the east end of town didn’t bear the famous “Come As You Are” message until 2005 after a group of teenagers advocated for the addition. The city itself did little to honor Cobain until 2014, when the mayor proclaimed the first Kurt Cobain Day on what would have been Cobain’s 47th birthday on Feb. 20.

Still, remnants of the Nirvana frontman’s time in Aberdeen remain relatively easy to find.

An obvious first stop is the Aberdeen Museum of History, which hosts a Cobain exhibit. The exhibit centers on a statue of Cobain playing an acoustic guitar, created by Randi Hubbard, a local sculptor who built the statue in 1994, the year Cobain died.

The statue was dedicated to the museum at last year’s celebration.

The museum’s exhibit also features two benches transplanted from the park across the street from Cobain’s Seattle home.

Plastered with signatures and messages from fans, the benches served as a pilgrimage site following Cobain’s death. Admission to the museum is free.

The Young Street Bridge, which spans the Wishkah River in east Aberdeen, was memorialized in “Something

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Destination Grays Harbor

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Under the Young Street Bridge, which spans the Wishkah River in east Aberdeen. in the Way,” Cobain’s acoustic final track from Nirvana’s iconic record Nevermind.

The Kurt Cobain Memorial Park near the bridge, dedicated in 2008, now boasts a guitar statue and plaque commemorating Cobain’s memory, along with a stone slab in the ground etched with quotes from the star.

A short trail leads underneath the bridge to a site where Cobain reportedly used to spend time. The bridge itself is covered in graffiti and hand-written messages to Cobain.

Those interested in touring the area of Cobain sites could start at the house at 1210 E. First St. in east Aber-

deen, near the Young Street Bridge. The home, which is currently on the market for $400,000, was where Cobain spent much of his early childhood and several teenage years. His bedroom, on the upper level, still has graffiti on the walls from Cobain himself.

The house at 609 W. Second St. is where Cobain rehearsed with fellow grunge rockers Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover of the Melvins.

In 1985, Cobain began renting his first apartment at 404 N. Michigan St. Cobain fell homeless after being jailed for vandalism, and lived at 408 W. First St. with LaMont and Barb Shillinger, whose

children were friends with Cobain.

Cobain met Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic in the mid 1980s, and the two often practiced on the second floor of the hair salon the Novoselic’s mother ran at 107 S. M St. Cobain began renting his first house in 1986 at 1000-1/2 E. Second St. before moving to Olympia with Novoselic and Nirvana’s first drummer Aaron Burckhard.

The city’s latest addition is “Nirvana and Aberdeen,” a mural commissioned by civic and arts group Our Aberdeen. The mural spans 68 feet across the upper portion of the side of the Moore’s Interiors building at 201 S.

Broadway St. in downtown Aberdeen.

A team of artists led by Grays Harbor College art instructor Erik Sandgren painted the mural over several months. Novoselic made his first public appearance on Grays Harbor in years at the mural’s dedication in 2014.

Though Cobain’s widely known drug abuse and circling rumors of his disdain for Aberdeen kept city officials from recognizing its most famous son for decades, Cobain’s legacy hasn’t gone unmentioned.

Finding much of it is simply about knowing where to look.

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Destination Grays Harbor

“Cosmopolis, City of the World”

Millcreek, Cosmopolis – photo by Deena Otterstetter DAO Photography

City of Cosmopolis, incorporated in 1891 is a small community located along the Chehalis River. With a population of approximately 1650, Cosmopolis has a longstanding reputation of being a very family and community oriented city.

Cosmopolis is business minded, open to all growth opportunities, has been building partnerships and strengthening businesses for a Greater Grays Harbor for more than a century.

Since our earliest days as a pioneer timber town we have been a player in the global export business. Our heritage – an entrepreneurial spirit, strong business support, and a great community – is our future.

We are proud to support Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. as a Founding Member.

2016

Keep your eyes peeled for public art while in cities

U

pon entering Aberdeen from the east most everyone notices Taco Bell Cowboy by John Gumaelius.

But just before that piece of whimsical art, on the opposite side of the road is a weathered bronze sculpture that is partially hidden behind some foliage. It is located in Morrison Riverfront Park next to the Rotary Pavilion called “Harbor Workers” by Tom Morandi.

Public art is everywhere, keep your eyes open.

One thing you may notice is the absence of the oars of “Sky Sweeps” along South Aberdeen’s Chehalis River shoreline. After one oar broke during a 2015 windstorm, all oars were removed.

The latest addition to public art in the area this past year is the “Nirvana and Aberdeen Mural” located atop Moore’s Furniture building along Wishkah St. The Star Wars Store, at 413 E. Wishkah St., proves as a tractor beam for every sci-fi fan driving through town. Driving down Wishkah Street, sometimes cars will first notice the store because of the giant mural in their rearview mirror and promptly turn around and go check it out, says owner Don Sucher. The largest mural of Star Wars characters was done in 2011 by artist Hans Rehder, an Aberdeen High School graduate who simply loves doing murals.

As one travels into the downtown area, more sculptures called “critters” by Gumaelius and his wife, Robin, a ceramicist, can be seen lurking from cages along street corners. They each

have a fantastical stories as part of the art, inviting all to meander the city’s streets.

You can also find a catalogue of them at www.crittersonthemap.com. There are a dozen critters in all.

A stroll through Aberdeen and Hoquiam will reveal a plethora of public art — murals and sculptures are tucked away between buildings and along sides of buildings. Art can be found in many locations around the Harbor.

A favorite and quite noticeable piece is the “Weatherwax Family Memorial” also called “Breaker,” after the wave-like shape it creates. The sculpture was created by Adam Kuby, a Portland-based artist who used pieces from its namesake, Aberdeen’s Weatherwax High School, which burned in 2002. The public art is located at a bend in the road, where the one-way of Hwy 101 leads you from Hoquiam to Aberdeen, where Simpson turns on to North Park St. You can’t miss it.

A quick catalogue of galleries include: in Hoquiam the Six Rivers Art Gallery at 210 6th St, the Weatherwax Gallery located in the Polson Museum and in Aberdeen, Healing Gallery at Grays Harbor Community Hospital at 915 Anderson Drive, the John Spellman Art Gallery at the library on the campus of Grays Harbor College which is located along hwy 105 on the way to Westport. Aberdeen also has a First Friday art walk which starts at 5 p.m on the first Friday of every month along the streets of Broadway, Wishkah and Heron streets.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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Destination Grays Harbor

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ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM

The Harbor is a bird-watcher's haven

W

ith more than 354 different species of birds calling Grays Harbor home at one point or another year round, the county has had made a name for itself as a bird watchers hot spot.

The area’s mountains, forests, beaches and marshlands provide adequate nesting areas and food availability for rare shorebirds and more common species that avid birders from around the country and world come to see year round.

All year round, bird watchers can see Sanderlings, Black-capped Chickadees, Chestnut Backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Fox Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Anna’s Hummingbirds and Yellow-rumped Warblers, just to name a few.

But, rarities like the Western Sandpiper, Black-Belly Plover and the Palm Warbler can be found on the county’s shores, as well.

Hoquiam is also home to the nationally recognized Shorebird Festival, which takes place each spring. This year’s festival, May 1-3, will feature keynote speaker Alan Rammer (a marine educator), lectures on shorebird identification, field trips with expert birders, and shorebird viewing.

The event is a great opportunity for bird watchers to see thousands of different bird species as they stop in Grays Harbor on their northern migration, coming from as far south as Argentina before reaching their final destination in the Arctic.

More information on the Shorebird Festival can be

A flock of shorebirds, mostly western sandpiper, takes flight as high tide approaches in the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge during the annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival.

Birdwatchers on Sandpiper Trail watch the ten of thousands of shorebirds at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. found at www.shorebirdfestival.com.

BIRDING HOT SPOTS: • Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge (Paulson road, South of State Highway 109) – Up to 1 million shorebirds gather here in the spring and fall, but bird watching is great year round.

A wooden boardwalk winds

through the wetlands.

• Bottle Beach State Park (33 Ocosta 3rd St, Aberdeen, WA) Right next to the water, this location serves as a popular destination for shorebird watching.

• Oyhut Wildlife Area (Ocean Shores, WA – From downtown Ocean Shores, take Point Brown Avenue South to Tonquin Avenue and then turn

right to parking area) Rarities show up in August at this location when some migrating birds fly south on the wrong side of the ocean, when they would usually make their trip through Asia in to Africa.

• John’s River Wilderness Area (10 miles south of Aberdeen – Drive West from Aberdeen on Highway 105 approximately 11 miles, turn left to drive one mile on John’s River Road. Take a left on Game Farm Road and then drive one mile to the parking area) This large flood plane features geese, ducks, river otters and Great Blue Heron, which can be seen all year round.

• Ocean City State Park (148 WA-115, Hoquiam, WA) The park’s forest, along with the fact that it’s right on the beach, makes for a habitat that is home to a large variety of birds.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

Page 31

Clamming: one of the region's main attractions

The beaches in Grays Harbor County offer some of the best razor clam digging on the coast.

R

azor clamming can be extremely rewarding or extremely disappointing for the digger. Various factors determine the difference between limiting-out and walking away emptyhanded.

Much larger than steamer clams, they can be prepared a variety of ways and stored until you are ready to use them. If properly prepared, they can be very tender and mild in flavor.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO • Diggers should be aware of the time of low tide and be sure to get there about an hour before the tide is at its lowest. Stormy conditions that bring waves frequently up the beach may make it harder to see the clam holes, and should be taken into factor when bringing small

children.

• Dress warmly and be sure to wear boots that will keep your feet dry.

• Store some bottled water in your vehicle for drinking and to rinse sand off your hands.

HOW TO FIND CLAMS There are three kinds of clam “shows.”

• Dimple — a simple indentation in the sand • Doughnut — shaped like a mountain with a crater, about 2 to 3 inches in diameter • Keyhole — shaped like an hourglass or as a hole with very distinct sides.

Regardless of condition or size, every clam dug must be retained as part of your limit.

DIGGING Clam guns and shovels are the two tools used by diggers.

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Page 32

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

CLAMMING, CONTINUED Clam guns are easier to use in wet to medium-wet sand.

Diggers should be aware of the clamshell’s sharp edges, and should either wear gloves or use extra caution when reaching into the hole to pick up the clam.

CLEANING • Rinse the clams free of sand • Prepare a pot of boiling water, and place the clams into the kitchen sink with the drain open.

• Pour the boiling water over the clams to pop open the shells off of the clams immediately.

• Rinse the clams in cold water, remove the shells and discard them.

MORE INFO The Department of Fish and Wildlife has a step-bystep tutorial on how to finish cleaning the clams at wdfw. wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/ra-

A boy digs his clam gun into the sand during an evening tidemas the sun sets over a patch of Twin Harbors beach near Grayland zorclams/clean_prepare.html.

Before you go, make sure you possess a shellfish/seaweed license and some kind of container to keep each

limit separate.

Razor clam season takes place from October to May, and dig dates are announced on the Washington Depart-

ment of Fish and Wildlife’s website. Typically they take place over the weekend and are either morning or evening digs.

