discovery coast 2012

Discovery CoastThe Chinook Observer’s Free 2012 Visitors’ GuideWashington’s South Pacific County & Long Beach Peninsula

RAZOR CLAMMING IS FAMILY FUN: 5

OYSTERS:Page 21

ROD RUN to the END of the WORLD: Page 23FUN at the BEACH: Page 2 & 3

2 | Discovery Coast 2012

JULYJuly 14 — Waikiki Concert Series, Cape DisappiontmentJuly 14-15 — Clamshell Railroad Days, Ilwaco & SeaviewJuly 20-22 — Summer Art Festival, Peninsula Arts AssociationJuly 21 — Art Walk, IlwacoJuly 21-22 — Bald Eagle Festival, CathlametJuly 22 — Wooden Boat Festival, CathlametJuly 28— Waikiki Concert Series, Cape DisappointmentJuly 25-29 — 27th Annual SandSations, Long BeachJuly 27-29 — Finn-American Folk Festival, NaselleJuly 27 —NPRA Rodeo Parade, Long BeachJuly 28-29 — 67th NPRA Rodeo, Long BeachJuly 28 — Oregon Tuna Classic, IlwacoJuly 31-Aug. 4— Clatsop County Fair, Astoria

AUGUSTThrough Aug. 4— Clatsop County Fair, AstoriaAug. 3-4 — Jake’s Birthday, Long BeachAug. 8-12 — Regatta, AstoriaAug. 11 — Art Walk, IlwacoAug. 11 — Waikiki Concert Series, Cape DisappointmentAug. 19 — Jazz and Oysters in OystervilleAug. 16-18 — Wahkiakum County Fair, SkamokawaAug. 17-18 — Blues & Seafood Festival, IlwacoAug. 20-26 — Washington State International Kite FestivalAug. 22-25 — Pacific Co. Fair, Menlo “Lettuce Turnip & Beet It to the Fair”Aug. 25 — Waikiki Concert Series, Cape DisappointmentAug. 25 — Civil War Reenactment, WarrentonAug. 26-28 — Downhill Longboard Races, Cathlamet

SEPTEMBERSept. 1-3—Chinook Art Festival, ChinookSept. 1—Buzzard Breath Chili Cook-off, CathlametSept. 7 — Slow Drag at the Port at 5 p.m., IlwacoSept. 8 — Annual Auction & Wine Tasting, SkamokawaSept. 8-9— Rod Run to the End of the WorldSept. 8-9 — Commercial Fishermen’s Fest, Hammond MarinaSept.15 —Discovery Trail Half Marathon, Long Beach Sept. 17 — Art Walk, IlwacoSept. 30 — Great Columbia Crossing, Megler to Astoria

OCTOBEROct. 1 — Wild Mushroom Celebration begins in South Pacific CountyOct. 5-6 — Columbia River Country Days, Wahkiakum CountyOct. 5-8 — Peninsula Arts Association Fall Art ShowOct. 12-14 — Water Music Festival, PeninsulaOct. 13-14 — Cranberrian Fair, PeninsulaOct. 13-14 — One Sky, One World Kite Festival, Long BeachOct. 27-29 — Graveyard of the Pacific Events

NOVEMBERNov. 3 — Holiday Bazaar, Rosburg Community HallNov. 4 — Daylight Saving Time Ends (Fall back)Nov. 10 — Veterans Luncheon, Rosburg Community HallNov. 9-10 — ‘Ocian in View’ Speaker Series, IlwacoNov. 23-24 — Peninsula Arts Studio TourNov. 23-25 — Holidays at the Beach, Long BeachNov. 24 — Tree Lighting; Santa Arrives, Long BeachNov. 26— Festival of Trees, CathlametNov. 26 — Tree Lighting Parade with Santa, Cathlamet

DECEMBERDec. 1-31 — Whale Watching On The CoastDec. 1 — Lighted Boat Parade, Port of IlwacoDec. 1 — Crab Pot Christmas Tree Lgtng, Port of IlwacoDec. 8-9 — Peninsula Bed & Breakfast Association HolidaysDec. 9 — A Tuba Christmas, SeaviewDec. 31 — New Year’s Fireworks, Long Beach

2012 Fun on theCoast Calendar

KEVIN HEIMBIGNER photo

Playing in the water is lots of fun and the beaches of South Pacific County attract hundreds of thousands ofvisitors each year. Birdwatching, boogie-boarding, sandcastle building, kite flying, picnicking, beachcomb-ing and romantic walks are just a few of the memory-making activities youʼll discover here. (Make sure notto go more than ankle-deep and keep a close eye on children; ocean currents are deceptively strong.)

FUN STUFF TO DOArts..........................................................24Beaches & beachcombing ....................3Cranberries ......................................25Fishing ..............................................12General recreation ..........................10Golf....................................................10Jack’s Country Store ......................14Marsh’s Museum ............................26Razor clamming ..............................15Saturday Market................................4Walking trails ............................10, 13Whales ..............................................13Wildlife watching........................16-17

HISTORY & CULTURECarriage Museum............................26Clamshell Railroad ............................7Confluence Project ............................5Cranberry Museum ........................25Heritage Museum ............................27Lewis & Clark Interpretive ..............5 Lighthouses ........................................5Oystering ........................................21Pacific County Museum ..................27Shipwrecks........................................28World Kite Museum ..........................9

FESTIVALS & EVENTSCranberrian Fair ............................25Finn Festival ....................................27

Kite Festival........................................9Long Beach Rodeo ..........................11Rod Run............................................23

THE PARKS & REFUGESCape Disappointment ........................5Lewis & Clark National Park ..........7Long Island ......................................29

THE TOWNSIlwaco..................................................4Long Beach ........................................8Nahcotta............................................20Ocean Park ......................................19Oysterville ........................................22Seaview ..............................................7Surfside ............................................22

GENERAL INFOCalendar ............................................2Coast Guard ....................................31Discover Pass ....................................5Maps ............................................30-31Safety tips ........................................31Welcome..............................................3

VISITORS BUREAU INFO:642-2400 OR 800-451-2542WWW.FUNBEACH.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

You never know what you’ll find onthe beach. This will be even more truethan usual this year and next.

In the ordinary course of events,handblown glass fishing floats andenormous deceased whales are someof the things you may encounter onour miles of shoreline. Someonefound a Civil War-era artillery shellon the Columbia River bank nearIlwaco this spring. Huge and valuable24-inch by 24-inch wooden beamsstill pop up from time to time — thecargo of a nearly-century-old ship-wreck that is still in the process ofbreaking apart down in its waterytomb.

But in 2012 and 2013, beaches fromAlaska to Oregon are sure to be on thereceiving end of the sad aftermath ofthe 2011 Japanese tsunami. This deadlyseries of earthquake-spawned floodscarried millions of tons of debris intothe Pacific, at a horrific cost of thou-sands of lives. This is now making itsway on currents across the ocean, car-

rying everything from small fishingboats to crated-up Harley motorcycles.

The vast majority of this tsunamimaterial consists of insulating foam,splintered wood, plastics, householditems and other mournful reminders ofthe good people who lost their lives inthis natural disaster. There has been nosign of any radioactive materials fromdamaged nuclear power plants, nor isanything of this nature even remotelyexpected.

You can help respond to this eventby depositing any disposable items inpublic trash receptacles.

Keep your eyes open for interestingobjects. If an item appears to have sen-timental value to those who owned it,the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) requests peo-ple move the item to a safe place andemail the information to [email protected]. More information isavailable at NOAA’s marine debriswebsite at marinedebris.noaa.gov.

• The Washington Department ofEcology has a debris hotline: call 1-855-WACOAST (1-855-922-6278).

• It is possible that containers withhazardous chemical materials willwash ashore. Don’t touch or try to re-move the items. Call both the NationalResponse Center at 1-800-424-8802and state EMD at 1-800-OILS-911(1-800-258-5990).

• If boaters encounter large debrisitems still in the water, call the NationalResponse Center at 1-800-424-8802.

Discovery Coast 2012 | 3

Welcome to the Discovery Coast

DAMIAN MULINIX photo

North Head Lighthouse in Cape Disappointment State Parknear Ilwaco is a star attraction near Washingtonʼs south-western tip.

DAMIAN MULINIX photoThe breaking waves at Waikiki Beach (named in honor of an early Hawaiian explorer of our coastline) are some of the mostphotographed natural wonders in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, anchored by Cape Disappointment State Park, all of PacificCounty is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Washington and Oregon. Come discover it for yourself!

Pacific County and its Long Beach Peninsula on thesouthwestern coast of Washington state are among the mostexciting, scenic, delicious and historic places on the WestCoast — 2012 is a perfect year to visit.

Our beaches have always been our star attraction, withdozens of miles of sandy seashore, river banks and one ofAmerica’s premier estuaries — Willapa Bay. It is water,water everywhere. You’re never more than a few minutesfrom a breathtaking view and restorative recreation.

This amazing intersection of the Pacific Ocean and theColumbia River has been a nexus for adventure-seekers andhistory-makers for thousands of years. The mighty seafaringChinook people established one of the great Native Ameri-can civilizations here. The first well-recorded visits by ex-plorers began in the 1700s, though Spanish, Chinese andJapanese people all left traces of even earlier trading and ex-ploring voyages. Lewis and Clark arrived in 1805, and con-sidered their mission accomplished upon seeing the oceanfrom the same cliffs and shores you can visit today. Lewisand Clark National Park celebrates all these courageous andinteresting Indians, explorers and pioneers.

Festivals and classic summer holidays are perfect timesto partake of our world-class oysters, crab and otherseafood. A wide array of comfortable lodging choices awaityou.

Make this the year you join the explorers who discoverthis incredible place and our welcoming villages!

2012: Year of the weird on the beach

Glass fishing-net float found in 2012.


Ilwaco is an incredible place. It possessesa proud maritime tradition stretching backthousands of years, first in the cedar canoesof the Chinook Indian people and continuing

on through the sailing era, up to the com-mercial and sport fishing fleets of today.

Framed by one of the world’s most scenicharbors, Ilwaco offers a first-hand experi-

ence of humanity’s long partnership with theColumbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

Summer and fall offer unparalleled op-portunities to get out on the water, eitherin the pursuit of fish, or just to partake inthe sights and sensations of one of theworld’s great rivers and nearby ocean wa-ters.

If fishing is your heart’s desire, publicboat launches provide easy access to thewater. There are plenty of charter offices tofulfill any angler’s request. Salmon, stur-geon, tuna and bottom fishing trips areavailable in season and fresh seafood isavailable year around.

Seals, sea lions and whales all are spottedoffshore. A pod of orcas, or killer whales, issometimes observed in the ocean here.

A full-service marina and boatyard and awaterfront promenade for strolling makesIlwaco Harbour Village a stop you don’twant to miss. Unique gift shops with thatspecial something you can’t find anywhereelse and art galleries for that one-of-a-kindtreasure dot the waterfront.

Downtown Ilwaco, a short stroll from theport, is in the midst of many positive changes,with old buildings being refurbished and newones being planned.

If you are hungry, there are several din-ing experiences to choose from downtownand at the port. From a quick bowl of chow-der to pasta dinners, you’re sure to find abite to satisfy the appetites of all.

Downtown Ilwaco and Ilwaco HarbourVillage: Where the Columbia River meetsthe mighty Pacific Ocean. Come experienceit all for yourself.

Ilwaco: Washington’s famous fishing capital


Ilwacoʼs Black Lake Fishing Derby in May introduces kids to the fun of fishing.

May through September, the Port of Ilwacohosts a Saturday Market that attracts ven-dors, craftspeople and musicians fromaround the region. Pick from the freshestproduce, baked goods and plants. Wonder-ful crafts and handiwork abound with some-thing new every weekend. It is open everySaturday, rain or shine, all summer long from10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cape Disappointment is one of Washing-ton state’s most famous and popular parks.Some of its favorite features include: a pre-mier campground, beautiful beaches, newpublic artworks, two lighthouses, an inter-pretive center and miles of hiking trails.

CAMPING: Cape Disappointment StatePark has 152 standard campsites, 83 utilitysites, five primitive campsites, one dumpstation, eight restrooms (two ADA) and 14showers (four ADA). Maximum site lengthis 45 feet (may have limited availability).Camping is available year-round. Toreserve a campsite, call 888-CAMPOUT or888-226-7688.

BEACHCOMBING: Take your pickfrom three beaches for your beachcombingor strolling. Waikiki Beach is located wherethe North Jetty meets the rocky cape. Thisbeach is one of the locals’ favorite spots forstorm watching because the waves crash onthe cape here with the Cape Disappoint-ment Lighthouse in the background. Ben-son Beach is the sandy stretch from theNorth Jetty to North Head, hikers can enjoythe lack of vehicles, the huge driftwoodtrees and a great view of the North HeadLighthouse. Beards Hollow, the southernstretch of the Peninsula, offers visitors a

chance to view tide pools at low tide nearthe historic “Fishing Rocks” or take theDiscovery Trail north to Long Beach oreast to Ilwaco.

THE CONFLUENCE PROJECT: TheConfluence Project site is one of sevenlocations on the Columbia River whereartist Maya Lin has created places to think.Using the language of the Chinook peopleand members of the Lewis and Clark Expe-dition, these artworks put the Bicentennialinto a larger perspective, encouraging thevisitor to re-consider the cultural and natu-ral layers of history found on the LowerColumbia River. The site at Cape Disap-pointment includes a basalt fish-cleaningtable, a Baker Bay viewing platform, sever-al short trails, and a new amphitheater witha view of the ocean.