Call for reservations

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2016

Destination Grays Harbor

Page 33

Washington Coast Magazine brings you the best in coastal destinations, dining, recreation and local history.

Published four times a year from scenic Grays Harbor, each issue features stories and photographs of life along America’s Pacific Northwest shoreline.

A Great Read while at the Beach Find one at any of these locations: Museum of North Beach – Moclips Front Street Market – Seabrook Coastal Interpretive Center – Ocean Shores Martin Bruni Liquor – Ocean Shores IGA – Ocean Shores Tokeland Hotel – Tokeland Twin Harbor Drug – Westport 3 G’s Coffee, Candy, & Deli – Westport Silver Surfer Girl - Westport

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Page 34

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH

BY ANGELO BRUSCAS Grays Harbor Newspaper Group From the ever-changing tip of Damon Point to the pristine shores of the Quinault Indian Nation, the North Beach offers some of the most environmentally and culturally diverse destinations on the Washington coast.

From surfing to razor clam digging, kayaking, biking, hiking, kite flying, moped or horseback riding, fishing in the surf or fresh waters, and the salty art of beachcombing, the North Beach thrives with year-round activity.

With the center of daily business activity in and around the city of Ocean Shores, the North Beach also includes the bustling 10-year-old resort community of Seabrook, the seaside towns of Ocean City, Copalis Beach, Pacific Beach, Moclips and Taholah. There is the new destination vacation-home resort development of Oyhut Bay, or the restored and remodeled cabins at Iron Springs.

Today, the North Beach has something for everyone, with miles of open beaches, inland lakes and coastal rivers, hotels, resorts, condo or vacation home living, fine dining, pubs and nightlife, a growing community of artists and crafts merchants, and the only 18-hole golf course and tri-plex movie theater up the coast.

North Beach

A diverse destination The Festival of Colors kite show in Ocean Shores is June 4-5.

activities. The most difficult decision is to choose what to do in the time you are there.

Damon Point entices with a marvelous walk out on a “spit,” with the ocean on one side, the harbor on the other. Just be careful of the tides.

The North Jetty is the spot for wave watching on just about any day, also OCEAN SHORES Ocean Shores a great place to look for remains the whales, seals, central hub of the pelicans and North Beach for other entershopping, recretaining ocean ational diversity, wildlife. nightlife and maOcean jor events.

Shores has 120 Ocean Shores features miles miles of wellThis group photo shows what a popular place of beaches and Sharky's in Ocean Shores is for a group photo. paved flat roads and 23 fresh waterways, miles of inland an 18-hole golf course; many go-kart and scooter rental lakes and canals to explore.

Also, in the summer, there’s the places, miniature golf and an arcade, Ocean Shores Farmers Market: Every and numerous places to picnic or enjoy Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., in the parking a sunrise or sunset. Kite flying, kayaking, canoeing, beach walking and whale lot behind Shores Bowl and next to the city’s popular skatepark. It features watching are just a few of the popular

arts, crafts, produce and food.

OCEAN CITY, COPALIS BEACH, SEABROOK From the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino to the Green Lantern and Iron Springs Resort, this stretch of the North Beach has something for everyone, including several of the premier RV camping areas, luxury view rooms and cabins, the best clam digging beds in the area, and hiking, fishing or just beachcombing destinations easily accessible along scenic State Route 109.

The Ocean City Marketplace has become a central stopping point up the highway to watch local chainsaw carving artists at work and to browse some of the most unique creations you will ever see come to life before your eyes.

The area includes the Ocean City State Park (camping/RV sites and picnic area) just south of the Resort & Casino, and Griffiths-Priday State Park (day use only) at Copalis Beach, where you can hike to the mouth of the Copalis River along a spit of beach preserved from development.

At Iron Springs Resort, ocean-view cabins have been fully renovated and restored with luxury accommodations, and the town of Seabrook has gained

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

international acclaim for its design, accommodations and amenities that cater to visitors and residents alike.

At Seabrook during the summer months, local crafts people and vendors take part in a Saturday Seabrook Market on Front Street, and there often are activities for the whole family or live music. For the Fourth of July, the entire town participates in a Porch Illumination Celebration that begins on July 3.

PACIFIC BEACH, MOCLIPS, TAHOLAH AND QUINAULT Each one of these towns has its own distinct development history, with Taholah to the north as the hub of the Quinault Indian Nation at the mouth of the Quinault River, Moclips being one of the original beach resort towns, and Pacific Beach, which has the Pacific Resort & Conference Center that has long been a favorite coastal retreat for the U.S. Navy.

The fine dining at Ocean Crest Resort has returned along with the magnificent Pacific-view accommodations as a new restaurant and bar with outside deck has replaced the previous facility

The Ocean Shores Youth Fishing Derby is the day before Mother's Day every year in North Bay Park on Duck Lake. destroyed by fire in 2011.

At Moclips, the Museum of the North Beach, 4658 State Route 109, is known for its extensive collection of local history and memorabilia. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Thursday to Monday and just on weekends during the offseason. Admission is by donation. In the spring, the museum hosts its

Page 35

annual Avalon Glassworks Glass Float Sale. For more information, call (360) 276-4441 or visit www.moclips.org.

The Quinault Culture Museum, 807 5th Avenue Plaza, Suite No. 1 in Taholah, includes exhibits of stone tools, wood carvings, handwoven baskets and ceremonial items. The museum also features a small gift shop promoting local artist work. It is open Monday through Friday. Call ahead for more details – (360) 276-8211.

Lake Quinault Historical Society and Museum, 354 South Shore Road, Lake Quinault, is housed in the Old Quinault Post Office. The museum’s permanent collection includes two Quinault 24-foot cedar dugout racing canoes and exhibits of Dell Mulkey and Dale Northup, whose photographs document the area from the 1920s through the 1960s.

The museum is a short walk from the Lake Quinault Lodge, built in 1926, and famous for hosting President Franklin Roosevelt. The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information, call (360) 2882317 or (360) 288-2417, or visit quinaultrainforest.com

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH EVENTS AND FESTIVALS The hub of activity often can be found revolving around the unique events that come with being at the beach.

There is the Razor Clam Festival & Seafood Extravaganza along with the Beachcombers’ Festival in March in Ocean Shores, the Chocolate on the Beach Festival in Pacific Beach and Seabrook, and the Burning Bears chainsaw artist festival in Ocean City in February, the kite festivals in Pacific Beach at the State Park or the Festival of Colors in Ocean Shores, the Kelpers Festival in Pacific Beach/Moclips in late summer, the Sand & Sawdust Festival in June, or the Fourth of July Beach Blast activities that abound.

There’s also the biggest Flag Day Parade in Western Washington in Ocean Shores, along with the annual parade of motorcycles for the Hog Wild and Bikers on the Beach weekend in late July. Offseason, there’s also the evergrowing Galway Bay Irish Music Festival every October and the Winter Fanta Sea event each November.

CALENDAR • May 3 — Annual Plant Auction and Gourmet Pasta Dinner fund-raiser hosted by the Ocean Shores/North Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ocean Shores Convention Center, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20.

• May 6-8 — Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival, with festival headquarters at Hoquiam High School. Field trips of Ocean Shores and Point Grenville on Saturday. (www.shorebirdfestival.com).

• May 7 — Savor Seabrook Seafood and Wine Festival, noon to 5 p.m. Seabrook celebrates its 6th Annual Sea-

The 2015 fireworks from the beach at Ocean Shores, which lights up for hours every 4th of July. food and Wine Festival at the Seabrook Town Hall benefiting the Seabrook Community Foundation. Seafood tasting from the best local restaurants including The Lake Quinault Lodge, The Ocean Crest, Mill 109, & Rediviva.

• May 7 — The ninth annual Youth Fishing Derby will be held on Saturday, May 7 at North Bay Park in Ocean Shores, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Derby is open to kids 17 and under. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. the day of the event. Free T-Shirts will be handed out to each registered participant.

There are no entry fees.

• May 7-8 — Shoppin’ at the Shore — Entrepreneurs gather together under the Convention Center roof to create a retail extravaganza.

• May 14 — Eighth annual Clam Digger Rod Run, staging begins at the Ocean Shores Elks Lodge at 8 a.m.

Online: www.clamdiggerrod-

run.org.

• May 14 — Seabrook’s annual Syttende Mai celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day. Meet at the Dorothy Anderson Cabin (at the north end of Crescent Park) at 11 a.m, for a parade through the streets of Seabrook.

• May 27-29 — Grays Harbor County Expo; The ninth annual Expo featuring Oceans of Fine Arts - Arts & Crafts Show, Wood and Ice Chainsaw Carving, Hotrod and Classic Car Show, Memorial Service and a Home Show.

• May 28 — Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast Pacific Beach. From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., enjoy pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee and juice at the Community Center just off SR 109. Donations go to Grays Harbor Fire District No. 8.

• June 4 — Ocean Shores Wearable Art Show; Artists of all media types create

functional and not-so-functional pieces of spectacular fashion in this year’s show, “Movers and Shakers.”

• June 4-5 — Festival of Colors; Family kite-flying event for novice to professional kite flyers. On the beach at the Chance Ala Mer approach.

• June 11 — Flag Day Parade — The parade features more than 75 entries and a Grand Marshall. One of the only Flag Day parades in Western Washington.

• June 11 — Seabrook Saturday Market Summer Kickoff Celbration: The fourth season of the summer market with local vendors, crafters, artists and live music in the amphitheater, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday through the summer. Season opening of Mill 109 beer garden with traditional native Salmon bake.

• CONTNUED ON PAGE 42

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Destination Grays Harbor

North Beach

NORTH BEACH Moclips Taholah Amanda Park Quinault

Ocean Shores Ocean City Copalis Beach Pacific Beach

East County

2016

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Destination Grays Harbor

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To Port Angeles

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EAST COUNTY

Montesano Brady Satsop Elma

McCleary Malone Porter Oakville

ABERDEEN & HOQUIAM Aberdeen & Hoquiam Aberdeen Hoquiam

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South Beach SOUTH BEACH Westport Grayland Ocosta

Bay City North Cove Tokeland

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FROM ABERDEEN TO: Seattle Bellevue Portland Olympia Port Angeles Tacoma Astoria

109 miles 112 miles 142 miles 50 miles 144 miles 79 miles 77 miles

To North Cove, Tokeland & Raymond

South Beach South Beach

East County

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED • June 17-19 — We Heart Dads Beach Volley Tournament-Fun Run and Barbecue at Seabrook. Benefits Grays Harbor Community Hospital.

• June 24-26 — Sand & Sawdust Festival; Sand sculpting competition from master to beginner, open to individual or team artists; Chainsaw carving and auctions at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

• July 2-5 — Fourth of July festivities at Seabrook begin with a bike parade on Saturday, a flag celebration on July 4 and a beach cleanup July 5, among other activities. Annual porch illumination, cake walk, BBQ and festival.

• Fourth of July at the Beach — Best viewing of private fireworks celebrations is from the Chance a la

Mer beach approach south to Ocean City, with center of activity at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, which has the only professional fireworks show on the North Beach.

• July 5 — Annual Beach Cleanup after the fireworks, with trash bags available at the main Ocean Shores beach approaches.

• July 8-29 — Seabrook’s Sunset Concert Series begins on Friday nights, starting at 7 p.m. Grab your blankets, lawn chairs and a spot in the grass to enjoy the free shows.

• July 9-10 — Ocean Shores Tri & Foot Fest features two days of competion for runners, triathletes, swimmers and bike riders, with the start and finish lines at North Bay Park on Duck Lake. (www.oceanshorestri-

andfootfest.com) • July 2-17 — Ocean Shores Beach Blast: A 16-day family friendly event with volleyball, soccer, disc golf, skim boarding, music, vendors, games, food, activity tournaments, fireworks and lots of S’mores.

• July 23 — Seabrook Founder’s Day Celebrate Outdoors Adventure: This Founder’s day, participate in a mountain bike ride or take a trip to hike in the rain forest at Lake Quinault. All events and activities will be to benefit the Grays Harbor Volunteer Search & Rescue Team.

• July 29-31 — Hog Wild at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, and Bikers at the Beach at the Ocean Shores Convention Center feature events for motorcycle enthusiasts; Live music, vendors,

bike show and more. Replaces Sun and Surf.

• Aug. 6 — Second Annual North Beach Community Fair at the Pacific Beach Elementary School, featuring local celebrity dunk tank, food and information from neighborhood, community groups, public safety officials and local government and social service agencies.

• Aug. 13 — Ocean Shores Woof-a-Thon; annual fundraiser for animal welfare charities; event in North Bay Park.

• Aug. 19-21 — 12’s Fan Fest and Beach Party; Celebrate the upcoming Seahawks season with a fan party open to all.

• Sept. 3 — Paddle-A-Thon; races and demonstrations of human-powered watercraft, canoes, kayaks. North Bay Park.

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NORTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED • Sept. 3-4 — Kelpers Festival and Shake Rat Rendezvous Pacific Beach.

Main parade on Sunday, Kiddies Parade at noon on Saturday, starting at the Post Office in Pacific Beach. Shake Mill events, vendors, live bands and evening dance. For more info call (360) 276-8377.

• Sept. 9-11 — A.A.O.S. Arts and Crafts Festival; One of Western Washington’s largest indoor & outdoor handmade arts and crafts fairs.

• Sept. 10-11: Annual Up Your Wind Kite Festival. Pacific Beach. A fun fly event at Pacific Beach State Park. Sponsored by Hi-Flyers Kite Shop. Call Scott at 360-276-8377 for more info.

• Sept. 16-18 — 25th Annual Sand Castles and S’mores Festival. Pacific Beach. On the beach, past the State Park near Joe Creek. In partnership with the Museum of the North Beach.

• Sept. 16-18 — Whale of a Quilt Show; Boutique vendors, handmade quilts, demonstrations, and quilted items at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED • Sept. 17 — International Beach Cleanup. Register online with Washington Coastsavers, begins at 9 am.

• Sept. 23-25 — Bacon Bash at the Ocean Shores Convention Center; All things bacon, with food, vendors, novelties and entertainment. New event.

• Oct. 1 — Big Foot Brew Fest, Seabrook: Enjoy a variety of microbrews. Front Street beer garden.

• Oct. 20-23 — Irish Music Festival, Ocean Shores, Hoquiam. Largest Irish music celebration on the West Coast. (www.galwaybayirishpub.com).

• Nov. 25-27 — Winter Fanta-Sea at the Ocean Shores Convention Center; Unique handmade items just in time for the holidays.

• Nov. 25 — Seabrook annual Christmas Tree Lighting, with hot chocolate bar, cookie exchange, caroling, and Santa arriving on a bike, outside Town Hall in Seabrook.

• Dec. 3 — Community Christmas Tree Lighting Pacific Beach, 5 p.m.The

The Irish Music Festival gets the crowds up and dancing every October at Galway Bay Pub, the Ocean Shores Convention Center and the 8th Street Ale House in Hoquiam.

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RECREATION Walking the beach, horseback riding, kite flying, surfing, surf fishing, kayaking, freshwater fishing, bike riding, tennis, golf, bowling, a skateboard park — North Beach recreation has something for everyone and anyone.

For hunters, bird hunting is available in season at the state Wildlife Recreation Area accessible from the Ocean Shores airport or at the Oyhut Recreation Area off Marine View Drive (No deer hunting within city limits!).

Of course, the most popular recreational activity remains razor clam digging, which must be done in season on two designated North Beach areas, Mocrock and Copalis. For information on season, dig dates, rules and regulations, visit online: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/ shellfish/razorclams/ Shores Bowl: Located at

125 W. Chance a la Mer St. in Ocean Shores, the all-season bowling alley also has pool, shuffleboard and darts.

The Electric Boat Company at 952 Point Brown Ave. SE offers boat rentals to explore the miles of inland canals and lakes in Ocean Shores: 360289-0487 or 360-790-2623. The electric boats can hold up to 10 people each, making them ideal for family outings, small parties, special events or even breakfast and/or dinner cruises. Ocean Shores offers plenty to explore, with 23 miles of interconnected fresh waterways.

Horseback rentals: Ocean Shores this year has two companies operating horse rentals on the city-owned sites at the end of the Chance a la Mer beach approach. Also, horse rentals, and occasionally camel rentals, are available seasonally just outside of city limits off the Damon Road beach approach.

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NORTH BEACH BIRDING Damon Point became a Mecca in 2012 for birders viewing the snowy owls that had migrated there during the winter, and it remains a rich bird-watching retreat.

Ocean Shores and Point Grenville also are featured with field trips during the annual Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival, held in early May (www.shorebirdfestival.com) to celebrate and observe the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that stop to rest and feed in Grays Harbor estuary on their migration northward.

LOCAL PARKS Ocean Shores has four city parks open to the public, along with a skatepark.

• Chinook Park is on Duck Lake off Duck Lake Drive and has a boat launch and

Damon Point offers spectacular views of the coast from the ground or the air, by sea or by kite. fishing pier for freshwater fishing. Also, a soccer field, outdoor basketball court, picnic facilities and children’s play area.

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• North Bay Park is the largest of the parks and is also on Duck Lake at the intersection of Chance a la Mer and Albatross. It has a

public boat launch and fishing pier, but there is also a tennis court, a baseball field and large playground for the kids. North Bay also has a picnic shelter and restrooms.

• Emerson Park has a tennis court and play area, and is located off Bass Ave., and the skatepark is next to the city animal shelter behind Shores Bowl.

• Milo Schneider (Lions) Park: Near hotels/motels at 832 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, this one-acre park provides playground equipment, picnic tables, portable restroom, and Lions Club meeting hall.

Also, one of the most popular areas is Damon Point at the southern end of Ocean Shores, where you can explore a 2-mile long spit of beach that seems to stretch out into Grays Harbor almost all the way to Westport.

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NORTH BEACH several yurts that can be reserved.

STATE PARKS • Ocean City State Park is a year-round, 170-acre camping park, featuring ocean beach, dunes, and dense thickets of shore pine. For picnics, the park provides four sheltered and 10 unsheltered picnic tables. The parking lot accommodates 100 vehicles.

• In Copalis Beach, Griffiths-Priday State Park has a reservable picnic shelter for groups of up to 50 people. For reservations call the park at 360-2893553.

• Pacific Beach State Park is a 10-acre camping park located in Pacific Beach.

The park’s sandy beach and breezy climate are perfect for kite flying and sand castle building. Visitors also enjoy beach exploring, bird watching and storm watching. The facility also has

TRAILS The Weatherwax Trail: The city purchased 121 acres of unplatted, undeveloped land in July 1999, preserved with a wonderful walking trail through the forest and along Duck Lake. The three parcels of property making up the Weatherwax lie east of Canal Drive SE, south of Ocean Lake Way and Overlake, and west of Duck Lake Drive NE. GOLF As the only 18-hole golf course on the entire outer coast of Washington, the Ocean Shores Golf Course has a storied history to go with its challenging layout, where each side offers distinctively different experiences.

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NORTH BEACH

The Clam Digger Rod Run is May 14, with the cars showing at the Elks Lodge in Ocean Shores.

GOLF, CONTINUED Ocean Shores Golf Course opened in 1961 as a 6-hole golf course. Two years later three more holes were added to complete a nine-hole track. Then in 1966, during a development boom at Ocean Shores, the current front nine was completed. Singer/ actor Pat Boone and nightclub singer Ginny Simms were involved in this phase of development.

In 1966 Pat Boone started hosting his Celebrity Golf Classic at Ocean Shores.

Celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Joe Namath and Fred MacMurray, came to play in the event.

That format continued until 1970 when Ocean Shores became an L.P.G.A. Tour stop. Many women’s tour stars of that era, such as Kathy Whitworth, Althea Gibson, JoAnne Carner and Patty Berg, played the event.

The course also has hosted such events as the 1971 Northwest Open, the 1990 Pacific Northwest Pro-Am, NFL Celebrity Classics and, most recently, the 2007 PNGA Junior Girls’ Championship.

Ocean Shores PGA pro

Ronnie Espedal said the course averages about 25,000 rounds a year, and lessons are available. The 6,252yard, par-71 course includes a covered driving range.

Located at 500 Canal Dr. Contact: (360) 289-3357, www. oceanshoresgolf.com CAR SHOWS The top car show annually is the High Rollin’ Hot Rods in April at Quinault Beach Resort & Casino. Guest host is Lance Lambert of the Vintage Vehicle Show, and rain or shine it’s one of the top car shows of the spring.

Online schedule: http://www. quinaultbeachresort.com/ calendar Another showcase for local auto fans is the annual Clam Digger Rod Run, which is Saturday May 14 at the Ocean Shores Elks Lodge.

While it’s not officially a car show, the Hog Wild Weekend and Bikers at the Beach motorcycle events the last weekend of July bring in bikes and bikers of all styles, sizes, all ages and endeavours for one of the more entertaining and colorful festivals on the beach.

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2016

NORTH BEACH SEE & DO Amusement fun: Ocean Shores has two family amusement centers, with a number of indoor activities, too, when the weather gets too wet or cold for go-karts or bumper boats and mini-golf. Playtime Family Fun Center (748 Point Brown Ave. NE) has bumper cars, an arcade and the Peppermint Parlor ice cream shop, while Pacific Paradise Family Fun Center (767 Minard Ave. NW) also has arcade games, bumper boats, as well as mini-golf.

Scooters/Mopeds/carriage bikes: Rent them at Apollo Mopeds, 172 W. Chance a la Mer (360) 289-3820; or Affordable Mopeds, 896 Point Brown Ave, NW (360) 289-0919.

Farmer’s Markets: There

are markets in the summer in both Ocean Shores and Seabrook on Saturdays.

Ocean Shores Farmers Market is in the parking lot behind Shores Bowl, and Seabrook’s market is on Front Street.