TWO LIGHTHOUSES: The parkoffers access to two historic lighthouses. The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse waslit in 1856, making it the first in the PacificNorthwest. The view from the Cape Disap-pointment light is astounding, overlookingthe Columbia River bar from the very tip ofthe cape. The picturesque North HeadLighthouse is perched on the headland sur-rounded by the ocean in all its glory. Toursare conducted daily at North Head duringsummer months and on weekends in theoff-season. There is a small fee. Childrenyounger than 7 may not climb up into thelight.HIKING TRAILS

The cape has over eight miles of hikingtrails to choose from. These trails lead hik-ers through multiple ecosystems, fromcoastal fog forest to the saltwater marsh tograss-covered dunes. The rustic trails cutthrough some impressive huge old spruceand hemlock trees and often end up eitherat a lighthouse or at an abandoned militarystructure. Fort Canby was a coastal defensefort at the cape from 1852 to 1947. Pick upa hiking trail map from the park office orthe interpretive center.


Galley Cafe and Seafood Market

OLEBOB’S

151 Howerton Way, Port of Ilwaco www.olebobs.com

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* Crab * Oysters * Shrimp * Burgers * Salads * Beer * Wine *

Our Full Service Seafood Market has Fresh Local Dungeness Crab,

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Ilwaco Urgent Care

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360.642.2662 116 Spruce Street

Here’s how to findNORTH HEAD LIGHT-HOUSE: Drive westfrom the traffic light indowntown Ilwaco fol-lowing the signs forCape DisappointmentState Park. After a wind-ing two miles of road,turn right at the light-house sign to the trail-head parking area.

Directions to CAPED LIGHTHOUSE: Con-tinue one mile past theNorth Head turnoff, fol-lowing the signs to the

state park and the Lewisand Clark InterpretiveCenter. A one and one-half mile round-trip trailleads to the lighthousefrom the center itself orits lower parking lot. Thistrail is physically chal-lenging in places, partic-ularly in wet weather,but the scenic views areworth the exertion. Theinterior of the Cape Dlight is rarely open tovisitors; subscribersshould watch for noticesin the Chinook Observernewspaper.

Cape D State Park: Washington’s vacation destination

Overlooking the mouth of the ColumbiaRiver and the Pacific Ocean, the Lewis andClark Interpretive Center was recentlyexpanded and nowfeatures new exhibitsand ranger-led inter-pretive programs.

Originalexhibits, whichinclude hands-onactivities, trace theentire expeditionwith particulardetail on the Corpsof Discovery’sexplorations of theColumbia River. Anew video titled,“Of Dreams andDiscovery” focuseson how the arrivalof the Lewis andClark Expedition to the ocean at CapeDisappointment was the fulfillment ofPresident Thomas Jefferson’s vision.

Exhibits also interpret Fort Canby, thecoastal ecosystems, the U.S. Life-savingService and shipwrecks. Historic artifacts

on display include afirst-order Fresnellens constructed in1822 and used inboth of the cape’slighthouses and aLife-Saving Servicesurf boat.

The Lewis andClark InterpretiveCenter is open daily,year around from10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Admission for adultsis $5, $2.50 for chil-dren ages 7 to 17,kids 6 and under arefree. Tours, pro-grams, and guided

hikes are available with an appointmentmade in advance. Call 360-642-3029 formore information.


A rare French-made lighthouse lens isamong the remarkable artifacts on dis-play in the interpretive center.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Discover PassWashington state requires a Discover Pass in

order to park in state parks and on certain otherpublic recreational lands, which are designatedby signs. This fee provides a majority of fund-ing for the park system. One pass can be trans-ferred back and forth between two vehicles.There is a $99 fine for parking without a pass.

Q. How much does the Discover Pass cost?A. The Discover Pass costs $30 per vehicle

per year or $10 per vehicle for a day-use pass.Dealer and transaction fees may apply. Dealerfee is $2 per annual pass or $.50 for the daypass; transaction fee is 10 percent of the costof the pass/permit. The annual pass is good forone year from the date of purchase.

Q. Where will I need a Discover Pass?A. The pass provides access to state recre-

ation lands and water access sites managed byWashington State Parks, Washington Depart-ment of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Wash-ington State Department of Natural Resources(DNR). These lands include state parks, wateraccess points, heritage sites, wildlife and natu-ral areas, trails and trailheads.

Q. Where can I purchase a pass?A. You have several options for purchasing

a pass:—In person at any of nearly 600 sporting

goods or other retail stores that sell huntingand fishing licenses.

— Online through WDFW’s online recre-ational licensing system athttps://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

— When you renew your Washington statevehicle license.


For all your real estate needs www.discoverycoastrealestate.com

NWMLS

360-642-3325 877-637-1412 1711 Pacific Ave So., Long Beach, WA 98631 • www.discoverycoastrealestate.com

Discovery Coast Real Estate is able to provide you, as buyer or seller, with quality assistance. If you’re looking for a home, vacation cottage, commercial property, vacant land, or investment property, we have the tools and expertise you need. We cover South Pacific County including Naselle, Chinook, Ilwaco, Seaview, Long Beach, Klipsan Beach, Ocean Park, Nahcotta, Surfside and Oysterville!

Sellers receive professional service from a well established firm, experienced in the Peninsula’s unique real estate market. Our focus on technology means your property is at buyers’ fingertips day or night, on many different internet sites.

Buyers can search for that perfect buy whether listed by our firm or not, and instantly be updated on properties that suit their needs. We can show and sell any property listed for sale!

Our motto “We’re Looking Out for You” means just that — we look out for YOUR interests. Give us a try!

NORTH, SOUTH, EAST OR WEST - DISCOVERY COAST REAL ESTATE HAS THE BEST (PROPERTIES, THAT IS!)

NORTH: Double lot, which includes 1/2 the vacated alley. 3 R/V hookups (one with only water & power). 3 bedroom septic installed. Huge gravel pad for your RV and your friends’ RVs! Seller will consider terms for the right buyer. Adjoining property available. $50,000

OYSTERVILLE - Large parcel with tall trees and high ridge to build your home. Septic in. $74,900. Nearly 2 acres on high ridge, cleared w/gravel drive. $79,950

SURFSIDE: On the canal, just $25,000; Ocean view, $60,000 (wow!); Treed lot, manuf. ok, $18,000

SUNSET SANDS: 3 lots, septic in, great owner terms. $49,900

SOUTH:

3252 Coastal Ridge

Coastal Ridge Town home with ocean view. This lovely home is sitting high above the sea and touching the sky! 2 master bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2nd living room (the “grand room”), 4 decks and an unparalleled gated community. Home features granite slab counters, hi- efficiency Lenox propane fireplace, heat pump, stainless appliances. Short Sale. $339,000. 3252 Overlook Lp, Ilwaco

Seven blocks north of downtown, a large commercial building currently occupied by “The Picture Attic”, specializing in custom picture framing, digital photo finishing, rubberstamping, scrapbooking, classes and art supplies. Main floor has 3388 sqft retail/office space, upper level has 1248 sqft living

space. Convert to any configuration you want. Includes 3 lots. Business also available! 711 Pacific Ave No., Long Beach

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ATTN Equestrians: Country living with all the conveniences of town. Set up for your equestrian fun with easy access to the beach & rodeo grounds. Large great- room style home w/vaulted ceilings, skylights, large kitchen. 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, den/office or non-conforming sleeping room, family room, bonus room. Private backyard & plenty of room for gardening. 2210 Sid Snyder Dr., Long Beach

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HISTORIC SEAVIEW: A great example of Seaview architecture, the “Thorsen House” was built in 1902 & retains the charm of that era. Master suite up w/claw foot tub. Formal dining room has built-ins, beveled glass library doors. West side porch is glass & hardwood w/perfect corner for evening dining. Basement has laundry, rec room, bedroom, bath, more. Propane & wood fireplaces. Shed w/ skylights, wood stove, could be a great studio! 4916 K Pl. Seaview

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SA-HA-LEE: On top of the world! Cheery tiled entry into spacious home. Lower

level has large family rm w/ fplc, 2 bdrms, full bath & lots of storage. Upper level glows from hardwood floors & multiple windows. Cozy family room off kitchen, plus dining rm, living rm w/fplc. Step out to the deck for BBQs & enjoying the sweet smells of fresh air & flowers. 720 sf garage/shop houses laundry room with deep sink, plus lots of shop space. $279,900 2123 Wecoma Pl, Ilwaco

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DISCOVERY HEIGHTS BUILDING LOTS: Several to choose from in this beautiful gated community, high above Ilwaco. Ocean, river & bay views! City sewer & water, paved streets. View a sample tour!

WEST: LARGE BUILDING LOT, paved street, POTENTIAL OCEAN VIEW. Long Beach West Side. $150,000 19th St NW

Extra large lot on cul-de-sac with private path to the beach. Close to town, beach trail, golf. Zoned R-3. Power is installed, city water is available. 11801 Pacific Way $55,950

Quiet except for the sound of the sea! Not far out of Long Beach, west side location. Two surveyed lots with beginnings of a home. Power and well installed. 1250 142nd Ln. $40,000

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Custom oceanfront home on quiet lane.

Incredible views, private beach trail. Too many amenities to list here but a sampling includes: Milgard tinted windows, retractable screen patio storm doors, cedar shingle siding, outdoor shower area, heated hobby/shop area, custom lighting/entertainment area, easy care porcelain tile, DeWils Cherry cabinets and a Viking propane 6 burner cooktop. Two bedrooms + extra sleeping room. Did I mention the view? And the list goes on...

EAST:

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Picture yourself in this fantastic home on the shore of Willapa Bay. All bedrooms are en suite and almost every room in the home has a bay view! Dream kitchen, breakfast room, sun room, formal dining room. Basement is fully finished. Over 3 acres plus common area and 2nd class tidelands. Oversized 3 car garage. Gazebo finishes the picture-perfect grounds.

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SOUTH BAY 5 ACRE HOMESITES: Only 4 lots left! On beautiful and serene Willapa Bay. Gated, paved entry. Geese, ducks, elk wandering the property. Nature at its finest.


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~ NW Palate

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(on the Seaview Beach approach) 360-642-7880

Covered Heated Deck Peninsula’s Only Display Kitchen

Seaview was founded in 1881 byJonathon L. Stout and his wife Anne Eliza-beth Gearhart, daughter of Phillip Gearhart,for whom the town in northwest Oregon isnamed. The two villages share parallel tra-ditions of history and charm.

Seaview is located between Ilwaco andLong Beach but has a character very distinctfrom its two neighbors. It is, most wouldagree, one of the Peninsula’s most “classy”villages.

Seaview is home to some wonderfulB&Bs and restaurants, including the com-fortable Shelburne Inn — a National Histori-cal Landmark — and the fantastic DepotRestaurant.

Seaview’s waterfront is a popular launch-ing spot for walks south and north on theNorthwest’s longest beach.

It is somewhat less busy in the summerthan the Long Beach seashore access routes tothe north, and thus makes for a more peacefulsetting.

It is in Seaview where growth (also calledaccretion) of the beach is most noticeable,with 2,000 feet or more of dunes separatingthe village’s original shoreline from theocean today. This means several shipwrecksites lie under what is now dry land, includ-ing those of the Vandalia which wrecked in1853 with a loss of nine lives, and the Marie,which wrecked in 1852, also with a loss ofnine.

Best attractions on the Seaview beach:

This is a classic Northwest beach, the orig-inal seashore resort for the Portland elite,and deservedly so. There are miles of cleansand, many shorebirds, friendly people andpretty views of the distant cliffs and bob-

bing crab boats.The new Discovery Trail threads its way

through the Seaview dunes, providing awalking/biking path all the way from north-ern Long Beach to Ilwaco.

Celebrate theClamshell RailroadSeaview once was a main stop for our

Peninsula’s famous railroad. The Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Co., was

launched in March 1888 at the Ilwaco wharf.Steamers could only reach the wharf after thetide was in mid-flood. So train departures weresuccessively later over a month’s time. It is like-ly that the Ilwaco line was the only organizedrailroad to operate by a tide table, thus its nick-name, the “Clamshell Railroad.”

A summer camper offered the railroad a lotin Seaview, if a depot was erected on it. Theline accepted and that depot is now a popularrestaurant.

The railroad continued in operation untilSept. 10, 1930, when car ferries and highwaysbrought most visitors here. It is still remem-bered, however, during Clamshell RailroadDays in July.

It’s also still possible to see one of theIR&N’s elegant passengers cars, cherished at theColumbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco.

Beach, dunes and comfortablefamily recreation meet in Seaview

MADELINE DICKERSON photo

Surfers head out for a ride near Fishing Rocks on the south end of the Peninsula, an areaalso popular among picnicking families. Only expert swimmers and surfers should ventureinto local waters.

Celebrating America’s most famous explorers who arrivedhere at the mouth of the Columbia in November 1805, Lewis andClark National Park encompasses several of the West’s mostimportant historical places.

Visit the sites in any order you wish; the National Park Servicerecommends starting at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Centerat Cape Disappointment State Park or at Fort Clatsop near Asto-ria. Both have gift shops and exhibits on the heritage of theregion, as well as helpful rangers.

The most significant site on the Washington side of theColumbia is Middle Village-Station Camp, where the explorersspent almost two weeks. A center for Chinook Indian life forthousands of years, a fresh new national park unit is openingthere in the summer of 2012. The park is located on U.S. High-way 101, just east of the Chinook tunnel.

During the 10 years before Lewis and Clark arrived overland atthis spot, almost 90 trade ships from Europe and New England aredocumented to have crossed the Columbia River bar to trade withNative Americans, according to the park service. In 2005, archeol-ogists found abundant physical evidence to support the impor-tance of the site as one of the earliest Pacific Rim trade sites.

The park service says several significant events took place atStation Camp, including the decision to spend the winter across the

river, in what is now Oregon. It was Nov. 24, 1805, and the cap-tains desperately needed to lead the Corps to a winter campsite,

one rich with game and nearby friendlytribes who would trade for supplies. Amajority of the Corps, including theIndian woman Sacagawea and theAfrican American York, voted to crossthe Columbia River to look for such aplace.