If you want the feel of a true country market yearround, visit Voss Acres in Copalis Crossing, 1683 Ocean Beach Road.

Gallery hopping: Ocean Shores has a half dozen vibrant art galleries, and each one offers something different and unique to the area. A good place to start is at 849 Point Brown, The Gallery of Ocean Shores, with artists in residence as part of the North Beach Artists Guild. Not only are there dozens of paintings, photos, craft works and prints for sale or for

browsing, but there are art classes that you can drop in on and music or entertainment every third Saturday.

Quinault Beach Resort & Casino: Located at 78 State Route 115 between Ocean City and Ocean Shores, the resort features one of the best ocean-view restaurants in the area and plenty of slot machines, card tables, craps and roulette, along with a daily tournament in the poker room. There’s entertainment every night on the weekends and a decent sports bar to watch games, especially during the NFL season over the Sunday omelet bar.

Ocean Shores Cinemas: Located at 631 Point Brown Ave. NW, the three movie screens all have

digital projectors and show first-run movies with all the trimmings. Showings usually begin about 1 p.m., with three showings a day of most films. Call (360) 289-1234 for the current movie listings and times.

Garden by the Sea: The community garden in Ocean Shores is located behind the Galilean Retreat Center, 824 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW. Includes a children’s garden and garden to support the Ocean Shores Food Bank.

Stage West Community Theatre: Live community theater with several productions throughout the year on the Ocean Shores Lions Club Stage. For event times and information about joining: http://www. stagewestcommunitytheatre.org

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Destination Grays Harbor

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NORTH BEACH

Breezy havens for kite enthusiasts No overhead wires, plenty of wind and miles and miles of dunes make for perfect kite-flying elements and Grays Harbor skies are awash in colors and flying creations during some of the more spectacular kite festivals on the coast.

Nothing says beach time like an afternoon letting a kite dance above the surf.

Annual kite festivals are held in several South Beach and North Beach locations, and there are great kite shops in Westport, Ocean Shores and Pacific Beach.

And kites are not just for flying on a string any longer. At Damon Point, kite surfing has grown in popularity and you might even catch a wind-driven kite buggy or blo-kart as the Washington State Parks Commission has now approved wind-powered vehicles on the beach in certain locations.

“With miles of open beach, this is the No. 1 place in the world for kites,” said Andy Sias of Ocean Shores Kites, with two

A-Patch Kite Shop, holds monthly fun fly gatherings on the beach at Grayland.

At Pacific Beach and Seabrook, the center of kite flying is at the Hi-Flyers Kite Shop or on the beach at Pacific Beach State Park, where many of the campers have kites in the air right from their camp sites overlooking the ocean.

The sky is filled with kites for the annual Festival of Colors at Ocean Shores. locations in town and the No. 1-rated kite store in the industry for two years in row.

Sias has been a longtime sponsor of the non-profit Festival of Colors Kite Festival in June and regular more informal “fly-ins” throughout the year.

He also sponsors the Run From the Rain Indoor Kite Weekend in November.

Sias knows of people who have moved to the area primarily for the kite flying.

In the Westport/Grayland area, the Westport Windriders group, which was formed in 1987 by the owners of the Pic-

FESTIVALS June 4 -5 — Festival of Colors Kite Festival-Ocean Shores. Annual event showcasing kites & kite flying. Stuntflying demonstrations and competitions.

Contact: (360) 289-4103.

July 8-10 — Westport Windriders Kite Festival, on the beach in Grayland.

Email: info@WestportWindriders.org Sept. 10-11 — Up Your Wind Kite Festival, Pacific Beach Kite contests & Choreographed kite flying. This is a fun fly event on the beach at Pacific Beach State Park.

Sponsored by Hi-Flyers Kite Shop. Call Scott at (360) 276-8377 for more info.

Nov. 5-6 — Run From the Rain Indoor Kite Weekend, Ocean Shores Elementary School gym, 300 Mt. Olympus Dr. Ocean Shores. Contact: (360) 289-3103.

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Page 52

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH

A couple of unique museum experiences North Beach features two museumlike experiences that are like no other.

Both the Museum of the North Beach in Moclips and the Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores are unique showcases for the wonders, treasures, wildlife and creatures — human, animal and mythological — that can be found along the central Washington coast.

This year, both facilities also are in the midst of a number of changes that can only enhance each location well into the future.

COASTAL INTERPRETIVE CENTER The Coastal Interpretive Center has a new look inside and out as it has undergone some much-needed improvements heading into the 2016 tourist season.

Most noticeable is the magnificent new woodwork, windows, entry area and doorway, with much of the finer touches from local volunteer Dennis Hogan and a group of helpers such as Jerry Mergler, Jim Nagan, docent Steve Green and others.

The changes include bringing the bookstore section out into the front room and expanding the hands-on area where visitors can touch and feel some of the more unique and unusual exhibits from the sea and nature.

As the only nature interpretive center on Washington’s outer coast, the Ocean Shores facility also is a non-profit with several fund-raising events, such as the popular Glimpses lecture series and the large annual garage sale over Memorial Day weekend.

Inside the center, there are hundreds of exhibits on everything from habitats and watershed, to marine and local history. There are exhibits on shellfish, rocks and minerals, eagles and local wildlife, Native American heritage, logging and clamming. Beachcombing treasures include everything from a collection of glass balls to debris from the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. There are even exhibits on the history of Ocean Shores that date back to the late 1960s and early ’70s when entertainer Pat Boone was promoting development with a celebrity golf

MUSEUM OF THE NORTH BEACH The Museum of the North Beach in Moclips last year received a major donation of three parcels of land from the Curtright family that owns Ocean Crest Resort to be used to build a new museum.

Meanwhile, the current museum location is still open on State Route 109.

“Our goal since 2003 has been to The Coastal Interpretive Center has exhibits outside as well rebuild the iconic Moas inside. clips Northern Pacific Railway Depot as the tournament. new home for the Museum of the North One of the newer exhibits is an Beach’s ever expanding collection,” antique Bord piano from a shipwreck, said Kelly Calhoun, executive director donated by Lynda Hirsch, great-granddaughter of Albert O. Damon, one of the and curator. “For Moclips by the Sea Historical Society to reconstruct the early settlers in what was to become Moclips NP Railway Depot as a Hidden Ocean Shores.

Another newer display is a 300-pound Coast Scenic Byway’s (SR109) featured attraction, this will be a crowning military bell that is cast iron and once achievement for the North Beach and was installed to warn residents of the Grays Harbor County. It will be a tourOcean Shores peninsula in case of a ist destination like no other.” feared — but never realized — invaThe Museum has been in operation sion during World War II. The center for more than 12 years and is currently received the bell from a descendant of located in a small but historic building the Minard family who recovered it on formerly known as Hewitt’s Frozen the old Minard ranch.

Foods, which also is owned by the The Interpretive Center is very Ocean Crest Resort. kid-friendly, encouraging a hands-on Displays include Quinault Indian experience that allows for touching and baskets, artifacts from the old Northfeeling of things like whale bones, bird ern Pacific Railroad that once made feathers, animal pelts, turtles and even Moclips its Westernmost stop, historiwhale baleen.

The center is open daily from 11 a.m.- cal pieces from the M.R. Smith lumber 4 p.m. from April 1-Sept. 30. The center mill in Moclips, the old Aloha Tavern, the Navy facility at Pacific Beach, the is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays cabin of Dorothy Anderson (now reand Sundays from Oct. 1 to March 30. stored at Seabrook) and a host of items For tours or special openings, phone from the early days of Ocean Shores.

(360) 289-4617. It is located at 1033 The museum is located at 4658 State Catala Ave. SE: Follow Point Brown Road five miles from the gates of Ocean Route 109 in Moclips, one block north of the Ocean Crest Resort.

Shores toward the Marina. Turn left on For more information, call the Discovery Avenue at the southern tip of Point Brown. The center is at the corner museum at (360) 276-4441 or email at kelly@moclips.org. of Discovery and Catala.

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Destination Grays Harbor

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

NORTH BEACH

Paddling Grays Harbor County Grays Harbor offers ample opportunities for outdoor recreation, but the abundance of water, both moving and standing, makes the county extra tempting for kayakers.

Rivers meander throughout the county, with many waterways visible from streets. So much is kayaking available throughout the county that a kayaking race is held each year in Ocean Shores, and specific areas have been earmarked for kayak launching throughout the county.

OCEAN SHORES Ocean Shores has 23 miles of interconnected fresh waterway with access to Duck Lake, the Grand Canal and a web of other canals for kayaking. Also, sea kayakers enjoy the waters off Damon Point and elsewhere on the peninsula, and another popular North Beach destination

An Ocean Shores resident paddles near the Overlake Bridge on Duck Lake during the 2014 Paddle-a-Thon from North Bay Park. is the Copalis River, where an upstream paddle may reveal the so-called ghost forest created by a tsunami that is believed to have occurred in 1700.

On Sept. 3, Ocean Shores celebrates its inland waters with the annual Paddle-AThon at North Bay Park, where watercraft of all sorts and homemade boats take to the waters of Duck Lake. (www.oceanshoresact.com)

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Local launches include the Texmar Avenue canal launch site, boat ramps at North Bay Park and Chinook Park on Duck Lake, and a launch site off of Marine View Drive near the water tower.

HOQUIAM Kayakers launching in Hoquiam will find several spots to accommodate their passion, some outside of city limits and one downtown.

Kayaking in Hoquiam can offer forestland surroundings or a view of downtown from the river, with the opportunity to paddle from the Chehalis all the way through downtown.

Main launches include: • 9th Street and Levee on the Hoquiam River • Endresen Road on the Little Hoquiam River • Past three-way, Hoquiam River Surge Plain lands.

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NORTH BEACH

The annual Ocean Shores Paddle-a-Thon at North Bay Park on Duck Lake features a number of races and events for watercraft.

PADDLING, CONTINUED All three forks of the Hoquiam River converge.

A covered picnic area was installed by the Boy Scouts of America.

ABERDEEN Aberdeen, like Hoquiam, has rivers lining the city, including both the Chehalis and the Wishkah rivers.

Aberdeen’s flagship kayak launch sits behind Wal-Mart.

EAST COUNTY Throughout East County, kayaking opportunities are prevalent. Some opportunities are at state parks and require a Discover Pass, while others are on protected land made available through

conservation groups.

Along Blue Slough Road connecting the cities of Cosmopolis and Montesano, two launches are made available by conservation groups including Blue Slough and Preacher Slough.

Lake Sylvia (near Montesano) and Schafer state parks (10 miles north of Brady) feature not just hiking trails and campgrounds, the two parks also house kayaking opportunities, on the lake at Lake Sylvia, and along the Satsop River at Schafer. A Discover Pass is required for day use.

Friend’s Landing (300 Katon Road in Montesano) is owned by the Port of Grays Harbor and aims to offer ac-

cess to the Chehalis River to anyone regardless of ability or disability. The facility has won national and state honors as an “obstacle-free” park.

The boat launch requests a suggested donation of $2.

To the east, other opportunities exist along the Chehalis and Black rivers, from Montesano to McCleary and to Oakville. The only question is, do you have a kayak.

If you do and you’re looking to hit the water, strap the kayak to the car and come to Grays Harbor County.

SOUTH BEACH AREAS The John’s River is a popular spot to ride the tidal flows and visit an area rich in waterfowl. Access is at a

State Department of Wildlife parking area about 10 miles southwest of Aberdeen.

Farther south, put in at the Smith Creek boat launch, which offers access to two different rivers, Smith Creek and North River. Head directly east up Smith Creek or follow the river to the right under the State Route 105 bridge and you’re on North River.

Smith Creek is a calm, easy paddle that winds its way through forested areas.

Heron and kingfisher can be seen, as well as hawks and other wildlife. Paddlers on North River will go past a community of float houses, which dot the bank as you travel east.

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SOUTH BEACH and revetment rocks or crabbing. And don’t forget the crabhe communities of bing off a float Westport, Grayin the Westport land, North Cove, or Tokeland Tokeland, Ocosta marinas. and Markham are collectively Seafood: called the South Beach. Also There are eatknown as the Cranberry Coast, ing establishthe South Beach boasts more ments all along than 1,000 acres of cranberry the coast that bogs. Covering the area from offer dining the Grays Harbor Bar at the opportunities South Jetty all the way south ranging from to the marina in Tokeland on decadent to Willapa Bay, you’ll find friendly down-home, folks ready and willing to make depending on your stay on the South Beach a Washington’s largest surf competition takes place off Westport each fall. your mood. memorable one.

Beaches: Tops Lodging: The South Beach on the list for entertainment has to be our Shopping: The entire South Beach, has accommodations for every style.

18 miles of pristine ocean beach. from Westport to Tokeland, offers an Deluxe suites with all the amenities Entertainment: There’s a go-kart track imaginable, beach cabins on the water’s abundance of gift shops. to entertain the younger set while you Fishing: Charter offices in Westport edge or in the pine woods, a historic hotel, wander among the many shops. The modern motel units, bed and breakfasts, can book you on a boat for the fishing South Beach also boasts nearly three trip of a lifetime any day of the week.

RV parks, private camping sites and two dozen annual festivals to entertain you. state parks.

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SOUTH BEACH CALENDAR May 7 — 34th Annual Ocosta Rec. Oyster Feed: All you can eat — steamed, stewed and fried oysters; spaghetti, salads, rolls and juice. Beer and wine available. 3 to 7 p.m. at the Ocosta Recreation Hall. More info: 360-648-2190 May 29 — Blessing of the Fleet: Traditionally held the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Join the South Beach Ministerial Association in a ceremony at the Fishermen’s Monument on Neddie Rose Drive in Westport for the annual Blessing Of The Fleet. More info: 1-800345-6223 or 360-268-9422 May 30 — VFW Memorial Day Service: Join local military organizations and military fraternities as they honor those lost in battle at a brief ceremony held at Veterans Memorial Park at the Street of Flags — 1800 S. Montesano St., just south of the Westport City limits.

The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. More info: 360-268-9543 June-September — Charter Association Fishing Derby: Take a fishing trip with a derby ticket and you could come home the big daily, weekly or overall

winner. Derbies are run for bottom, deep sea and salmon fishing. More info: 1-800-345-6223 or 360-268-9422 June 4 — Westport Best Friends Day: The City of Westport has proclaimed itself as the Dog Friendliest Beach in the State. “Best Friends Day” — the second annual gathering will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Westport Maritime Museum. Bring your four-footed best friend for a great time.

June 24, 25, 26 — Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze: Come to Westport for the 14th annual Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze.

The event features Westport’s own Rusty Scupper Pirates, several other pirate crews, live music, contests, special

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sales at local shops and restaurants, longboat races, Treasure Chest raffles and much more. More info: 360500-1633 June 26 — Pirate Daze 5k Dagger Dash: This 5k family fun walk/run alongside the ocean on Sunday. Preregistered racers receive a T-shirt & eye patch. More info: daggerdashwestport@ gmail.com July 2 — Tokeland Parade & Celebration: Traditionally held the Saturday closest to the 4th of July. This old-fashioned community parade has grown to more than 200 entrants. Starts at 11 a.m. at the Tokeland Marina. Picnic lunch follows at Tokeland Hotel (free for parade participants) and games for kids. More info: 360-267-7006 or www. tokeland-northcovechambercommerce.org

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

SOUTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED July 3 — Trek Across Tokeland: July 3, register 8 a.m., trek starts 9 a.m. at the Tradewinds on the Bay Event Center. More info: 360-591-2363, Facebook: Low Tide Bits and Pieces July 3, 4 — Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration: Held on the grounds of the Westport Maritime Museum in the Marina District. This is an old-fashioned 4th of July family celebration, complete with children’s games for prizes, food, clowns, a plant and bake sale, face painting, a cakewalk and a silent auction. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More info: (360) 268-0078 July 4 fireworks shows: Free fireworks shows start at dusk in Westport’s Marina District and in Tokeland near the Shoalwater Bay Casino.

July 8, 9, 10 — Windriders Kite Festival: Traditionally held the second weekend in July, this annual event has grown to participation of hundreds entertaining crowds of thousands. Competitions, demonstrations, games, auction and high-flying fun at the Grayland beach approach off State Route 105. More info: 360-870-3413

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

SOUTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED July 16 — Eastside Street Rods Show ‘N Shine: Vintage vehicles are placed on display along Westport’s Westhaven Drive on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. More info: 360-268-9029 or 206- 7471071 July 23, 24 — Tokeland Wood & Art Fest: The annual Tokeland Wood & Art Fest offers original art from many disciplines. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Handmade items displayed by artists and wood carvers. There's also food on the grounds of the historic Tokeland Hotel. More info: Jeremy-mtb98901@ yahoo.com July 30 — Elk River Challenge: Bring your kayak, canoe, rowboat or surfboard with paddles or oars, and don’t forget your life vest and whistle. Contestants start their human-powered race at Brady’s Oysters at the foot of the Elk River Bridge and race up into the Elk River estuary and back over a 7-mile or 2-mile round-trip course. More info: 360- 268-9712 August 12, 13, 14 — Grayland Open Jet Ski Competition: Off the beach near

The Grayland Open tests the skills of watercraft riders every August.

Grayland Road Beach Approach. It’s the fifth annual. This free event for spectators will bring dozens of riders and hundreds of spectators from all over the U.S for stunt competition, motosurf racing and a big air competition. Vendors & music on the beach.

August 20, 21 — Westport Art

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Festival: Traditionally held the third weekend in August, this is a juried show of fine art and some crafts. At various locations in the Marina District including art shops, along the Westhaven Esplanade, and at the Westport Maritime Museum grounds. More info: 360-591-2761

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SOUTH BEACH CALENDAR, CONTINUED September 3 — 70th Annual Seafood Festival & Craft Show: Traditionally held on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. This perennial favorite features heaping plates of great food, live music and local crafters.

The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. on the Westport Maritime Museum grounds.

Beer and wine available.

Info: 1-800-345-6223 or 360268-9422 September 3 — Vettes at the Marina: Dozens of classic Corvettes will grace the parking spaces along the Westport Marina Esplanade, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the Corvette Club of Grays Harbor’s sixth annual Show ‘N Shine. More info: 360- 5891716 or 360-580-0984 September 9, 10, 11 — Westport Blues Festival: Eighth annual. Held on the

The Vettes at the Beach car show is held each September in Westport. grounds of the Westport Marina Cottages. Beer garden, fun, food and music, featuring several blues bands.

Info: WestportBlues.com September 10 — Brady’s

Oyster Feed: Traditionally held the second Saturday in September. Oysters any way you like ‘em: Held at Brady’s Oysters just west of the Elk River Bridge on

State Route 105 from noon to 5 p.m. Proceeds go to clean water promotion and OHS scholarships. More info: 360-268-0077 or 800572-3252

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Destination Grays Harbor

Ocean Shores

2016

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Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH September 11 — Freedom Walk: All South Beach community members and visitors are invited to join the annual South Beach Freedom Walk. Meet at 11 a.m. at the Grays Harbor Lighthouse on West Ocean Avenue. More info: 2689543 September 15- October 31 — Westport Marina Salmon Derby: Come fish for salmon at the Westport boat basin from Sept. 15 through Oct. 31. Fish right off the floats for salmon and vie for derby prizes. More info: 360-268-1234 September 17, 18 — Operation Shore Patrol: 44th Annual Beach Cleanup.

Traditionally held the third weekend in September. Four-wheelers converge on beaches to tidy up after the summer season. Four-wheelers parade through the Marina District Saturday afternoon.

More info: 1-800-345-6223 or 360-2689422 September 24, 25 — Salmon Tales: Come enjoy the fifth annual celebration of Westport’s favorite fish and the people who chase after them. Held on the grounds of Westport Maritime Mu-

seum. Enjoy exhibits, live music, a beer garden and salmon-related vendors.

More info: www.salmontales.info October 7, 8, 9 — Clean Water Classic Surfing Competition: Washington’s largest surf contest. It’s the 15th annual benefit for the Surfrider Foundation.

All ages welcome. Pro/Amateur Shortboard division; Longboard division; plus Women’s, Junior’s and Masters. Half Moon Bay & the Groins off Neddie Rose Drive. More info: www.cleanwaterclassic.com October 8 — SBCO Cranberry Breakfast: Held in conjunction with Cranberry Harvest Festival weekend. South Beach Christian Outreach offers a hearty breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon at very reasonable prices. The event also includes a raffle. South Beach Christian Center on State Route 105 in north Grayland. Info: 360-267-4442 October 8, 9 — Cranberry Harvest Festival: Traditionally held the second weekend in October at the historic Grayland Community Hall. It’s the 21st annual this year. The cranberry har-

vest season is celebrated with crafts, food, drink and decorations. Bog tours, a cook-off contest, local cranberry products, music and a nighttime Firefly Parade in Grayland. More info: 1-800345-6223 or 360-268-9422 October 9 — Jog the Bog and Beach: 10K and 5K runs, along with a 3K walk through bog country. Register at the Grayland Community Hall at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. More info: 1-800-3456223 or 360-268-9422 December 3 — Santa By The Sea: Santa arrives at Float No. 6 at the Westport Marina at 11 a.m. and then holds court at the Maritime Museum. All area and visiting children are invited.

Refreshments served, photos with Santa and a kids’ store available. Info: 253-3815989 Please Note! Dates, times and details for events are based on the best information available as we went to press. Be sure to contact the information numbers provided with each event listing to verify dates, times and details and to receive more detailed information.

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

SOUTH BEACH the limit per day is the first 15 clams dug, regardless of size or condition.

There is one permanent State Razor Clam Preserve closure on the South Beach.

The area is clearly marked with posts and no digging is allowed between the markers. On the Twin Harbors Beach, the closure area is from the middle of the County Line Road beach approach south for one-quarter mile.

RECREATION CLAMMING Locals and visitors alike eagerly anticipate spring, fall and winter clam digging seasons. Drawing thousands to the South Beach to search for the wily and succulent tasting critters, this recreational sport is among the state’s most popular.