Station Camp eventually willencompass about 280 acres and beoperated by the Lewis and ClarkNational and State Historical Parks.

The National Park headquarters’phone number is 503-861-2471.Extensive information is also avail-able on-line at www.nps.gov/lewi.

Lewis and Clark National Park honors explorers

Long Beach is a fun place, famous inthe Northwest for its eccentric charm, itsbustling summer sidewalks, its many fes-tivals and soaring kites. It also is a placeof incredible natural assets: miles of

beach, dunes and forests.Founded in 1880 by Henry Harrison

Tinker from Maine, Long Beach hasbeen a resort town since the beginning.

Unlike many “beach” towns, Long

Beach is a place with a solid core ofreality — the people who make theirhomes here love it. It is, first andforemost, a community. When youvisit Long Beach, what you’ll experi-ence is a bright little town that hap-pens to be on the beach.

Visitors to the Peninsula inevitablygravitate toward Long Beach for itsshops and the many activities geared to-ward families, teens and children. This iswhere you’ll find amusement rides, horserentals, go-carts, video arcades, bumpercars and other traditional beach fare.

Long Beach also has much to appealto mature visitors, such as its famousboardwalk, the great new paved Discov-ery Trail along the crest of the dunes, anda nice variety of art galleries, gift storesand restaurants.

If you’ve been here before, comeagain and see how much Long Beach hastransformed in the past few years. If youhaven’t been here, come take a look. Youwon’t regret it.

Long Beach has many motels, B&Bsand RV parks, so finding a place to stayis rarely a problem. But on festival week-ends, be sure to have a reservation and tocheck in early in the day.


REALTORS® Making a Difference Believing & Involved in Our Community Call today for the service you deserve! Northwest

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Angela Simonson 360-244-1586

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Becky Ellis 360-783-1275

Bob Mathews 214-649-1424

Brenda Bliss 360-783-2285

Char Wolters 360-244-0825

Cheri Grocott 360-921-1970

Dan Whealdon 360-244-1933

Gary McGrew 360-783-2831

Holli Kemmer 360-244-1218

Joanne Jenson 360-749-1196

Ken Ross 360-751-1035

Katherine Mack 360-783-2699

Kimberly Smith 360-783-2500

Margo Putnam 360-701-8450

Paula Dailey 360-244-9988

Rena Stinner 360-751-0111

Ruth Ann Hocking 360-431-0660

Sue Rogers 360-244-0119

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Long Beach: Where families make memories


Columbia Pacific Farmers Market is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., every Friday in downtownLong Beach. Come check out the wide variety of homegrown foods and flowers, and onsiteprepared goodies — and sometimes scary skulls for the kids!

A good time doesn’thave to be expensive• Settle in for some people watching. Leading sites in-

clude benches along the boardwalk and anywhere in fundowntown Long Beach.

• Take a romantic walk on the boardwalk and Discov-ery Trail in the evening, enjoying the sounds of the surfand whispering dunegrass.

• Hit the many yard and garage sales.• Watch (or participate) in one of the softball games

on fields just east of downtown Long Beach. There’s alsoa new playground for the kids near the corner of Bol-stad and Washington avenues, two blocks east of themain stoplight.

• Stop by real estate offices and daydream aboutowning your very own piece of heaven.

• Pull up a sand dune and just spend a few hoursreading a nice trashy summer novel and forgetting youreveryday cares.

Public restrooms are located near the beach at the two mainpaved approaches at Sid Snyder Drive (South 10th St.) and near Bol-stad Avenue (First Street) in the small state park near the north end ofthe boardwalk. Others are located next to the Long Beach Police Sta-tion and in the small city park on 5th Street South near Super 8 Motel.


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If ever there was a place perfectlysuited to flying kites, our long, longbeach is it. With a better than averagechance of warm, dry weather during Au-gust (although the opposite is also withinthe realm of possibility), the Washing-ton State International Kite Festivalin Long Beach packs an infiniteamount of fun into one short week.

Our beach is wide, white and windy,offering optimal conditions for kites.Ours is one of the few beaches aroundthat’s actually growing — if it’s been afew years since you were last here, youmay be walking on beach that was onceunder water.

Spanning every category of intention,design and color — from whimsical topractical to rainbow-hued — kites will in-habit the skies over our beach. You can ex-pect to see just about anything in our pure,ocean-borne air, including some of the mostfantastic shapes the mind can imagine.

Dozens of vendors will supply foodand fun items for the 100,000 or so guestswho are expected to attend the event thatruns six very full days. Kay Buesing,who along with husband Jim and othershelped lift off the first festival in 1981, isexcited about sharing the World KiteMuseum and Hall of Fame at its location

on Sid Snyder Drive.Souvenir sales benefit the festival and

take place all week at a downtown booth.Sweatshirts (crew and hooded), fleecejackets, T-shirts, muscle shirts, tank tops,earrings, pins, patches, hats and Christmasornaments are among the many items forsale. Private vendors have kites in a vari-ety of shapes and sizes.

Registration for each day’s eventsbegins at 8 a.m. and activities start at

10 a.m. each day. For a completeschedule of events and many colorfuland informative stories you can pick upa 2012 official WSIKF program at localbusinesses, the Visitors Bureau or theKite Museum.

We hope you have a grand time at theWashington State International Kite Fes-tival, Aug. 20 to 26, 2012. Come out and“Break a string!”

See kitefestival.com/kite-festival

Long Beach kite fest takes flight


Long Beach skies are fllled with kites and colorful contraptions each August.

Fantastic Kite MuseumIf you love kites, you’ll love Long Beach’s World Kite Museum and

Hall of Fame, and now there’s a lot more of it to love.The museum has a great new facility 10 times as large as its old

building. The museum is on West Sid Snyder Dr., one of Long Beach’smajor beach approach roads.

The museum hosts the most representative collection of Japanesekites outside of Japan, a truly world-class collection of other kites and awide array of photos and materials relating to kites and kiting events.The museum was established to preserve and promote all aspects ofworld-wide kiting and to recognize noteworthy individuals for theiroutstanding contributions in kiting, within their countries or internation-ally.

In its new quarters, the kite museum not only has ample space todisplay more of its collection, but also rooms for seminars and classes re-lating to this sport that plays such a big part on the Long Beach Penin-sula, with its miles of sand and steady breezes.

“The size and location could make this a destination museum andbe part of a very attractive tourist package that will include FortClatsop and the Maritime Museum in Oregon and the Lewis andClark Interpretive Center on this side of the River,” museum boardmember Jim Sayce said.

The new facility is 10,360 square feet and is two stories tall with anocean view and a grass area just right for kite demonstrations. There isalso plenty of parking. The upstairs has a vaulted ceiling and part of thestructure is open for the full two stories, perfect for dynamic kite dis-plays to fill the area.

Museum Director Kay Buesing notes that kites on exhibit tell of thehistory, art, science and sport of kiting. The displays themselves are anadventure. The museum has a gift shop.

For information, call 642-4020 or see http://kitefestival.com/

TENNIS Free outdoor tennis courts of

various descriptions can be foundall along the Peninsula. Both theIlwaco City Park and LongBeach’s Culbertson Park havecourts (and outdoor basketballcourts). A tennis court along U.S.101 in Seaview is operated by theSeaview Community Club. Seesigns on the courts for rules.

Lighthouse Resort Tennis Club,12417 Pacific Highway, north ofLong Beach, offers both member-ships and use by fee. It is a state-of-the-art facility that houses tworegulation blue-green U.S. Opencourts. For more information call642-3622, email [email protected].

SWIMMING Peninsula beaches are consid-

ered unsafe for swimming. No mat-ter how calm or inviting the waterlooks, or how strong a swimmerone may be, drownings sometimes

occur. Severe undercurrents and riptides can pull — and have pulled— even the most experiencedswimmers out past their limits.

Swimming opportunities on thePeninsula are limited to private orpublic pools. The Dunes, a profes-sional indoor pool, is located justsouth of Ocean Park on the westside of Highway 103 at the DunesBible Camp. For more informationand hours, call the camp at 665-5542. Eagle’s Nest in Ilwaco, 642-8351, is another option.

RUNNING The hard-packed sand of its

beach and its bountiful backroads make the Peninsula a greatplace for the jogger and runner.Ilwaco High School also has aneight-lane, all-weather trackwhich is usually available for useduring daylight hours. DiscoveryTrail from Long Beach to Ilwacooffers incredible views to go withyour cardio workout.

BOWLING There is only one location on

the Peninsula for the avid bowler:Hilltop Bowl, off U.S. 101 acrossfrom Black Lake in Ilwaco. Call642-4440 for price schedule andavailability of lanes.

SOFTBALL Softball fields are at Ilwaco

City Park, Culbertson Park inLong Beach, Long Beach School,Chinook School and across thestreet from the Ocean Park School.The area’s Little League baseballfield is adjacent to the Long BeachFire Hall at North Seventh in LongBeach.

CANOEING and KAYAKINGThe lakes of the Peninsula and

inland waters of Willapa Bay offermany brilliant opportunities for ca-noeing and kayaking, with accessavailable from a number of stateand local parks, including atLoomis and Black lakes. Cautionis required since weather canchange with little warning andstrong tides have been known topull boats out to sea.

BICYCLING The Peninsula has many trails

for bicycling enthusiasts, includ-ing Long Beach’s wonderfulpaved trail through the oceandunes, stretching north and southof the boardwalk. Some other op-tions include Cape Disappoint-ment and North Head roads,Sandridge Road to Ocean Park,the quiet back streets of Oyster-ville and Nahcotta, and ParpalaRoad in the Naselle area.

GOLFLONG BEACH: Peninsula

Golf Course is located one milenorth of the stoplight in LongBeach. A putting green, brand-new

clubhouse and a fantastic restaurantare added amenities for golfers.The dining room is open to every-one.

Peninsula Golf Course is anine-hole par-33 course that is2,057 yards in length with threepar-3 holes and six par-4 holes.The cozy course can be played inless than two hours and providesexcellent conditions year around.The course is rated 60 for menand 64 for women and the sloperating is 90 for men and 100 forwomen.

Peninsula Golf Course is lo-cated at 9604 Pacific Highway inLong Beach. Call 642-2828.

SURFSIDE: Three miles northof the stoplight in Ocean Park is

Surfside Golf Course. The courseis 3,206 yards in length and is anine-hole course that plays as a par36. There are two par-3 holes, fivepar-4s, and two par-5 holes on thecourse. Surfside features three teesfor men and two tees for women inan effort to accommodate golfersof any skill level.

The course is rated 69 for menand 73 for women and has a slopeof 122 for men and 125 for theladies. A putting green, drivingrange, and club house all add tothe golfer’s enjoyment.

Tee times can be scheduled bycalling 665-4148. Surfside GolfCourse is located at 31508 J Place,Ocean Park. The course is openyear around.


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Outdoor recreation options abound in South Pacific County

Our Gallery Space includes:

Working Studio Gallery!

711 Pacific North • Long Beach, WA 98631 (360) 642-4770 • www.pictureattic.com

Come see art in progress as well as finished items.

• Paintings • Fabric Arts • Weaving • Glass

• Art Cards • Custom Framing • Digital Picture Printing • Many other goodies!


The Beach to Chowder Run/Walk in June in Long Beach attracts hundreds.


More than two dozen miles of sandy ocean beach are perfect for all sorts ofvehicles, including this sailing race cart. A century ago, early car races andmotorcycle rallies were staged there.

Come join all the cowboys and cowgirlsat the Peninsula Saddle Club on July 28 andJuly 29 at 1 p.m. for the 67th annual LongBeach Rodeo. Events take place at 6407 San-dridge road on the beautiful Long BeachPeninsula (1 1/4 mile north of the Hwy 101junction on Sandridge Road).

This Northwest Professional Rodeo Associa-tion rodeo is one of the longest running rodeoson the Northwest coast. This year’s show issure to be one of the finest, thanks to the collab-orative talents of great rodeo professionals and ateam of wonderful volunteers.

The Peninsula Saddle Club hosted its firstrodeo in 1951. At that time, the rodeo washeld just north of downtown Long Beach(where the fire hall is currently located). TheSaddle Club moved to the present location in1957.

The rodeo gets started with a fun paradethrough downtown Long Beach at 6:30 p.m.Friday, July 27.

Start each day of the rodeo with a genuine

cowboy breakfast in the clubhouse, from 7a.m. until 11 a.m. Let the crew in the “chuckwagon” dish you up some hotcakes, eggs,ham, or biscuits and gravy. Don’t forget yourcoffee! Bring the whole family for the fun ofa community tradition.

Enjoy the beer garden during the show, orwander the grounds and visit more than adozen vendors serving up treats or sellingtheir wares. And, don’t forget the lunch con-cessions in the clubhouse where the crewwill dish up burgers, hot dogs and more.

On Saturday, don’t run away after theshow. That’s when they start family night.

Remember that this is a two-day event.They do it all over again on Sunday. Comeout again for a cowboy breakfast and watchthe slack races (overfill contestants run theirperformances). Presale tickets (50 cent dis-count) can be found at any of the three Penin-sula pharmacies, located at the light in Ilwa-co, Long Beach and Ocean Park.

See you at the rodeo!


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Long Beach Rodeo excitement


The Long Beach Rodeo attracts professional competitors from throughout the region.

Nothing compares to the exhilarationof boating over waters where the Colum-bia River, having reached journey’s end,rushes into the Pacific Ocean. Add thethrill of catching large game fish and theexperience will be imprinted in memoryforever.

Fortunately, these excursions areavailable to anyone, thanks to charterboats berthed at the Port of Ilwaco. Char-ters provide outings ranging from sight-seeing to bottom- and deep-sea fishing.Everything is provided except personalclothing and favorite refreshments.

Many anglers also fish from privateboats, a great option if you’re preparedfor the conditions.

The view of the land from the seawardside — lighthouses, Astoria, Saddle Moun-tain and Tillamook Head — is oftenbreathtaking. Crossing the bar, where riverand ocean meet, is an exciting time as theskipper skillfully maneuvers the boatthrough often-turbulent waters to reachopen sea.

Sea lions bask on jetty rocks. Seals’heads pop out of the water here andthere, and seagulls fly overhead hopingfor a handout.

How can you catch a trophy-sizedsalmon or sturgeon if you don’t have aboat? Simple, head for the south jetty atCape Disappointment or east of the Chi-

nook tunnel and get ready for a fun dayof sports fishing on a budget.

You will need a stout 9- or 10-footrod and a spinning reel large and strongenough to crank up at least 200 yards of40-pound test line. A sliding swivel thatcan accommodate six to 16 ounces ofpyramid sinker goes above the Dacronleader and a 2/0 or 3/0 hook is placed atthe end of your gear.

Bait of choice seems to be sand

shrimp, but anchovy or smelt or any-thing else a scavenging sturgeon will en-gulf will do the trick. Cast towardAstoria, sit back to enjoy the comfort ofyour own rock, and wait for a bite.

But be careful when you rear backto set the hook, jetty rocks can be slip-pery. If you fish east of the Chinooktunnel, the highway is only inchesfrom your back and trucks, cars, andRVs zip past at 50 miles per hour.


We also do

“To Go Orders”

“Good Old-Fashioned” Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Fish & Chips and Halibut Fish Tacos

Freshly Made Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

Seafood Fettucini Monday & Tuesday nights

Mexican Fiesta! every Thursday with Authentic Homemade Cuisine *

Sweet Baby Back, Smoked or Prime Rib Friday & Saturday nights

Saturday & Sunday Breakfast Buffet 9am to Noon. Including Biscuits & Gravy, Eggs Benedict, Fresh Fruit, Coffee, Juice Milk & More. A LOCAL FAVORITE!

Hand-Made Specialty Milk Shakes & Soft-Serve Ice Cream

• Nightly Dinner Specials • Outside (Pet Friendly) Dining • Kids Menu Specials • Kite Room - Reserve for your next function

F R E E

W I F I

313 Pacific Hwy, Downtown Long Beach, WA Open Daily 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. 360-642-5555

www.hungryharbor.com

*not always available in Summer months “Like Us” on...

Our salt-water fishing is world famous

RON MALAST photo

Some of the 25 charter boats operating out of the Port of Ilwaco.

Landlubbers, get out yourhooks, lines and sinkersbecause youʼre going to lovefishing Pacific County. Steel-head and trout are abundant.

While ocean fishing at thebeach is nationally known,many forget thereare numerous rivers,streams and lakesperfect for familyoutings.

Between Ilwacoand Seaview liesBlack Lake, forwhich offers troutfishing to all ages.The lake is stockedin April with largeand smaller troutand open to publicfishing at the BlackLake Fishing Derby.There is a picnicspot adjoining thelake. Fishermen cancast off the dock orwalk the trail around the lakeʼsperimeter to find a personalfishing niche. Follow statewiderules for size and daily limit.

Island Lake is a little moreisolated and farther north on thePeninsula, but is perfect forcanoeing and fishing. Travel

north on SR103, take a right onCranberry Road, follow Cran-berry Road and take a left ontoBirch Lane until it curves to theright. There are no restroomfacilities there and parking islimited. However, there is a

space to load andunload canoes.Expect to get wet.

Another popularfishing hole isLoomis Lake. Con-tinue north onSR103 and justnorth of 188th Placeon the right is theroad for LoomisLake.

Traveling from thePeninsula, the NaselleRiver can be seen asyou drive around thebay road, U.S. 101and SR4, to the townof Naselle. In additionto trout fishing,

salmon fishing is allowed in sev-eral areas of the Naselle River inseason. The same is true on theWillapa River near Raymondand South Bend and the Nemahon the east side of Willapa Bay. Turn near Naselle Youth Campto get to Radar Lakes.

You don’t need to go tosea in order to ‘angle’


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“There’s one.” “Did you see that one?” “There’s anotherone.” “Look at those two out there by the green buoy!”

These are exclamations that echo throughout the Lewisand Clark Interpretive Center each spring. The voices arecoming from kids, their parents and the excited volunteerswho are doing most of the pointing. Out beyond the tip of theNorth Jetty can be seen a distant blow, then another, then an-other. Although whale watching from the vantage of the inter-pretive center doesn’t reward the whale watcher with close-upencounters, it is satisfying nonetheless. Just knowing thosehuge creatures are passing by the mouth of the ColumbiaRiver is inspiring. The sheer quantity is what most impresses— one day last year 178 whales were spotted in less than fourhours!

The arrival of the gray whales in late March and early Aprilis a sign of spring that takes some effort to find. Mother whalessometimes lead their calves close to North Head to feed amongthe rocks, but visitors to the cape rarely have the opportunity toview them so close. Many visitors are not from the coast andwatching for whales provides a great excuse for them to looklong and hard out into the horizon, watching the dance of thedistant waves. Whale watching can be rewarding even withoutever seeing a whale, of course it’s nicer when you do.

While the Lewis and Clark Expedition was in the Columbia-Pacific region, members of the group did their own kind ofwhale watching. One of the more interesting whale anecdotesfrom the Corps of Discovery’s stay involves Sacagawea’s de-

sire to see the ocean. It was early January 1806 and Capt. Clarkhad heard about a whale that had washed up on the shore. Aftersampling the meat, members of the expedition left Fort Clatsopin search of additional blubber and meat for both food and oil.Shortly after Clark and a few men had left to go see the whale,Sacagawea caught up with them and successfully pleaded to beallowed to join the tour.

To maximize your own chances of seeing a whale, choose aday when the ocean is calm and winds are light. Early morningis best. Don’t forget foul-weather clothing and mud-worthyhiking boots, bottled water, binoculars and a camera.

For more information, visit www.whalespoken.org.

Whale, ho! Visit in March to see giants

FILE PHOTO

A deceased humpback whale attracted curious onlookersnear Long Beach. Itʼs more fun spotting living ones, and notdifficult during migration seasons.

Following the general pathtaken by Capt. William Clarkand his men during their initial1805 visit to the beach, ouramazing Discovery Trail links thetowns of Long Beach, Seaviewand Ilwaco.

The trail connects all the wayfrom the northern city limits ofLong Beach to Beards Hollow inCape Disappointment State Park.From Beards Hollow, a short un-paved portion of the trail goes up-hill to a spectacular overlookabove the ocean. Again paved, itwinds its way through the forestto Ilwaco. You’ll experience yourinner Dan’l Boone.

This is the best ocean-bor-dering biking and hiking path onthe West Coast.

A recent round trip of al-most eight miles took about anhour and 15 minutes with agenerous stop at Lewis andClark’s tree in north LongBeach. A sculpture of a whaleskeleton similar to the oneLewis and Clark found morethan 200 years ago, a monolithwith an explorer standing

nearby, and dozens of informa-tive signs add interest to thetrail. A small wooden bridge,numerous twists and turns andthe gently rolling dunes makefor an interesting and comfort-able ride.

One suggestion is to headinto the wind to start your tripand let the breeze push you alongon the return trip. If eight milesand riding for over an hour is notin your plans, you may begin at ei-ther the Seaview or Long Beachapproaches and cut your ride inhalf or in a third.

The unpaved portion of thetrail, from Beards Hollow toIlwaco, includes some steep hillsbut is otherwise fine for fit walk-ers or mountain bikers. Awooden causeway leads over apristine marsh just as the trailleaves the hollow.

No motor vehicles are al-lowed on Discovery Trail. A mid-week ride on an amazing pathway,with sun and surf to the west andhaving the experience almost ex-clusively to yourself, just can’t betopped.

Beach trail is your path to personal discovery

In the winter of 2011-12, an unprecedented numberof blue whales — the largest animals to ever live —were sighted grazing above the deep Guide Canyon

west of Long Beach Peninsulaʼs northern tip.

Peninsula people are passionate about razor clams. Andwith good reason as this is usually the best place in the stateto stalk the wily bivalves.

Although rarely hampered because of a marine micro-or-ganism found in razor clams which can be harmful to hu-mans, in recent years conditions have always been fine.

Good clamming is usually available along the entirePeninsula. However, the largest and most plentiful razorclams are usually foundfrom Oysterville ap-proach north to Leadbet-ter Point. As a generalrule, clamming condi-tions are so good herethat people drive for hun-dreds of miles to partakein this delicious familyfun.

You must keep the first 15 clams you dig, regardless ofsize or condition. Over-digging, throwing clams back, dig-ging in closed areas, or digging out of season can result inhefty fines.

Visitors are encouraged to contact the Department of Fishand Wildlife at 360-586-6129 for information about upcom-ing seasons and regulations or visit the WDFW online athttp://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish.

CLAMMING 101: WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

A “show” or clam hole results from a razor clam pulling inits siphon tube. A show in the damp sand can be as small as aquarter-inch in diameter or as large as a quarter, with biggerholes usually netting larger clams. Doughnuts are a sure sign ofa clam and occur when the clam has purged and created a mini-volcano around its hole.

Often one can see a clam “necking” —and no, they are notkissing. When a wave retreats, the siphon tube is at the surfaceand creates a V effect in the out-going water. The clam mayeven “spit.” This super-purge can eject water as high as a footor two.

During rough surf conditions or when the weather is windyor rainy, the clam digger may have to stomp to induce a show.

Use a resounding march step, and go in a circle so you don’thave to back track.

WHAT TO WEAR:Clothing can be anything from sandals and shorts to L.L.

Bean’s finest apparel stuffed inside chest waders. The key isthat it is easier to take clothes off than to drive back to the cityfor something warmer or drier. It is probably not a good idea topin your clam license to your neoprene boots or to your hat ifit’s windy.

When one digs in the late afternoon, it is also best to have alantern so you are prepared if it gets dark. The old-fashionedgas lanterns are best, but even a flashlight is better than noth-ing.

WHEN TO DIG:At least two hours before low tide.

WHAT TO USE:To shovel or not to shovel, that is the question, whether it is

nobler to use a clam gun or not — you decide. Shakespearewould likely use a gun as he was not an experienced digger. Ifyou use a gun, make sure someone helps you sight it in before-hand to make sure you’re digging straight down. When using ashovel, fewer scoops lead to fewer broken shells, but rememberwhy they call them razor clams. The shells are very sharp andcan easily cut fingers.

Align your gun directly over the hole or just a tad toward theocean, as razor clams tend to angle toward the sea as they head

down. Use the same strategy when digging.When you get a clam, it is best to put your catch in a plastic

gallon jug with an opening cut large enough to stuff a six-inchbeauty in the top. Clam nets allow the sand to drop off the mol-lusks, but smaller ones can easily slip through, causing wastageand making for a frustrating night for the digger who thinks hehas his limit only to find an empty net.

A belt to hold the container in place frees your hands fordigging. After getting your limit of the first 15 clams you dig,fill your bucket with salt water. On the trip home your clamswill purge much of the sand from their siphon tubes for you.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR CLAMS:Quickly dipping the freshly dug razor clams in boiling water

allows you to easily and safely remove the shells. Snip off theend of the siphon tube (clam necks make an excellent anddurable bait for surf perch), and then cut the clam open by fol-lowing along the zipper, and then through both of the siphontubes. Finally, cut the boot open and everything that looks darkand yucky is dark and yucky, so remove it along with anygrains of sand that remain.

If you don’t feel like cleaning your own, watch for signs —a number of people offer inexpensive cleaning services, up anddown the Peninsula.

CHILL:Oh yes, don’t forget to refrigerate your clams. Keep them

fresh, as they are now ready to be prepared in your favoriterecipes.


This is Washington’s best place to dig razor clams

Jack’s Country Storemaintains the excellent clam

information website www.razorclams.com


Razor clamming on a beautiful autumn evening has to be one of the worldʼs most scenic recreational activities. Most people nowadaysprefer to use clam “guns,” hollow tubes that are driven into the sand above an unsuspecting clam. But youʼll still find many who swearby a good old-fashioned narrow-bladed shovel.


Your kids will treasure forever their memories of clamming withyou at the beach. Keep a close eye on them, though — the surfcan be rough.


Imagine sitting at your breakfast tableand glancing up to see a mama black bearand her tiny cubs walk by. Off in the dis-tance, a bald eagle boldly sails above sea-side cliffs, king of the sky. You hear thebarking sea lions down at the port. On yourway to Jazz & Oysters in Oysterville, atame deer looks up as you slow to let anotter cross the street.

This might all soundlike a 1950s-era Disneynature movie, but it’s wellwithin the realm of possi-bility here on Washing-ton’s Discovery Coast.

When it comes towatching wildlife, theDiscovery Coast is theplace to be, with morebald eagles than any-where south of Alaska,and more pelagic andcoastal seabirds than any-where else on the WestCoast.

Seals and otters, huge herds of deer and elk, migrat-ing and resident songbirds and waterfowl all can beobserved in numbers that will amaze the whole family.It’s time to discover just where these beauties can beseen!

EAGLES, HAWKS AND FALCONS: Peregrinefalcons are frequently observed swooping down fromtree top perches as they intercept prey in LeadbetterPoint State Park. Bald eagles and other birds of preyare often spotted anywhere in the vicinity of WillapaBay and the Columbia River. They are particularly ob-vious along U.S. Highway 101 between the AstoriaBridge and Ilwaco, swooping low over passing vehi-

cles. Osprey, also known as sea eagles, build nests inold snags throughout the area.