To determine specific opening dates, check with local media or Chambers of Commerce. The State Department of Fish & Wildlife determines clam digging seasons depending on the health and population of the resource.

Whenever you try your luck, you’ll receive a warm welcome from South Beach locals! Our motels, eateries, and shops are ready and waiting to give you fine service

Locals and visitors alike eagerly anticipate spring, fall and winter clam digging seasons. with a friendly smile.

A license is needed to dig clams. Licenses are available locally at some businesses.

Again, the local Chambers of Commerce can direct you to local licensing agencies.

Diggers are reminded that

BEACH DRIVING While traveling along our pristine 18 miles of Pacific Ocean beach in motor vehicles is very popular, tourists and locals alike are reminded that they are a part of the State Highway system. That means the rules of the road apply on the beach as well as on the pavement. The speed limit on the beach is 25 miles per hour.

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2016

Destination Grays Harbor

SOUTH BEACH BEACH DRIVING Swerving, cutting "doughnuts" and other such activities are not allowed. Be sure to drive on the uppermost wet sand to avoid clam beds, not to mention getting stuck!

Be particularly careful on the beach when major activities are taking place such as kite festivals and clam digging.

You may not drive on all areas of the beach at all times, however. Some sections of beach are closed to vehicle traffic for either all or part of the year. No motor vehicles are allowed on the beach in front of Westhaven State Park near the South Jetty at any time.

From April 15 to the day after Labor Day each year, you may not drive north from the Twin Harbors State Park Beach access road off SR105, and you may not drive south beyond the Warrenton Cannery Road beach access in North Cove. The state’s Seashore Conservation Area Act sets aside at least 40 percent of each beach in the state (North Beach, South Beach and Long Beach Peninsula areas) for pedestrian use during that period. During recreational clam digging

seasons, you may drive 1.9 miles north of the Twin Harbors Beach Access Road and 0.3 miles south of Midway Beach Access Road.

FISHING Whether from land or out at sea, fishing opportunities on the South Beach have never been better, with great catch variety from mid-March through the end of January. Board our charterboats, launch your own, fish off the rocks or in the surf to bring home some mighty tasty seafood.

Charter offices have all the gear you need to go on your deep sea fishing adventure. Boats leave the docks at Westport daily for bottom fishing expeditions, and in season, for salmon, albacore and halibut.

DEEP-SEA FISHING Deep-sea bottom fishing holds its own special rewards in the variety and quantity of fish caught. Enormous schools of sea bass can be found in ample numbers in rock pinnacles along our coast and skippers know where to find them all spring, summer and fall.

Starting in June, anglers can take day trips for salmon fishing.

In mid-August, Willapa Bay at the

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southern tip of the Cranberry Coast opens for recreational salmon anglers seven days a week.

In the fall, salmon begin returning from the sea to our harbors, bays and estuaries on their journey to the rivers from whence they came. Fishing on Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay this time of year can be hugely rewarding experiences.

From mid-summer through October, you can book a one-, two- or three-day trip to seek the thrills found only on an albacore tuna or halibut fishing expedition. The thrills are exceptional.

LAND-BASED FISHING For those who don’t choose to go out to sea, the South Beach also offers some great land-based fishing opportunities.

Drop your line in the water off any of the floats in the Westport or Tokeland marinas. Fish off the rocks along the Chehalis Point revetment, or fish off the beach for surfperch.

From mid-August through January, salmon reared in pens in the marina return looking for a place to spawn, making the Westport Marina a great location for prime salmon fishing for those who don’t choose to go out on boats.

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Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH STATE PARKS Bottle Beach State Park 33 Ocosta 3rd St. Between Aberdeen and Westport off State Route 105 (360) 267-4301 Hours: The park is open dawn to dusk year-round for camping and day use.

Bottle Beach State Park is a 75-acre, day-use park with 6,000 feet of shoreline on Grays Harbor. The open tide flats are the park’s most significant feature. Mud flats in the area support a rich supply of invertebrates that attract shorebirds as they migrate from Central and South America to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. Grays Harbor is considered the single most important shorebird feeding area on the Pacific Coast, attracting more than a million birds each spring.

Grayland State Park 925 Cranberry Beach Road, Grayland (360) 267-4301 Hours: Summer 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; winter 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The park is open year-round for camping and day-use. Reservations are accepted year-round. And highly recommended even in the off-season due to events such as razor clam tides and holidays.

Grayland Beach State Park is a 412-acre, year-round, marine camping park with 7,449-feet of spectacular ocean frontage, just south of the town of Grayland. The park offers 55 full-hookup campsites within easy walking distance of the

Basket House GIFT SHOP

WORTH THE WALK! To the End of the Dock!

Next to Float 4. Open at 10 AM Classic Souvenir Store Toys • Gifts • Kites • Games • T-Shirts

400 Dock St. • Westport • 360-268-0727

ocean. There are five short, marked trails leading from the campground to the each.

Twin Harbor State Park 3120 Highway 105, Westport (360) 267-4301 Hours: Summer 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; winter 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Twin Harbors is a 172-acre camping park on the Pacific coast. Beach activities redominate, including kite flying, surf fishing and beach combing.

Westport Light State Park 1595 Ocean Ave., Westport (360) 267-4301 Hours: Summer 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; winter 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The park is open year-round for day use only.

Westport Light State Park The Grays Harbor Lighthouse at Westport Light State Park. is a 212-acre park. The Westport Lighthouse stands on adjacent Coast Guard property.

A boardwalk connects the park with Westhaven State Park, 1.3 miles away.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

The Chateau Westport offers spectacular ocean views, miles of uninterrupted solitude where you can comb for sea treasures plus deep sea and bottom fishing, delightful shops for every occasion and restaurants throughout Westport. We offer over 100 guest rooms and suites, many with fireplaces, kitchens, balconies and ocean views. Enjoy our indoor heated pool, soak in our hot tub or work out in our Fitness room. Each morning enjoy a complimentary Continental Breakfast. With our two conference rooms, it’s a perfect place for your Family Reunion or Conference at the beach. Best of all, we’ve assembled a wonderful staff to meet your needs.

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SOUTH BEACH More info: (206) 747-1071.

• Vettes at the Marina, Sept. 3 — Dozens of classic Corvettes will grace the parking spaces along the Westport Marina esplanade during the seafood festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the Corvette Club of Grays Harbor’s 5th annual Show ‘N Shine. More info: (360) 589-1716 or (360) 5800984.

STATE PARKS, CONTINUED Westhaven State Park 2700 Jetty Haul Road, Westport, (360) 267-4301 Hours: Summer 6: a.m. to 10 p.m.; winter 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park is open yearround for day use only.

Westhaven is 79 acres with 1,215 feet of shoreline on the Pacific and Half Moon Bay, with beach access to both shores. It's a popular destination for surfing and fishing.

TRAILS Westport Lighthouse Dune Trail: The 2.8-mile-long Westport Lighthouse Interpretive Dune Trail, actually an 8-foot-wide handicapped accessible concrete walkway, meanders along the ocean shoreline from near the Grays Harbor Lighthouse to the Port of Grays Harbor Observation Tower in West-

Vintage models to hot rods can be seen at the Eastside Street Rods Show ‘N Shine car show in July. port’s Marina District.

Interpretive signs along the trail with spectacular ocean views feature pen and ink drawings with notations about the habitat and interdunal environment.

CAR SHOWS • Eastside Street Rods Show ‘N Shine, July 18 — Vintage vehicles are placed on display along Westport’s Westhaven Drive on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MORE EVENTS INFO: • Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-345-6223 or (360) 2689422 • ExperienceWestport. com, P.O. Box 306, Westport, WA 98595 • Tokeland North Cove Chamber of Commerce, (360) 267-0885; www. tokeland-northcovechambercommerce.org; P.O. Box 132, Tokeland, WA 98590

“Your Premier Source for Results!”

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• 100 RV Sites • 35 Grassy Tent Sites with Fire Pits • Rec. Hall for Clubs or Groups with Kitchen & Fireplace • Hot Showers in Restrooms • Propane Available 931 S. Forrest St. • Westport • 360-268-9528

Premier Realty Westport, LLC

Thank you for the past, present, and future. You have helped make us one of the top selling offices on the South Beach!

623 N. Montesano St. • Westport www.premierrealtyofwestpor t.com

(360)268-5100

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH

Crabbing: Your very own catch of the day

checked at about every 10 minutes or more, since the crab are free to move in and out of the trap. Pots can be left in the water When you think of crabbing, do you until you are done for the think of terror on the high seas and day (and checked on as brutal, demanding physical work? often as you wish — be Fortunately, crabbing (for both sure to remove the crab Dungeness and red rock crab) in Grays each time that are not Harbor is as easy as 1-2-3, when you legal as they will be eating visit the docks at Westport and Tokeland the bait).

— no boat required.

If you manage to keep 1. Grab your gear. Whether it’s a crab a crab or two, take them ring or pot (rings are lighter and easier home and cook them in to transport and regulations allow its a pot of salted, boiling use year-round), you can purchase water. The Washington them at many sportsman supply stores Department of Fish and throughout Grays Harbor or even rent Make sure your catch is legal by measuring each crab.

Wildlife’s website (wdfw. them from various locations in the wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/ boats in the area. Also, know the crabSouth Beach area. You’ll also need bait crab/clean_prepare.html) has a few bing rules and regulations through the (chicken is most commonly used), a helpful hints in cooking and cleaning Washington Department of Fish and bucket and a measuring device to dethe crab.

Wildlife, available in print at various termine if your crabs are legal or to be locations and online at wdfw.wa.gov/ From there, the crab can be eaten tossed back into the water. immediately, cooled in the fridge for 2. Pick a dock to throw your traps fishing/shellfish/. cracking at a later time or even frozen 3. Check your traps to see if you’ve off of. Check the rules and regulations in the shell for future use. caught dinner yet. Crab rings should be of the docks, and be considerate of the

COASTAL IMAGES Ron Arel - Photographer ron@coastalimages.us

Specializing in ground and aerial digital photography of the Washington Coast.

• Tour our Website Photo Galleries

• Prints & Panoramas • Scenic Posters and Gallery Prints • Photo Desk Top Calendars

• Order Online, via E-mail, or by Phone • Location &/or Custom Photography

PO Box 2622 • Westport, WA 98595-2622 • (360)268-0946 w w w. c o a s t a l i m a g e s . u s

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Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH

Discover

the Cranberry Coast!

Washington’s Best Kept Secret Studio Tour Local artists open their studios (See website for dates) Garage Sale Proceeds benefit the Tokeland Parade

N. Willapa Grange Hall May 20-22 Tokeland Independence Day Parade July 2 Trek Across Tokeland July 3 Tokeland Wood & Art Fest July 23-24

Port’s Observation Tower offers a 360-degree view An excellent way to start your tour of the Westport area is with a climb to the top of the Port of Grays Harbor Observation Tower at the corner of Westhaven Drive and Neddie Rose Drive in the Marina District. Get your bearings with a 360-degree view.

Looking out to sea, the South Jetty is to your left and the North Jetty to your right.

That curving body of water at the base of the South Jetty is Half Moon Bay. The large tower you see at the center shoreline of Half Moon Bay is the Coast Guard watch station.

Draw a mental line between the two jetties and you’re looking at the Grays Harbor Bar, the area where the Pacific Ocean pours in and the five rivers that feed Grays Harbor pour out, creating swells and whitecaps.

Along the North Jetty across Grays Harbor, you’ll see homes at Ocean Shores.

Look down to your right along the rock wall called the revetment. The finger jetties that stick out into the water are called groins. This is a

favorite year-round spot for surfers.

Now rotate a quarter-turn to your right. Neddie Rose Drive below runs to the end of Point Chehalis. The Fishermen’s Monument is at its tip, as well as Float 20, where there’s a public boardwalk that will give you great perspective on the marina and Grays Harbor from another viewpoint. On a clear day you’ll see the Olympics.

Make another quarter-turn and you’re looking down Westhaven Drive across the marina toward Hoquiam and Aberdeen at the head of Grays Harbor. Rotate once more and you’ll see the Grays Harbor Lighthouse nestled in the tree line.

Directly below you is the northern end of the 1.5-mile Westport Light Dune Trail, an 8-foot wide concrete walkway that’s handicapaccessible. The trail curves around Half Moon Bay to Westhaven State Park and then goes along the dune line all the way to Light House State Park, situated right in front of the Grays Harbor Lighthouse.

Clam Licenses, Clamming & Camping Supplies!

• Complete Line of Hardware Supplies • Hunting & Fishing Needs Mon. - Sat. 8:30 - 5:30

Tokeland-North Cove

Grayland Hardware Inc.

Serving the Cranberry Coast

“If You Don’t See It - Just Ask”

Chamber Of Commerce

TokelandNorthCove.com

2044 SR 105, Grayland • 360-267-2594

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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South Beach is a beachcomber’s paradise

S

outh Beach beachcombers soon discover the diversity of our coastline makes for incredible variety in beachcombing adventures. What we really have here is not one beach, but four very different and distinct beaches to explore for all kinds of special ‘treasures’. Go on outgoing tides. Be careful when looking near the surf line, rogue waves can wash large logs over the unsuspecting beachcomber.

You can start at the Jetty Beach at Westhaven State Park in Westport. You’ll find agates and a sizable deposit of driftwood along this stretch of beach.

Next stop– Half Moon Bay, just east of the jetty. Here beachcombers will discover shells, shells, everywhere!

Japanese glass fishing floats are rare but you can still find them and many other types of floats after westerly storms along the coast.

Be sure to bring bags and buckets.

For another unique

The beach is calling you...

Bayshore RV Park

beachcombing experience, head 18 miles south through Grayland and North Cove to

Washaway Beach. Witness the results of the erosive forces of nature. Then scramble down the bank to the driftwood wonderland.

Poke around among the debris and find, perhaps, a Japanese glass float, a crab boat float or even items from ship’s spills like hockey gear, Nike shoes and rubber duckies.

And last, but definitely not least, is the Big Beach.

Take any of several beach access roads in Grayland and North Cove that will bring you to the brink of the mighty Pacific. You’re most likely to find sand dollars in abundance, lots of driftwood, some interesting flotsam from the high tide line, and maybe even some fascinating sea creatures like jellyfish that have washed ashore.

Family Dining

Sandwiches | Pizza | Homemade Desserts

On the shore of Willapa Bay with 400’ of bay frontage

∙ 41 RV sites ∙ ∙ Full hookups available ∙ ∙ Restrooms & showers ∙ ∙ Laundry room ∙ ∙ Two clubhouses with full kitchens ∙ ∙ Workout area ∙ ∙ Open all year ∙

Dine-in or Take-out

2941 Kindred Ave | Tokeland

360-267-2625

1200 N. Montesano St. (next to airport)

www.bayshorervpark.com

Westport, WA

Hours 11am-8pm

268-0901

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

SOUTH BEACH

It's called the Cranberry Coast for a reason It’s Fall— The berries are bright on the bogs and pickers are wending their way down the rows, harvesting the crop that gives our Cranberry Coast its name. Planted in a mixture of sand and peat, cranberries grow on low-running vines and are trained to grow in the same direction, so the masterful invention of local mechanical genius Julius Furford, called the Furford PickerPruner, can dry harvest the berries and prune the vines at the same time.

The mowing machine is followed by its operator, and every 40 feet or so, a burlap bag full of fruit is dropped along the way. The bags are then loaded on small flatbed narrow-gauge rail cars and hauled to sorting sheds at the edge of the bog.

A few growers in our Grayland bogs use the wet harvest, called flooding, method to gather berries. A mechanized harvester-beater moves over the water to loosen the fruit from the vines.

The floating berries are then corralled together and pumped or pushed into trucks and hauled away.

Since cranberries are a perennial crop, if a bog is carefully tended, it will continue to produce forever. Some of the bogs on the Cranberry Coast are more than 80 years old.

In the fall, a trip along the roads east of Grayland through bog country will give you a comprehensive idea of the processes involved in clearing, creating, piping, planting, tending and harvesting a bog. If you make the trip

Freshly picked cranberries from the South Beach bogs. in late September through early October, you can watch the berry harvest in action.

According to the Washington Cranberry Alliance, the wetlands on which the cranberries grow are an important and integral part of the state’s total wetlands system, and cranberry farms actually help to preserve and protect those vital areas by holding and slowing down water runoff during times of flooding, recharging shallow aquifers

Sands Inn and RV Park

“A Charming Coastal Retreat & Park Like Setting”

• Cable TV • Dogs Welcome • Clam & Fish Cleaning Station • Boat & Trailer Parking

(360)268-0091

1416 S. Montesano St. • Westport

and filtering out pollutants.

A trip through the bogs at any time of year will also delight you with the numbers and varieties of wildlife that thrive there. You will have opportunities to see all types of migratory waterfowl, Great Blue Herons, hawks, otters and more. Over half the land dedicated to cranberry growing is preserved wetlands in the form of ponds, ditches and reservoirs that support our wonderful area wildlife.

Clam Tide Gallery Original art by local artists Beach Theme Paintings Handmade Jewelry • Pottery Wood Sculptures 360-591-2363 2172 SR 105 • Grayland

Wed-Sun 10AM-4PM Closed Mon & Tues

Across from the Local Bar & Grill

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH Gentle giants up close and personal “Thar she blows!” are words to live by on the South Beach during the months of March through May, when gray whales migrate up the coast to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. Whale watching season on Grays Harbor offers an up-close and personal commune with one of nature’s gentle giants. Charter offices located in the Westport Marina District take three-hour trips out into the ocean to catch a glimpse of the immense but friendly creatures.

The gray whales are particularly easy to spot, since they travel fairly close to shore. Best times for whale watching seem to be early in the morning on calm water

days, without whitecaps, preferably with a little overcast, so the sun’s glare doesn’t interfere with vision.

Part of the appeal of the trip is the fact that the resource is merely observed as opposed to consumed.

Any shooting is done with a camera and it’s the watchers who get “hooked” on the whales.

If you’ve never experienced a whale watching trip, you’re missing out on an incredible experience. Come share the water with the whales. Dress warm, grab your binoculars and a friend to share the experience.

Board a boat and wait for the adrenaline rush when you hear that time-honored cry: “Thar she blows!”

Full Hookups • Pull Throughs • Group Areas • 800.867.3515 360.267.3515 kenannarv@yahoo.com www.kenannarv.com

Cozy Cabins •

You may encounter a whale that approaches close enough for you to reach out and gently pet it.

Visit the

Historic Tokeland Hotel!

The Tokeland Hotel & Restaurant is a National Historic Landmark overlooking Willapa Bay & the Pacific Ocean.

Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Secluded Tents • Clubhouse/Kitchen •

Tokeland Hotel & Restaurant SR 105 to Tokeland

2959 State Route 105, Grayland

360-267-7006

www.tokelandhotel.com

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

SOUTH BEACH

Westport Maritime Museum is home for nautical history and Destruction Island Lighthouse lens The Westport/South Beach Historical Society’s Maritime Museum is located at 2201 Westhaven Drive in the Marina District of Westport.

It is housed in a former Cape Cod style Coast Guard station that’s truly a shining example of America’s maritime past and worth a stop, if for no more than a gander at the architecture. The picturesque building, done in the Nantucket style prevalent during the thirties, includes three stories, six gables and a widow’s walk.

Construction began in 1935 on the tide flats. A riprap border of interlocking steel plates that originally secured the station site from extreme high tides can still be seen today, part of which has been converted to seating with an aggregate rock top.

Completed in 1939 and dedicated in 1940, the station housed 20 enlisted men and officers. By 1973 the Coast Guard complement in Westport numbered over 50 and the old station could no longer house them efficiently.

They moved to new quarters

The Maritime Museum as seen from the Westport Marina near the Public Boat Launch and in 1976 the City of Westport acquired the property.

In 1985 the building was turned over to the newly formed South Beach Historical Society. An all volunteer organization, the Historical Society worked long and hard turning the facility into today’s Maritime Museum, full of interesting artifacts that tell not only the history

Whale of a Cone & Jeanene’s Animal Village

of our area, but of whaling, fishing and cranberry growing.

Old photos cover the museum’s walls. The main floor features displays of the U.S. Coast Guard’s presence on the South Beach from 1858 – 1948, shipwrecks off Grays Harbor, ocean treasures and the Museum Store. The Museum Store features items to educate and entertain both

The Fresnel lens from the Destruction Island Lighthouse is now displayed in its own special building at the Maritime Museum. adults and children. Among offerings are maritime and area-related books, charts, videos, mugs, sweatshirts and nautical memorabilia.

(360) 268-9356 (800) 366-0766 www.holidaymotelwestport.com

31 Flavors of Ice Cream Homemade Waffle Cones Regular or Sugar Free Candy Sugar Free Ice Chips • Fudge Beverages & Taffy!

Rie Muñoz Dealer Toys • Jewelry • Art Cards • Posters

Open Year Round!

2647 Westhaven Dr. • Westport • (360) 268-9261

Great rates and walking distance to the docks!

Free use of grills, crab rings, and crab cookers.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

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SOUTH BEACH

Historic Grays Harbor Light Station open for tours

L

ooking up at the 135 stairs of the Grays Harbor lighthouse is both awe inspiring and intimidating. Standing on the white tiles in the center of the base, one can see the cast irons stairways that were shipped from San Francisco wind up all 107 of the tallest lighthouse in Washington state and thoughts creep into the mind of what would it have been like to have to climb each of those stairs carrying fuel oil back in the early 1900s and can I climb up there?

The answer to the second question is absolutely yes.

The lighthouse is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m.

Feburary through November and from April 1 to September 30 the hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The price of $5 for adult admission is well worth the experience of seeing a structure key to Grays Harbor’s maritime history and to view a lighthouse that is close to the original condition from its 1898 construction.