HERONS: Living here on the Discovery Coast weare fortunate indeed to have a very large and healthypopulation of great blue herons. They are quite com-mon around the margins of Willapa Bay, and a late af-ternoon 20-minute drive along the east side of the bayheading out towards the Willapa Bay National WildlifeRefuge Station will usually yield a bonanza of heronssilhouetted against the golden sky of sunset on the bay.The Chinook River estuary between Chinook andIlwaco is another likely location for herons, renownedfor their silent zen-like concentration as they awaitminnows and salmon smolts.

PELICANS: Pelicans, cormorants, Caspian terns,kingfishers and other bird species all gather in great

numbers along the Columbia River estuary east ofIlwaco, through Chinook and on past the Dismal Nitchunit of Lewis and Clark National Park. Biologists oftenstation themselves at either Cape Disappointment orNorth Head lighthouses to conduct population surveysof the vast numbers of marine birds and mammalscruising the Columbia River’s massive plume of nutri-ent-rich sediment.

SWANS: Trumpeter and tundra swans can often beobserved in Peninsula lakes, especially Black Lakenear Ilwaco and Brisco Lake north of Long Beach.Their return to our area each year is an eagerly awaitedseasonal signal, with word being spread via social net-works and the media. There is a trumpeter swan pre-serve at Hine’s Marsh in the Oysterville area, but it isnot conducive to easy observation.

ELK: For something a bit larger, how about someelk watching? A short drive out to the Bear River areaat the south end of Willapa National Wildlife Refugesituated on the east side of the bay is a good place tostart. Drive north on U.S. Highway 101 toward SouthBend and watch for elk in the fields just east of thehighway after it reaches the shore of Willapa Bay.

Rangers and refuge staff are helpful and well in-formed about what kind of wildlife can be seen on anyparticular day. When it comes to elk, another goodplace to look for a herd is just a few hundred yardsaway on the grassy banks of Long Island, just acrossthe highway from the refuge headquarters.

Elk also can often be spotted near the Naselle River.BLACK-TAILED DEER: Deer are almost too

common to notice on the Peninsula and the mainland,

chomping rosebushes wherever they go. Keep an eyeout for them along highways at dusk, and slow down.They are best seen in the spring and early summer,when newborn fawns are often in tow. The toy-likefawns are adorable, but naïve about cars, so pleasegive them plenty of room and time to keep up withtheir moms.

GEESE AND DUCKS: Waterfowl in a myriad ofcolors can also be seen near the refuge headquarters.

Casual sightings of dozens of species of ducks arequite common. Wood ducks are a particular favoriteamong area residents, many of whom build nestingboxes for them.

RIVER OTTERS: If it’s something altogether dif-ferent you’re lookingfor, how about put-ting the binocs tosome river otters?They can often beseen swimming andfrolicking in thecanals and lakes inthe center of thecommunity of Surf-side just west of Oys-terville, or even inBlack Lake or smallcreeks aroundIlwaco. The wildliferefuge has many ot-ters that hunt in thesloughs and marsheson the south end ofthe bay.

If you’re deter-mined to see otters,perhaps your best betit to slather on someinsect repellent, graba lawn chair and agood book, and plantyourself quietlyalong one ofWillapa’s southsloughs either earlyor late in the day.They are curious and

joyful animals, and if you’re reasonably patient and re-spectful, they’ll come check you out.

SEALS AND SEA LIONS: These marine mam-mals can often be spotted from the North Jetty insideCape Disappointment State Park. They’ve even beenknown to wander around on dry land in residentialareas of the Peninsula. Look for them surfing amongthe waves at Benson Beach, the most southerly of thePeninsula’s many miles of glorious sand. Sea lions,which are considered a big nuisance by most fisher-men, are nevertheless fun to see. Look for them loung-ing on area buoys and quiet shorelines, somewhatresembling Elvis in his latter days.

BEARS: The Peninsula and Long Island are said tohave among the greatest concentrations of black bearsin the nation. Although shy, they sometimes may bespotted, particularly in the spring when they forage forfood near human dwellings until the berries ripen.Local bear don’t really hibernate, but essentially hangout in dry hollows in the hills when food gets especiallyscarce in the mid-winter. Leadbetter, Cape D, and thewildlife refuge units on the south end of Willapa Bayare all good places to see bear. Definitely do not feedthem — it’s dangerous for both you and the bear.

There have been no serious bear attacks in PacificCounty, but even our gentle bears are extremely dan-gerous wild animals. If you think you will be out inbear country, buy and carry bear-repellent pepperspray, available locally at the Dennis Company. In theunlikely event a black bear physically attacks you,fight back aggressively using your hands, feet, legs,and any object you can reach. Aim for the eyes orspray bear spray into the bear’s face.

OTHER CRITTERS: Raccoons, possums, groundsquirrels, porcupines, bats, coyotes, beaver, muskrats,red-legged frogs, cute buy noisy tree frogs and non-venomous garter snakes are all quite common here.They’re all reasonably polite neighbors but should al-ways be left alone. Make sure to keep pets on leashes,both to keep them from harming wildlife and to keepthem from a close encounter with something decep-tively tough. There aren’t many dogs that will comeout the winner in a fight with a coyote or porcupine.Cape Disappointment State Park enforced a strict leashpolicy.

As elsewhere in Washington and Oregon, cougarsare increasing in numbers following the effective endof most hunting. They are more rumored than seen onthe Peninsula, but are certainly present on the main-land of the county.

There’s lots of wildlife waiting to be seen in andaround the Long Beach Peninsula. Hope to see youout there!




An osprey angrily chases away a crow that was trying to get into the ospreyʼs nest. Such true-life dramas are a cherished part of life here on the outer coast.

Contributed photo

Peninsula homeowners heard a ruckus. It seems a pair of “200-pound bears, one brown and one black”had decided to enjoy the water on an uncommonly warm November day.

KEVIN HEIMBIGNER photo DEBRA HEIMBIGNER photo


Take a wildlife safari right here in South Pacific County

DMITRY AZOVTSEV photo


Internet http://www.opresort.com Reservations 1-800-835-4634 25904 “R” St. • P.O. Box 339 • Ocean Park, WA 98640 • (360) 665-4585

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For a trip that bypasses crowdedhighways and returns your soul to asafer, more leisurely time, followU.S. Highway 101 toward Washing-ton state’s southern-most peninsula.Once there, head north on StateRoute 103 toward Ocean Park — avisitor-friendly area located at the“heart” of Washington’s mostfamous beach.

If you are looking for a weekendor longer close to nature, activitiesthat the entire family will never for-get, festivals or events nearly everyweekend of the year, beautifulscenery, historic landmarks, walkingtrails and seafood that can’t get anyfresher, then treat yourself to theOcean Park area.

Please visit the Ocean Park AreaChamber of Commerce website“Directory” page and look under“All Members” for web page listingsfor each of many friendly local busi-nesses. The address ishttp://opwa.com.

On the way north on State Route103, you’ll pass by many areasworth exploring: Loomis Lake StatePark; Loomis Lake fishing area; andthe Klipsan Beach approach with itshistoric Coast Guard Life SavingStation, are some examples.

A red flashing light marks thecenter of Ocean Park. Everythinghere is located “from the light.” In

fact, they have only recently startedusing house numbers.

Don’t worry about getting lost.There are plenty of places to getinformation. The Ocean Park AreaChamber of Commerce Office is twoblocks east from “the light” on BayAvenue and every business willgladly provide directions to points ofinterest.

Scout out the many businessesthat dot the road from Long Beach toOcean Park and on to Oysterville.The variety is surprising. OceanPark is home to two of the largestgrocery stores on the Peninsula, ahardware store and a pharmacy.There are galleries, gift shops, abookstore, restaurants and lodgingchoices that include motels, cabins,historic bed and breakfasts, vacationrental homes, RV spaces and camp-ing.

You will find an opportunity torelax in Ocean Park. Have an espres-so or lunch at the beach approach.Relax with a glass of wine and asunset. Enjoy walking around townvisiting artists, jewelers and craftersin their studios and shops. There aregift stores and a used bookstore car-rying current and nostalgic items tobrowse. Tame your hunger at icecream parlors, restaurants and water-ing holes. Jack’s Country Store isone of the prime places to get lost in.

Tom or any employees of Jack’sStore will help you find your way.One of the many reasons to linger inthese businesses is that some of thebetter storytellers can be found inthem.

The main attraction, and thereason most people come here, isthe shore. The ocean is just a short

walk west of “the light.” Here youare in the center of a grand beachthat stretches more than 10 milesin each direction. Walk along thebroad expanse of sand and stop tocreate a driftwood sculpture orbuild a sandcastle. Fly a kite orfish for surfperch. Watch a flock ofsea birds in synchronous flight orspy a hawk in search of prey.

The beach is designated a statehighway and automobiles can bedriven on it. If you have a disabledfriend or an aging relative, this isone of the few opportunities wherethey can be transported to theocean’s edge for a real seashoreexperience.

Couples and families enjoy thevarious events that Peninsula com-munities host. The Garlic Festival,held the third weekend in June,rejoices in the clovesthat form the founda-tion for oodles ofgood food and goodfun. The Old Fash-ioned Fourth of JulyParade provides arollicking familyevent that harkensback to family pic-nics and memorableexperiences.

The weekend afterLabor Day hums androars with activity.The whole Peninsulais filled with customcars participating inthe Rod Run to theEnd of the World.The event beginswith early registra-tion on Friday after-noon, a slow drag onFriday night and cli-maxes with the carshow on Saturday.Over 1,000 classiccars are on display.Throngs of visitorspour over the fit andfinish of every one.There is, of course,ample time toexchange storiesabout your favoritecar from an earlier time.

The Peninsula is rich in history.The Chinook people, who wereskillful traders and excellent seamen,first occupied the whole Peninsulaarea. After European seafarers dis-covered the area, a fur trade arose.Later, pioneers arrived at the mouthof the Columbia River and by the1830s an oyster trade began in theWillapa Bay. Settlers soon followed.

By 1850 there were permanent

settlements around the bay. Oyster-ville soon dominated the area. Theraucous nature of the town and itsvicinity convinced some that moreuplifting environs would be desir-able.

Ocean Park was conceived as asummer camp for religious meet-ings. Currently open to the public,Ocean Park Resort started as aMethodist Church campground in1906 and celebrated a century ofoperation three years ago. By the1890s the land of Ocean Park wasplatted and sold.

The Camping Association even-tually moved to an 80-acre plat, 25blocks north of “the light.” It is nowknown as the Ocean Park RetreatCenter and United Methodist Camp.

There are many older residencesthat date back to the late 1800s in

Ocean Park. Much of the lumber, infact entire buildings, were bargedover from South Bend and thesmaller villages on the east side ofthe bay and Long Island. Otherswere built from shipwrecks andtheir cargoes that washed up on thebeach. A brochure for a walkingtour of these homes is available onthe Internet (www.opwa.com) andat the Ocean Park Area Chamber ofCommerce office.

Ocean Park: The essence of friendly seashore life



Okieʼs Thriftwayʼs shopping-cart drill team is one of the most popular attractions at Ocean Parkʼs annu-al July 4 Parade, one of many countless events throughout the year.


Surf perch fishing is one of manyexciting outdoors activities avail-able in the Ocean Park area.

CATE GABLE photo

A rhododendron garden re jo ices in thePeninsulaʼs benign climate. The annual Music inthe Gardens tour is a chance to see it all — July21 this year.


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The garden

am azes me.

–Alice

Thanks for

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Tranquil at

night and

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durning th

e day.

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hristine

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le big, deli

cious

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a

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r every day

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W e enjoyed th

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The Port of Peninsula in Nahcotta is tucked inside Willapa Bay just east of Ocean Park. Infact, Nahcotta and Ocean Park meld into one town for visitors to our area, even though res-idents loyally proclaim their allegiance to one place or the other. Nahcotta is still verymuch a working town in many respects, the sort of place that would seem familiar andcomfortable on Cape Cod or in Maine. It is a beautiful, character-filled place of workboats,oyster shells and the bayʼs pearly blue light. Youʼll love it.

Nahcotta is a great place to experience thetraditions of Willapa Bay, centered on oysters,clamming and other pure and healthy “fishy”business.

A stroll around Nahcotta, looking at theboats and oyster processing equipment, is agreat appetizer before sampling some freshlocal seafood.

Wandering around Nahcotta these days,one finds a tiny village rich in tradition andhistory, but little evidence of the battles thatnearly tore the community in half more than acentury ago.

If the birth of Nahcotta came about with itsplatting and the struggle surrounding it in1889, its conception may have taken placedecades before when bands of Chinook Indi-ans — among them Chief Nahcati, for whomthe village was named — lived along the west-ern shore of what was then Shoalwater Bay.Nahcati’s camp was said to have been nestlednear Paul’s Slough just south of the presentNahcotta mooring basin.

Here the Indians found an abundance offresh water, dry land, ample clams, oysters andsalmon from the Shoalwater, and wild game inthe forests. The settlements were well out ofreach of the cold winter winds off the Pacificand far from the noise of pounding surf.

By 1888, the first five miles of narrow-gauge railroad was laid northward from thedocks at Ilwaco, and by 1889 it reached Nah-

cotta. Here the tracks turned directly east andshot out over the bayshore on pilings to thedeep Shoalwater channel, separating the com-munity north from south.

Ilwaco cannery owner B.A. Seaborg plattedthe town of Sealand on the north side of thetracks, while raiload owner Lewis Loomistook ownership of the Nahcotta townsite to thesouth.

Both worked hard to reach their goals. TheSealand Hotal and the first post office rose onthe north side, a general store and anotherhotel on the south. In fact, the town had almosttwo of everything — two hotels, two saloons,two meat markets — and only Loomis andSeaborg seemed to care.

Despite the dispute between the two men,the community as a whole prospered. Oystersand other seafood was loaded on trains forshipment to Ilwaco, from where it was for-warded to San Francisco and other points tothe south.

Loomis won an eventual lawsuit, but thetown’s luck was about to run out — for a fewdecades at least. In 1915, a chimney fire gotout of hand and a strong southeast windquickly spread the blaze throughout the busi-ness district.

From that point on, the center of businesson the Peninsula’s north end shifted largely toOcean Park, Nahcotta’s other sister village tothe west.

Oyster lovers must make a pilgrimage to old Nahcotta

“The Willapa Bay Interpretive Center isthe Pearl of the Peninsula,” Nahcotta PortManager Mary DeLong says of the tiny mu-seum that arguably has the most amazingview of any museum in the state.

“The museum will eventually be at theend of the Beach to Bay Trail. This is a greatplace for local people to come and seeWillapa Bay first hand. Classes and familyreunions are welcome,” DeLong said. Themuseum can be reached at 665-4547. Thebay’s tide is about an hour later than theocean’s.

The museum is about the size of the oys-ter station houses that sat atop pilings andwere common places of shelter in WillapaBay half a century ago. The Interpretive Cen-ter houses an old boat called a bateau thatplied the bay in search of oysters. The mu-seum also features tongs, bushel baskets, anda mural of Willapa Bay painted by NancyLloyd, local historian.

Videos describe the oyster industry andthe pristine Bay and the view is a spectacular360-degree sight of Long Island, Port ofPeninsula, the aging Ark Restaurant, and aworking oyster company.

A series of placards explains the history ofthe bay. Willapa Bay was discovered by theintrepid John Meares in 1788. His sailingship traversed the shallows at the entranceand he called it Shoalwater Bay because of

his experience in making his way through thetreacherous waters. Robert Gray visited in1792, exactly 300 years after ChristopherColumbus “sailed the ocean blue” on the At-lantic side of the United States.

In 1811 Astoria was founded and in the1840s the area surrounding Willapa Baybegan to be settled by white men. The 1849Gold Rush in California spawned a demandfor oysters as a delicacy the lucky minerscould afford and in 1851 the first ship carry-ing native oysters left Willapa Bay bound forSan Francisco. In 1854 Oysterville wasfounded and in 1856 the lighthouse at CapeDisappointment was built to help marinerssafely find the entrance to the ColumbiaRiver.

In 1857 James Swan wrote “NorthwestCoast, Three Years on Shoalwater Bay” todocument the times more than a century and ahalf ago. By 1880 the native oysters were indecline even as South Bend and Nahcottawere coming into existence in 1889. That yearthe Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Companycompleted the line from the river to the bayand in 1891 Washington legislators set asidethe first oyster reserves on Willapa Bay.

In 1896 eastern oysters were introduced,but a hard winter in 1919 wiped out the crop.In 1924 Japanese oysters were brought toWillapa Bay and they have survived fromthat time on. In 1936 a particularly large“natural set” occurred and the spectacularcrop of oysters continued through World WarII, providing the troops with a nice taste ofhome.

In the 1970s oyster hatcheries helped toaugment the crop of oysters and in the 1990sWashington became the number one state inproducing oysters. Over half of the state’soyster production still comes from WillapaBay.

Lloyd’s mural covers the entire west wallof the museum and it shows interestingplaces on Willapa Bay, Long Island, and the“North Beach” Peninsula. The view from thenorth and south windows is a spectacularview of the tide as it ebbs and flows and isalso a favorite place for birders to see the di-verse population of birds on the bay. TheWillapa Bay Interpretive Center is open by

appointment by calling 665-4547 and is openFriday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Dayweekends.

The museum is located at 273rd and San-dridge. The replica of an oyster station houseis a great place for a family to enjoy a picnicon the deck, learn of the history of Willapa

Mark Twain’s adoration for Willapa Bay-grown Olys is profiled in Smithsonian maga-zine. In May 1864, Twain bailed out of thegold fields of Washoe County, Nev., taking upresidence at San Francisco’s Occidental Hotel,a place he called “Heaven on the half shell.”The 28-year-old reporter on his way tocelebrity made $35 a week and blew it all on afancy room and the oyster buffet.

For our 19th century ancestors, oysterswere hamburgers, tacos and pizza all conve-niently pre-packaged in durable single-servingcontainers. They were fast food, but deliciousand nutritious.

Along with other new arrivals in the city by thebay, Twain “developed a taste for the tiny, coppery

Olympias. The Oly … was the classic gold rushoyster, a staple of celebrations and everyday mealsin San Francisco restaurants and oyster saloons.Olys appeared in oyster soup and stew, stuffed intowild poultry and, of course, raw,” according toSmithsonianwriter Andrew Beahrs.

Ninety percent of gold rush oysters camefrom Shoalwater/Willapa Bay in PacificCounty. Although the same species was avail-able in smaller quantities from Tomales Bay,Calif., those from Washington were larger andmilder-tasting, according to a 1963 state publi-cation, “The California Oyster Industry.”

It took around six days to reach San Fran-cisco from Oysterville or Bruceport by sailingship. Several vessels did nothing but servicethe industry by hauling 100-pound sacks or 32-pound baskets. On arrival, some were immedi-ately sold with at least a five-to-one mark-up,but a substantial part of each cargo was laidout in beds in San Francisco Bay to fatten andstay fresh until needed. An especially drunkminer might pay as much as $1 per oyster in1850, the equivalent of at least $30 today.

By the end of the 1850s, Shoalwater wasshipping about 35,000 baskets a year — morethan 1.1 million pounds. With completion ofthe Union Pacific trans-continental railroad in1869, California’s loyalties swiftly shifted toEastern oysters. This is probably just as well,since Washington state’s native stocks had vir-tually been strip-mined.

Willapa oysterman Warren Cowell keepsour local Oly oyster tradition alive, carefullynurturing a 60-acre bed.


oceanfront • cable tv • ice room • laundry

[email protected] 20803 Pacific Hwy

Ocean Park, WA 98640

( ( wi-fi ) ) ( ( wi-fi ) )

YOUR visits are

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xperience the Peninsula’s historic spirit in this 1913 Craftsman home. Nestled on

a quiet street, just a short walk to the ocean beach, shopping and restaurants.

ountry breakfast served amidst period furnishings and

Indian artifacts.

26301 ‘N’ Place • P.O. Box 1549 Ocean Park, WA 98640

360.665.6993 • 866.665.6993 [email protected] www.georgejohnsonhouse.com

Please contact us by email or phone for seasonal & special rates

E

C


The colorful and adventurous past of the oyster industry is honored in Nahcottaʼs smallbut stylish waterfront museum.

Willapa Bay Interpretive Center celebrates oystering history

Our oysters were Mark Twain’s favorites

The fictional Shangri-La is an idyllic moun-tain valley where life is frozen in time and pro-tected from the rough changes occurringelsewhere in the world. Real-life Oystervillemay not be so lucky as to completely escape theravages of time and politics, but strolling aroundit will restore your faith that a kind of immortalgrace is possible.

The 80-acre Oysterville National HistoricDistrict and the areas immediately adjacent to itare the heart of Oysterville. With Willapa Bay asits backdrop, the historic district feels like amovie back lot version of a 19th century coastalcommunity. In fact, some structures actually arefrom the 19th century. Eight houses, a church,the Oysterville cannery and a one-room school-house are on the National Register of HistoricPlaces.

Though Oysterville is a ghost town, it haslife. Oysterville’s post office is the oldest con-tinuously operating post office in Washingtonstate. The Oysterville Store sells groceries, sou-venirs and gifts and is open year round. Oyster-ville Sea Farms sells seafood from its farms andother items as well.

The Oysterville Church is open everyday ofthe year. The Oysterville cannery and all eightof the houses listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places create almost constant activityas they are maintained and repaired by theirprivate owners. Similar efforts are made bynon-profit organizations to maintain and repair

the church and one-room schoolhouse.The Oysterville Church Summer Vespers are

presented at 3 p.m. every Sunday from Father’sDay through Labor Day. The services are open toeveryone. The Jazz and Oyster festival is set forAug. 19 and features great Northwest jazz beingplayed on the lawn of the Oysterville School. Pro-ceeds from the Jazz and Oyster festival help sup-port the Water Music Festival. The Water MusicFestival’s most popular concerts are the Oyster-ville church concerts, held in late October.

Old for a West Coast town, Oysterville isbrand new in geographic terms. Oystervillecould be the only place in the United States thathas always had human occupants. Native Amer-ican people probably settled Oysterville as soonas it was created. Chinook peoples came to thearea that is Oysterville at seasonal intervals foruntold centuries to harvest its bountiful oysterbeds.

Oysterville was first settled in 1841 by JohnDouglas, who married a local Chinook woman.

It was the California Gold Rush of 1849 thatdrew significant numbers of settlers of Euro-pean descent to Oysterville. Gold miners lovedto spend their gold on Willapa Bay oysters.Settlers and Chinook Peoples gladly filledschooners with oysters to be shipped to SanFrancisco. By 1854, a community of severalhundred, called Oyster Beach, existed here. OnApril 12, 1854, I.A. Clark filed a 161-acre landclaim that encompassed all of what is now the

Oysterville National Historic District. It was onAug. 5, 1854, that community leaders decidedthat Oysterville was a better name than OysterBeach or Shell Beach to represent their town,which grew to a population was about 800.

Like all extraction businesses, the nativeoyster business came to an end. Hotels, saloonsand a college all disappeared as people left.Eventually, even the county seat was removed

to South Bend on the east side of the bay.Oysterville exists primarily as a state of mind.

A walk through Oysterville can reveal the su-premacy of nature; evoking connections to gen-erations goneby, while subtly forecasting thefolly of generations present and future. Visitorsoften find themselves seeking sanctuary in thepeace and insight they discovered here, long afterthey have left Oysterville.


Ocean Park Office 25810 Vernon Avenue

P.O. Box 431 • Ocean Park, WA 98640

REALTY

RUTH ANN HOCKING MANAGING BROKER Toll Free 800-854-0032 Office 360-665-4141 Cell 360-431-0660 web: lighthouseproperty.com email: [email protected]


Toll Free (800) 854-0032 • Office 360-665-4141 Cell (360) 783-2831

[email protected] www.lighthouseproperty.com

GARY MCGREW, BROKER LET ME HELP YOU WITH YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS -Nearly 10 Years of Experience as a Real Estate Broker -Background and experience in mediation, negotiation, and neighborhood liveability

INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY -President of the Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce -Chairman of the 31st Annual NW Garlic Festival Planning Committee -Serving on the “Lower Columbia Association of Realtors” Board of Directors

REALTY


Even the very young get into the good-time grooves of Jazz and Oysters, one of our areaʼscoolest events.

Historic and lovely Oysterville is a ‘Shangri-La’ on the bay

North-end secret: SurfsideSurfside — you won’t find it mentioned on many maps, and Surfsiders like it that way. When

you drive up north of Ocean Park, you’re passing into a well-kept secret, quite possibly PacificCounty’s biggest town in the summertime.

Founded in the late 1960s, Surfside is a well-organized community governed not by a citycouncil but by a homeowners’ association. Well-designed and landscaped homes line the shoreand rolling hillsides.

While many Surfsiders are retired, most haven’t slowed down much. It’s a very active and dynamiccommunity. It has a great golf course and an active schedule of activities for residents and guests.

For visitors curious about this hidden paradise, it’s easy to combine a visit with a stop in his-toric Oysterville, which is located only about a mile away to the east on the bay shore via Oyster-ville Road.

September is synonymouswith the Rod Run and the2012 edition promises to bebetter than ever as about1,000 vintage automobileswill again congregate at Wil-son Field east of Ocean Parkfor the car show the BeachBarons started nearly threedecades ago.

Registration begins Fri-day, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m., andcontinues throughout theweekend for cars 1982 andearlier. Gates open at 8 a.m.Saturday, Sept. 8 for the gen-eral public to view the showand shine.

On Friday, plan to attendthe fun Slow Drags at thePort of Ilwaco, which start at4 p.m.

The Beach Barons willagain be selling Rod Run T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats to

the sounds of DJ music fromthe ‘50s and ‘60s. Saturdaywill feature a musical per-formance by the FabulousFarelanes, a model car showand a pinewood derby.

Trophy judging will con-clude at 2 p.m. Saturday. At4:30 p.m., show participantswill cruise north to Oyster-ville, over to Surfside andthen south toward LongBeach. People would be well-advised to plan their personaldriving needs around sharingthe road with the vintage ve-hicles Saturday afternoon andevening.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, gateswill open at 8 a.m. with atreasure hunt s tar t ing at9 a.m. DJs will be spinninggreat tunes, and trophies willbe presented at 2 p.m.

Spectator gate fees are $5per person. Active duty serv-ice members with proper IDare admitted for no charge.Parking will be available at afew properties nearby.

More information on theBeach Barons and the RodRun is available on the club’swebsite:www.beachbarons.com, or by calling 360-665-3565.

Beach Barons ready for Rod Run’s annual rev-up



Home 360-665-2812 • Office 360-665-4141 Cell (360) 749-1196

[email protected] www.lighthouseproperty.com

JOANNE JENSON, Broker/Realtor I love working with buyers and sellers, and have been in the

Sales and Service industry for 45 years. I have owned/ operated four small businesses in my career, and have been

with Lighthouse Realty for over 14 years.

Let me help you locate that special property!

REALTY

J i m e l l a & N a n c i ’ s

Where the Locals Go

Nanci Main and Jimella Lucas, owner/chefs of the legendary Ark Restaurant for 25 years, invite you to visit them at their much acclaimed Market Cafe in Klipsan Beach, Washington.

• Casual Relaxed Dining • Fresh Seafood Market • Wines & Deli

360-665-4847 • 21712 Pacific Way [email protected]

jimellaandnancis.com


The popular Rod Run street cruise returned in 2011 and will continue this September, withparticipants showing off their classic cars and trucks to the cheers of spectators up anddown the Peninsula on Saturday afternoon and night.