While other lighthouses in Washington such as the Destruction Island lighthouse, located north of Grays Harbor, have been abandoned, Grays Harbor Lighthouse is still an aid to navigation for vessels in the Pacific Ocean.

The original kerosene lanterns have been replaced by modern technology, but the third-order Fresnel lens, which was constructed in Paris, is still intact. The lens construction began three years in advance of the construction of the lighthouse itself. Each piece of glass had to be shaped by hand to a precesice curvature and if

The Grays Harbor Lighthouse in Westport is the tallest lighthouse in Washington state, standing 107 feet tall. any piece was off by just milimeters the light would not travel the needed distance.

The flash pattern was, and still is, white and then red to designate a safe harbor with the light traveling almost 20 miles from shore.

For those who decide to brave the 135 steps to the lantern room the climb begins at the base of the rail-

ing, which was constructed to resemble the lighthouse itself, and winds up the tower structure. The windows that once let in natural light on the way up the structure are now cemented over, but pictures from the early history of the lighthouse or paintings of the structure give visitors an excuse to stop and catch ones breath on several

landings. Once at the top, the views are truly breathtaking. The lighthouse was originally constructed 300 feet from the shore, but the jetty system that was constructed in the early 1900s has caused the growth of the shoreline and now the light is 3,500 feet from the ocean.

Even though the structure is further from the ocean now than when it was built, the lantern room provides a 360 degree view of almost all of Grays Harbor.

Visitors from cities around the U.S. to Sri Lanka have made their way up the steps. The lantern room has even been the site of two marriage proposals, both women said yes. Navigating back down all 135 steps is another feat in itself, but for those getting safely up and down the lighthouse it is a truly unique opportunity to see a piece of working history. Funds raised from the price of admission are put back into a planned restoration effort, which will include removing the current paint, which is blistering, and putting the correct type of paint back on the lighthouse, as well as taking care of any rust damage to the structure, possibly installing windows back into the sides and making it safe for visitors to go outside on the viewing deck at the top of the lighthouse.

No matter when the restoration begins, the Grays Harbor Lighthouse is a trip worth every step and don’t forget to get your certificate of completition when you get back down to the base, it will give you an extra few seconds to catch your breath.

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2016

SOUTH BEACH

Tokeland is a getaway on Willapa Bay Located at the southern tip of the Twin Harbors on beautiful Willapa Bay, the quiet, relaxing community of Tokeland welcomes visitors who want a getaway from it all in the area’s banana belt, where the sun shines "every day."

Sit on the rock wall and savor the sunset. Stop by Nelson Cannery’s "Porch," and try a tasty seafood treat, go crabbing off the Tokeland public dock.

If your taste runs to casino gambling fun, try your luck at the Shoalwater Bay Casino on SR105 at the

The Shoalwater Bay Casino is located on State Route 105 at the turnoff to Tokeland.

Tokeland turn-off. Enjoy a large variety of Vegas-style electronic and table gaming. Across the highway at Georgetown Station, you can enjoy bingo on the main floor and dine in style with great Willapa Bay views in

the Shoalwater’s restaurant upstairs.

Plan an overnight visit.

Come stay at the oldest resort hotel in Washington or park your trailer or motor home at one of the area’s RV parks.

Explore Tokeland— the marina, the revetment and the bay. It’s a great year round get-away, only minutes from Westport, Grayland and North Cove but miles away from worry and stress.

2016

Destination Grays Harbor

Page 77

MORE COOL STUFF • Farm Fresh Guide, countywide. Each year the Washington State University Extension for Grays Harbor County publishes the Farm Fresh Guide. The guide gives residents and visitors the opportunity to buy products directly from growers. Each grower listed in the guide will sell directly to consumers.

The guide includes addresses, telephone numbers and descriptions of goods available. With more than 400 farms in Grays Harbor County, anything but farm fresh is stale. The Farm Fresh Guide can be picked up at visitor centers, chambers of commerce or viewed online at graysharbor.org/downloads/ farm-map.pdf.

• 91.3 FM in Ocean Shores: It’s a place on your radio dial where you will find Ocean Shores’ own all-volunteer radio station, KOSW, bringing the many sounds of the shores and those who live and

play here locally. Informative, talkative, and music of all styles and eras.

• Taurus beach approach in Ocean Shores to the south is the official off-leash area in the city where dogs may roam free.

• Watch and observe The Port of Grays Harbor’s observation tower is a great place to see the comings and goings of large vessels calling at Port docks. Thereis a wonderful view up and down the Chehalis River from the tower, but most of the locals simply sit in the gravel parking lot and lookout at the river and the pilings that are a reminder of long-gone mills. Directions: Find Myrtle Street, which is the dividing line betweenAberdeen and Hoquiam. Go south to the Port Industrial Road and turn right; follow Port Industrial until it turns into Bay Avenue.

FromBay Avenue, turn south and follow it to the water.

Quality Musical Entertainment inside the

Historic Raymond Theatre

For more info call (360) 875-5207

325 N. 3rd St. • Raymond Please check our website for this year’s schedule

www.sundayafternoonlive.org

Pacific County Historical Society & Museum The Little Museum that Could

Community products and books of local and Native American history, cookbooks, children’s books plus our locally-written Sou’wester magazine!

Visit our museum and reminisce through our photos and artifacts. Or visit us at

www.pacificcohistory.org Open daily 11AM - 4 PM (360) 875-5224

4658 State Route 109 • Moclips 360-276-4441 • www.moclips.org

1008 W. Robert Bush Dr. South Bend (at Mile Post 54 on HWY 101)

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Destination Grays Harbor

2016

$'9(57,6(56 ,1'(; ACCOMMODATIONS Chateau Westport .................................67 High Tide Resort ...............................3, 37 Holiday Motel ........................................74 Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel ..................14 Mariner’s Cove Inn .................................57 Ocean Crest Resort & Restaurant .........44 Quinault Beach Resort & Casino...........45 Sands Motel & RV Park..........................72 The Tokeland Hotel & Restaurant .........73 Vacations by the Sea ...............................2 Walsh Beach Motel................................63 ART Clam Tide Gallery ..................................72 CANDY STORE Buddy & Howie’s Sweet Shoppe ..........43 Sea Bird Gifts & Candy ..........................64 CASINO Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel ..................14 Quinault Beach Casino & Resort...........45 CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Elma Chamber of Commerce .................6 Montesano Chamber of Commerce.....13 Oakville Chamber of Commerce ..........10 Tokeland-North Cove Chamber of Commerce ....................70 Westport-Grayland Chamber of Commerce ....................80 CHARTER FISHING Deep Sea Charters ................................60 CLOTHING Delores and Fays ...................................54 EATERIES Bennett’s Fish Shack ..............................79 Billy’s Bar & Grill .....................................19 Breakwater Seafood/Chowder House ..19 Dugan’s Pizza .........................................46 Hearty Galley Restaurant ......................59 Mazatlán Restaurant ..............................25 Mermaid Deli & Pub ..............................64 Mill 109 Pub ...........................................42 Ocean Crest Resort & Restaurant .........44 Ocean Grill .............................................79 Original House of Pizza .........................71 Silver Surfer Girl .....................................65 Tokeland Hotel & Restaurant ................73 Westside Pizza .........................................8 Whale of a Cone ....................................74

ENTERTAINMENT Coming Attractions Theatres ....... 5,17,35 Extreme Fun Center ..................... 5,17,35 Grays Harbor College Bishop Center ...21 Sunday Afternoon Live ..........................77 EQUIPMENT Grays Harbor Equipment ......................25 FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Coming Attractions Theatres ....... 5,17,35 Extreme Fun Center ..................... 5,17,35 Playtime Family Fun ..............................51

MUNICIPALITIES (cont.)

City of Westport ....................................80 MUSEUMS Museum of North Beach .......................77 Northwest Carriage Museum ...............76 Pacific Cty. Hist. Society & Museum .....77 PET FOOD Levee Feed ............................................31 PHOTOGRAPHY Coastal Images ......................................69

FESTIVALS Chocolate on the Beach........................40

PROPANE Propane Etc. ..........................................25

FINANCE Our Community Credit Union ...............11

PUBLICATIONS East County News ...................................6 South Beach Bulletin .............................58 The Daily World .....................................18 The North Coast News..........................40 The Vidette ............................................11 Washington Coast Magazine ................33

FORGET YOUR WORRIES Miller’s Marijuana ...................................15 Q-Mart Tobacco ....................................54 Sweet Leaf Cannabis .............................23 Westport Winery....................................61 GIFT SHOP Basket House .........................................66 Bay West Emporium Flower & Gifts .....60 Clam Tide Gallery ..................................72 Country Closet Décor & Gifts ..............20 First Cabin ..............................................53 Flying Cats Gift Shoppe ........................50 Rose Cottage .........................................57 Sea Bird Gifts & Candy ..........................64 Sharkey’s.................................................42 Whale of a Cone ....................................74 HARDWARE/LUMBER/FEED Grayland True Value Hardware ............ 70 HOME CONSTRUCTION A & J Precision Homes ..........................47 MAPS Map of Grays Harbor....................... 41-42 Map of North Beach ..............................36 Map of South Beach ..............................62 MEDICAL Grays Harbor Community Hospital.......29 Summit Pacific Medical Center ..............9 MUNICIPALITIES City of Aberdeen ...................................16 City of Cosmopolis ................................28

REAL ESTATE Donna Jones, John L Scott ..................40 First Harbor Real Estate.........................20 Oyhut Bay ..............................................39 Premier Realty/Westport .......................68 Seabrook ................................................41 Windermere/Westport, WA ..................56 RETAIL-CRAFTS/QUILTS & GENERAL Elma Variety .............................................8 RVs & CAMPGROUNDS Bayshore Beach RV Park........................71 Friend’s Landing.....................................12 Hoquiam River RV..................................32 Kenanna RV Park ...................................73 Kila Hana Camperland ..........................68 North Beach RV Resort .........................46 Sands Motel & RV Park..........................72 SEAFOOD - RETAIL Brady’s Oysters ......................................58 Nelson Crab...........................................66 TOURISM BUREAU Grays Harbor Tourism..............................7 TRANSPORTATION Grays Harbor Transit ..............................21

2016

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Page 79

s ’ t t e Benn Fish & Chips

Crab Cakes

Famous Fish Tacos Burgers

Salads

Clam Chowder

Cold Beer

Wine

! h s e r F Cocktails*

* Ocean Shores Location Only

Ocean Shores 105 W. Chance A La Mer 360 289-2847 Westport Marina District 2581 Westhaven Dr. 360 268-7380

Steaks Seafood Pasta Lunch Dinner come as you are casual dining 845 Ocean Shores Blvd NW Ocean Shores 360 289-0530

Destination Grays Harbor

2016

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Westport 360-268-9422

Page 80

Just an hour west of Olympia is one of the best kept secrets on the Washington coast! The South Beach offers miles of pristine sandy beach, quaint marina and everything you may want to do on the coast.

Enjoy fresh air, fresh seafood, and a fresh outlook on life.

ExperienceWestport.com