2011 Rod Run Top Trophy WinnersTrophy Sponsor Name Make/ModelBeach Barons Choice Dave & Debbie Peterson 1969 Dodge ChargerParticipantʼs Choice Larry & Cindy Anderson 1932 Ford 3-WindowPeopleʼs Choice Brian Leetch 1941 Willys CoupeBeach Baron Host Car Gene & Nicki Andrews 1935 Chevy SedanHard Luck Award Leon & Lucille Graham 1954 Chevy 2-Dr PostLong Distance Merv & Kay Cray 1969 Chevy CamaroTruman King Memorial Ron & Anna Jones 1950 Ford Custom CoupePC Sheriff Award John & Stefanie Youman 1959 Cadillac DevilleWashington State Patrol Joe & Gloria White 1949 Studebaker Champion

BONNI HILDERMAN photos

Visiting with old and new friends is a key part of the annual Rod Run.


Opal Art in Ocean Park O cean Aire RV Park is the Home of Opal Art, 25918 R Street in Ocean Park, WA.

W hen you are in Ocean Park be sure to drop in and see our wonderfully special selection of Opal earrings, pendants and rings set in Sterling Silver by J.R. Opals show an ever- changing dancing fire depending on light intensity.

O pal Art can be found in the Office of Ocean Aire RV Park, where we invite you to check out our clean and friendly park. Located in Downtown Ocean Park– we are just blocks from restaurants, clubs, stores and of course the mighty Pacific Ocean.

O ur 2012 Rates are reasonably priced and we currently have spaces for over-niters, 2 spaces for full-time living and 2 for annual usage.

C all Karen for park info at 360-665-4027 or J.R. at 360-244-1970 if a private showing at Opal Art is requested.

L ocated behind Thriftway grocery at 25918 R Street, Ocean Park, WA • [email protected]

Peninsula Arts Association Summer & Winter

2012 July 7

Starving Artists Sale Peninsula Senior Center

July 20 to 22 Summer Art Festival

World Kite Museum October 5 - 8

42nd Fall Art Show World Kite Museum

November 23 & 24 PAA Studio Tour

Peninsula Wide!

www.beachartist.org

Harbor View Motel It’s time to unwind.

Free Wi-Fi ~ Cable TV ~ Full Kitchens Barbeque ~ Fire Pit w/Wood Provided

Six Studio Units One Bedroom Cottage Two Bedroom House

For Information & Reservations: 360-665-4959

www.harborviewmotel.org

Located in beautiful Nahcotta, WA just north of Ocean Park on the

corner of Sandridge Rd. & 281st St.

OCEAN PARK — Treasurer Nancy Beliv-eau is the lone 2011 PAA board member to re-main in her position for year 2012. Joining herare a group of artists, many of whom heldboard positions in previous years, ready to helpsteer the creative forces generated by the dy-namic and diverse group of talented peoplewho comprise the membership of PeninsulaArts Association.

When asked why she decided to stay on astreasurer, Beliveau chuckled, “Pure determina-tion. After a year of balancing the books, it’sall starting to make sense to me. I want to geteven better at the job and do all I can to makesure PAA continues to grow and remains suc-cessful.”

Working with Beliveau are: Bonnie LouCozby as president, Michael Cox as vice presi-dent, Judy Cox as recording secretary and Ar-lene Jayne as corresponding secretary. Inaddition, PAA has added three directors to theexecutive board roster: Myrna Kay Thompson,Vickie Branch and Veronica Frink. This addi-tion brings PAA completely into compliancewith its by-laws.

“The group has been working hard over thelast five years to get all their ducks in a row,”said Cozby, who served as president over threeof those five years. “Since 1970, when the as-sociation was first formed in Ocean Park, thegoal has been to create a community art centeron the Peninsula. We can almost see it happen-

ing… our organization is in place, we have astrong record of participation and proven eco-nomic stability and are preparing to enter theworld of grants, patrons, sponsorships andfundraising. It’s a very exciting time.”

PAA is avery activegroup, pro-ducing fourlarge artevents an-nually: TheSpring andFall artshows, theSummer ArtFestival (allthree heldthis year atthe WorldKite Mu-seum) andthe Penin-sula-wideStudioTour. It also continues the tradition of the JulyStarving Artist Sale. This long held event wasfirst created to help fund PAA’s High SchoolGraduate Scholarship. Due to the fantastic bar-gains to be had, the sale has become a favoriteof locals and visitors alike.

In addition to the annual scholarship award,

Peninsula Arts Association also funds an ArtEnrichment Program. Headed by Education Li-aison Barbara Lester, the program providesfully supplied art boxes with comprehensivelesson plans for Ocean Beach School District

teachers tocheck outon a rotat-ing basis. Italso pro-vides sup-plies for artprojectssuch as thetree orna-ments cre-ated byOcean ParkElementarystudents forthe commu-nity Christ-mas treeand take-away orna-

ments for the Santa’s Workshop gatheringsponsored by the Ocean Park Area Chamberand held at the Ocean Park Fire Station.

Each June brings the Garlic Festival, withPAA members participating in a cluster of arttents. In recent years, PAA has run the GarlicPoster Contest.

January and February are membership re-newal and application months. The PAAyear runs January to January and it is best tojoin early in order to receive all newslettersand event participation notices. Membershipis $20 a year for individuals. Student mem-berships are free but do require the applica-tion to be filled out. Meetings start withbusiness, include a break for refreshmentsand usually end with a relaxed, hands-on artproject. It is a great way to meet fellowartists. Always open to the public, meetingsare a perfect opportunity to renew or beginmembership and learn about PAA. Applica-tions are also available online atwww.beachartist.org or call President Bon-nie Cozby at 665-6041.

“We are getting ready for a wonderfulyear’” said Cozby. “Our website is beinggiven a whole new look thanks to webmasterModi Cozby, the board is full of enthusiasm... As a board, we are looking forward to ex-panding our community group alliances andcreating a viable sponsor and patron pro-gram. Plus, I know the artists are gearing upto bring their best work out … they alwaysdo!”

For more information about Peninsula ArtsAssociation visit their websitewww.beachartist.org or check them out onFacebook. Peninsula Arts Association is Wash-ington state, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization.

Coastal arts come alive thanks to local volunteers

PAA coordinates art events including its popular annual Spring Art Show.“She is my heart,” said Cynthia Pride of her 2012 Peoplesʼ Choice win-ning painting Sleeping Beauty, done from an older photograph of herdaughter at the seashore.


LONG BEACH – The Pacific Coast Cran-berry Research Foundation Museum and GiftShop (PCCRF) is a mouthful to say about asmall museum that chronicles the history ofthe commercial cranberry industry. Severalacres of commercial berries are also featured atPCCRF.

Washington State University has conductedstudies about local cranberry farming sinceD.J. Crowley, then a student, began his re-search projects in 1922. The museum is associ-ated with those and other people’s researchefforts. The museum opened May 2, 1997, andthe 1,200-square-foot facility and the profes-sionally designed and constructed area includeboth a well-lit interpretive center and an attrac-tive gift shop.

The display area shows the history of com-mercial cranberry harvesting that began on thePeninsula in 1883. By 1910 the berry wasbeing farmed by several syndicates. Besidesbuilding a bog, the task of draining the landwas a major concern for new growers. Theeconomic “cranberry boom” of 1910 usheredin a productive era. Anthony Chabot’s 35-acrebog was one of the earliest. There are nowabout 235 growers on the West Coast fromOregon to British Columbia.

Placards, photographs from as early as1925, and various tools and equipment used toharvest and process cranberries highlight themuseum’s display. Both dry and wet farmingprocedures are explained. As early as 1925Crowley discovered that sprinkling the berrieswhen temperatures fell below freezing helpedpreserve the cranberries.

That same year Pacific County donated 11acres where the museum and research centerat Pioneer Road are located. Crowley pur-chased land directly across the road from theresearch center and his son Lee and daughter-in-law Melinda Crowley now reside there.WSU extension agents Charles Doughty,Azmi Shawa, and Kim Patten served from1954 to the present time. The research stationhas expanded and expenses are shared byWSU and PCCRF.

The experimental cranberry bogs also serveas a place for tourists, local citizens, andschool children to see a working farm. Harvesttime, usually in October, is a very colorfultime to visit the research bogs. PCCRF isfunded by members, public donations, andcrop sales. Templin Foundation helped fund anaddition to triple the size of the warehouse anda grant from the Ben Cheney Foundationhelped purchase exhibit items.

In the 1990s commercial cranberry acreagereached about 650 acres on the Peninsula.Growers began marketing their berries throughthe Ocean Spray co-op. In 1982 prices hadbeen about $42 for a barrel of berries and by1997 it had increased to $55. (A barrel of cran-berries was defined by Congress in 1915 asbeing 95.4 liters or just over 36 gallons.)

By 1999 the market dropped to a low of

$15 per barrel, while the cost was over $25 forgrowers to produce a barrel. To cut costsOcean Spray quit advertising and in the nextfour years at least six growers declared bank-ruptcy, while others simply retired. By 2008the price had bounced back to $52 and OceanSpray now has several colorful and amusingadvertisements. Many new products that in-clude cranberry juice have also come on themarket. Craisins, a sweetened dried cranberryproduct, have also been an economic successand Ocean Spray sales have jumped to 19 mil-lion pounds.

Bees are necessary for pollination of cran-berries. “We have four hives to the acre,”Ardell McPhail said of the bogs she and Mal-colm McPhail own near Ilwaco. About 1,250bee hives were transported to the Peninsulafrom Naches by “bee man” Eric Olson. Twosemi-trucks were used. Soil improvement andreplanting is an on-going procedure growersalso must do to keep production high.

The museum gift shop sells juices, candies,T-shirts, candles, jam, wine, and pottery re-lated to cranberries. It is open 10 a.m. to5 p.m. every day. It opened this year in Apriland will close in late December for the winter.It is located at 2907 Pioneer Road just north ofLong Beach. For more information go to thewebsite www.cranberrymuseum.com or call642-5553.

A delicious mouthful: Pacific Coast CranberryResearch Foundation Museum and Gift Shop


Ardell and Malcolm McPhail and Lee and Melinda Crowley visit the Pacific County Cranber-ry Research Foundation Museum and Gift Shop. They are holding some of the tools of thecommercial cranberry trade from the museum's display area. The museum is openfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from April through December.

A tiny red berry is big timefrom Seaview and Ilwaco, east toChinook and north to the OceanPark area. It’s a cranberry. The lit-tle berry is so big that the annualCranberrian Fair is held in itshonor.

Cranberries make up a big partof the Peninsula’s personality, somuch so that it’s impossible toimagine our home without its dis-tinctive and colorful cranberryfields.

Grayland, which straddles thePacific-Grays Harbor county line,is also a major producing area.Other West Coast bogs are nearOcean Shores; in Bandon, Ore.;and in British Columbia.

A celebration of local harvestincluding all things cranberry willtake place on the Long BeachPeninsula, centered around theColumbia Pacific Heritage Mu-seum in Ilwaco, on Oct. 13 andOct. 14, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.Foods, crafters, bog tours, andmore will showcase the area’s richheritage during the 92nd AnnualCranberrian Fair. CollectibleCranberrian Fair buttons are $5each and cover admission to all

events at the Columbia PacificHeritage Museum. The CranberryMuseum is free.

As part of Cranberrian Fair ac-tivities, the Columbia Pacific Her-itage Museum in Ilwaco will hosta variety of vendors, offeringhandmade items such as pottery,jewelry, hand turned woodenbowls, paintings, cranberry vinebaskets, homemade peach/cran-

berry pies, and more. Fair entranceincludes full admission to the mu-seum’s extensive exhibitions andthe 1889 narrow gauge passengercar Nahcotta. Check out the vari-ous craft demonstrations through-out both days, which will includerug hookers and a blacksmith.

From the Columbia PacificHeritage Museum, the CranberryTrolley will whisk visitors to the Pacific Coast Cranberry Research

Foundation and Cranberry Mu-seum. The museum’s gift shop isstocked with cranberry goodies.Watch the red berry harvest aspart of the fair. The CranberryTrolley runs on the hour from theColumbia Pacific Heritage Mu-seum to the Cranberry Museumfrom 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Satur-day and Sunday. Space is limitedand seating is on a first-comefirst-serve basis.

Columbia Pacific HeritageMuseum hours are Tuesdaythrough Saturday 10 a .m. to4 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4p.m. Thursdays are free thanks tosponsorship by the Port of Ilwaco.

For more information call 642-3446 or visit columbiapacificher-itagemuseum.org

92ND CRANBERRIAN FAIR SET FOR THIS OCTOBER

DAMIAN MULINIX photos

When locals advise out-of-townguests about what to do, Marsh’sFree Museum inevitably is on thelist.

Some folks claim Jake the Alli-gator Man was a valet in a New Or-leans brothel.

Others say Jake the AlligatorMan was a sideshow freak whosmoked cigars and could nod yes orno to simple questions. A retiredcouple who drive from Kelso everysummer to see Jake the Alligatorman claim they remember him, aliveand nodding, in a Texas carnival.

For all the curiosities at Marsh’sFree Museum, 409 S. Pacific Av-enue (State Route 103), in LongBeach, the boffo attraction is Jakethe Alligator Man. Jake appears tobe an ossified dwarf whose skin hasturned a putrid black. From thewaist down, Jake is an alligator,with scales and tail.

For all the two-headed cows and

Siamese-twin lambs, the world-classshell collection and nickel peepshows at Marsh’s Free Museum, thestar remains Jake the Alligator Man.He perches in a glass case with asign that reads “We have very littlehistory on Jake.”

And yet, history abounds atMarsh’s Free Museum, a citadel ofwholesome hokum that is the bestsort of attraction. It doesn’t costanything to see Theda Bara’s head-band or the Civil War leg irons orthe spittoon from the Silver DollarSaloon in Alder Gulch, Nev.

On the main drag in Long Beach,Marsh’s Free Museum is the collec-tion of Wellington Marsh Sr., whodied in 1977, and his son WellingtonMarsh Jr., who passed away in 1995.

You can buy two bubble shells for anickel. Where can you buy anythingfor 5 cents nowadays, let alone two fora nickel?

Every customer receives a free

seashell affixed to a small card.Marsh’s gives away 130,000 shells ayear. Tourists think the shells comefrom Long Beach, glistening just outthe back door, but they are actuallyfrom Mexico and the Philippines;the local surf pounds shells topieces.

Tourists remember places thatgive something for nothing, andthey never forget Jake the AlligatorMan. Long Beach antiques dealerRay Pryor bought Jake at an auctionwhen Whitney’s Museum in SanFrancisco, a similar palace ofpalaver, closed in 1965. WellingtonMarsh Jr. “didn’t want to pay $750for Jake but I talked him into it,”says his wife Marian.

“If Grandpa and Dad walked intoday, they would like this place,”David Marsh said. “See, they lovedbeing entertained, they loved theold razzmatazz. They were show-men and businessmen.”


Jake the Alligator Man celebrates 75th B-day ... againLONG BEACH — Lucky local Jake the Alligator Man celebrates his fourth annual 75th birthday in style this Aug.

3 and 4 with a plethora of outrageous activities including a rousing bachelor party at the Long Beach Elks and a Brideof Jake pinup contest to choose his latest blushing bride.

Last year, around 12 girls competed for the coveted title, including such varied characters as Catlin the LobsterGirl, born with lobster claws and thus abandoned on the banks of the Chehalis River; Marie Love’Bow, a voodoogypsy from Louisiana; and Jessica the Bearded Lady, who was abandoned by her parents at the circus.

One of the contestants, Betty Blue, self-described as a “day younger than spring” said that she’s always had acrush on Jake. And while the competition was stiff, she says, “I know Jake only has an eye for me.”

But unfortunately for Betty, Jake’s scaly hand in marriage went to another hopeful, local girl Monica Midnight,aka Monica Morley, who has competed for a number of years and finally took home the prize. This year, she was atad green from a love potion gone wrong that she made last year to try to win Jake’s heart. The title of bridesmaidwent to another local, Katy Kosmic.

Fascinating, quirky, fun museums will light up your day

“How many horsesunder the hood?” maynot have been the exactwords uttered whenlooking at a late modelC-Spring Victoria, but“How many horses doyou own?” may have.

The Northwest Car-riage Museum in Ray-mond offers visitorsthe chance to journeyback to a time when ifyou didn’t have acoach, you were proba-bly walking.

Many of the car-riages were in poorcondition when pur-chased and very deteri-orated.

However, they wererestored by an Oregoncraftsman.

The coaches weredonated to the city ofRaymond in 1999. Thecity and the NorthwestCarriage Museum cre-ated a partnership todevelop a museumplan and raise funds.The museum buildingwas funded by grantsand is owned by thecity of Raymond.

Once inside thestylishly designedbuilding you will finda wealth of informationregarding transporta-tion in the 19th andearly 20th centuries.The display floor is di-vided into four cate-gories of carriages —luxury, economical,leisure and work,

though the majority areluxury models.

One of the high-lights among the lux-ury coaches is theShelbourne Landau, acarriage for thewealthy of its day. Thisparticular one has ahistory in show busi-

ness, however, beingused in the motion pic-tures “Gone with theWind” and “Jezebel.”

The museum isopen Wednesdaythrough Saturday from10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sun-days noon to 4 p.m.,April through Septem-ber only. Admission is$3 for adults, $1 for

ages 6 to 14, and 5 andunder are free. Schoolsand groups are wel-come to contact themuseum for tours. Formore information call360-942-4150. Themuseum is located at314 Alder St., just offHighway 101.

Carriage museum showcasestreasury of classic vehicles

MADDIE DICKERSON photos

Marshʼs Free Museum and its Jake-related activities celebrate seashoresideshow/carnival culture.

Who was here beforeLewis and Clark? WhatPeninsula town was once therichest in the United States?Why did a railroad run by thetides? Find answers to thesequestions and much, muchmore at the Columbia PacificHeritage Museum.

Delve into the colorful his-tory of the Long Beach Penin-sula. Discover the proudculture of the Chinook IndianTribe and the abundant flora,fauna and marine life of theChinookan homeland. Followthe exploration and trade ofthe Spanish, Russian, Britishand American explorers andmerchant mariners. Walkalong the paths that depict lifein a Peninsula village. Learnabout the fishing and cran-berry industries. Visit theWater Gallery highlightingmaritime adventures. Viewthe “Nahcotta,” a restorednarrow gauge passenger carthat once served on the “Rail-road that Ran by the Tides.”

In anticipation of its forth-coming 25th anniversary cele-bration, the board of directorsof the Ilwaco Heritage Foun-dation voted in 2007 to

change the name of theIlwaco Heritage Museum tothe Columbia Pacific HeritageMuseum.

The new name reflects ex-citing changes at the museumand a refreshed focus on thisregion’s nationally famouscultural and historic riches. Astudy now underway is ex-pected to result in federal des-ignation of Lower ColumbiaRiver and Willapa Bay com-

munities as the Columbia Pa-cific National Heritage Area,the first West Coast area to beso honored.

Visitors often commentthat the museum is muchmore than they expected,thinking that only the historyof Ilwaco is presented. In fact,this outstanding museum doesa tremendous job at its mis-sion: “to preserve and inter-pret the significant historical

and cultural resources of thegreater Columbia Pacific re-gion.”

The new name also com-pliments the new look at themuseum. If you haven’t vis-ited the museum in a while,you will be pleasantly sur-prised by the improvementsthat have been made. Startingin 2000, the 21st Century Mil-lennium Project began a se-ries of activities to enhancethe building. Some improve-ments are obvious. The brightand cheery new paint on theoutside of the building andthe new floors, lights andpaint in the lobby, gift shopand offices have created amore open and inviting space.

The CPHM gift shop of-fers a variety of books, teach-ing tools and items associatedwith regional history and in-dustry, books about the Lewisand Clark Corps of Discoveryalong with tasteful souvenirsand gifts. A new memorialpark and garden is a pleasantretreat for travelers.

Columbia Pacific Heritage

Museum: Located at 115 SELake Street in Ilwaco, acrossthe street from the post office,one block south and a halfblock east of the stoplight onUS 101.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Saturday —noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.Phone: 360-642-3446.

Admission: Adults $5; sen-ior citizens (55 and over), $4;youths (12-17), $2.50; chil-dren (6-11), $1; under 6, free.


The Appelo Archives Center in Naselle offers historic logging displays and photographs. Also displays on local Finnish history.

Bookstore features books for sale, including the popular book, When Logging Was Logging.

Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 4 and on Saturday, 10 to 2.

www.appeloarchives.org (360) 484-7103. 1056 State Route 4, Naselle, Washington

Local and Northwest History Book Store • Maps and Charts

www.pacificcohistory.org

M USEUM & V ISITOR C ENTER

Pacific County Paciiffiicc County Pacific County Historical Society Historical Society Historical Society

O PEN E VERY D AY ! 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. • F REE A DMISSION

360-875-5224 • MP 54, Hwy. 101 - South Bend

Our remarkable history in one amazing museum


Be sure to check out the garden at Ilwacoʼs fine museum.

Looking very much like the old-fashionedgrocery store it once was, the outside of thePacific County Museum might not catch theeye of those passing through South Bend onHighway 101.

A stop at 1008 West Robert Bush Dr. (U.S.101) is well worthwhile.

Step through the door into yesteryear andinto what at first looks like a turn of the cen-tury barber shop. Cheerful volunteers invitevisitors to browse through a range of interest-ing artifacts, mostly dating from the late 19th

and early 20th centuries. The museum, which is open from 11 a.m.

to 4 p.m. daily (except national holidays),charges no admission. It is supported bymembership, a Pacific County grant from aspecial hospitality tax and by visitor dona-tions.

The museum also serves as an officialcounty Tourist Information Center.

For information, call 360-875-5224, oraccess the Pacific County Historical SocietyWeb site at www.pacificcohistory.org.

Explore a rich past at the Pacific County Museum

Finn Festival: an array of culture and learning

NASELLE — The bi-annual Finnish-American Folk Festi-val in Naselle is known far and wide for its Maypole dance,kantele music, and a myriad of other entertaining events, butFAFF is also famous for its educational and cultural offerings.The 2012 FAFF, scheduled for July 27 through 29, will be noexception.

The numerous FAFF volunteers have been moving into highgear to put on the festival that will once again be held in “down-town” Naselle at the school at the junctions of Highways 4 and401. The festival, which began in 1982, is held on even num-bered years. It is a celebration of the cultural heritage of theFinnish-American people of Naselle and the Grays River Valley.

The festival will feature performers, lecturers and discussiongroups, photography, history, art, handicraft, and quilt exhibits,the Paavo Nurmi Run, a golf tournament in Long Beach, an au-thentic Finnish dinner, food booths, a family dance, a churchservice, and a celebration at the cemetery.

For complete updated information, see the festival website:http://finnam.naselle.net/Finnam/Tervetuloa.html


Innocent Peninsula sands hide the remainsof many vessels. Lean into a gale on a stormyday on the rocky headlands overlooking CapeDisappointment State Park and you’ll be ableto imagine ghost ships bearing down on therocks, sails tattered and masts splintered,sailors praying for deliverance.

These few miles of beach and cliffs, fromLeadbetter Point in the north to Cape Disap-pointment in the south, have consumed moreships than just about any other real estate inthe world.

Why is it so dangerous here for ships? Inthe days before satellite navigation and cellphones, sailors sometimes had little idea wherethey were in relation to the shore, especiallyduring raging winter storms that can last forweeks.

Even when visibility was acceptable, shipsoften had trouble traversing the ColumbiaRiver bar, the area in which the gigantic flowof the river rushes headlong into toweringocean waves. Sailing ships had a terrible timegetting into the Columbia, since the two natu-ral channels through the broad, sediment-choked river mouth — particularly the northchannel — forced ships to turn sideways to thewind and waves.

Ships and lives are still lost today. A some-what choppy but manageable river can sud-denly twist itself into an unimaginable chaosof tossing, turning, icy water. The Ilwaco-based crab fleet, which faces a season thatstarts in December, counts itself lucky to getthrough a year without fatalities. Recreationalboaters also account for many lost lives nowa-days — the river on a stormy day is no placefor humans of any description, let alone ama-teurs. Four men lost their lives offshore in thewinter of 2012, fishing in deep water — therewill probably never be complete certaintyabout what happened.

Almost 2,000 vessels of all types and about700 lives have been claimed by the treacheroussea over the past 300 years. Some vessels werestranded, while others sunk outright or simplydisappeared in that infamous triangle formedby Clatsop Spit, Leadbetter Point and Astoria.

“Some boats survived the ordeal and wenton to sail another day,” says local historian andauthor Nancy Lloyd. “Others were completeshipwrecks, a few of which are still in evidence.

“The Bettie M is visible on Jetty A. ThePeter Iredale may be the most photographedshipwreck anywhere. The Alice in OceanPark occasionally shows a bit of skeleton.The Admiral Benson at Benson Beach con-tinues to snag fishing gear.

The list below — covering only the earlyperiod of local settlement — offers the nameof the vessel, the year she went down, hercountry of origin, the type of vessel and thelives lost, if known.Chatham, 1792, British tender.Small boat from the Hazard, 1798, American brigantine, five lost.Small boat from the Tonquin, 1811, American ship, 10 lost.Raccoon, 1813, British sloop of war.William and Ann, 1829, British barkentine, 26 lost.Isabella, 1830, Hudson Bay Co., British supply brigantine.H.M.S. Sulphur, 1839, British Royal Navy ship.U.S.S. Peacock, 1841, U.S. Navy ship.U.S.S. Shark, 1846, U.S. Navy survey schooner, crew lost.

Maine, 1848, American whaler.Vancouver, 1848, British barkentine.Josephine, 1849, British brigantine.L’Etoile du Matin, 1849, French ship.Silvie de Grace, 1849, American packet ship.Orbit, 1850, American brigantine.Bordeaux, 1852, barkentine.U.S.S. Dolphin, U.S. Navy brigantine.General Warren, 1852, American steamship, 42 lost.Machigone, 1852, American schooner, nine lost.Marie, 1852, American brigantine, nine lost.Potomac, 1852, brigantine.I. Merrithew, 1853, American barkentine.Mindora, 1853, American barkentine.Oriole, 1853, American barkentine.Palos, 1853, American brigantine, one lost.Vandalia, 1853, American barkentine, nine lost.Empire, 1854, American schooner.Firefly, 1854, American tugboat, four lost.Detroit, 1855, brigantine.Desdemona, 1857, American barkentine, one lost.Leonese, 1860, American barkentine, nine lost.Rambler, 1860, American schooner, five lost.Woodpecker, 1861, British schooner.Fanny, 1864, sloop.Jennie Ford, 1864, American barkentine, one lost.Jenny Jones, 1864, American schooner.Industry, 1865, American barkentine, 17 lost.S.D. Lewis, 1865, brigantine.W.B. Scranton, 1866, barkentine.Anna C. Anderson, 1869, American schooner, 7 lost.Champion, 1870, American schooner, three lost.Ellen, 1870, American schooner.U.S. Grant, 1871, American steamer.Windward, 1871, American ship.Rose Perry, 1872, Canadian schooner.Rescue, 1874, American steam tugboat.Sidi, 1874, French brigantine.Architect, 1875, American barkentine.Orient, 1875, American brigantine.Sunshine, 1875, American schooner, 25 lost.Dreadnaught, 1876, American sloop, seven lost.Nabob, 1876, British barkentine.Nimbus, 1877, American ship.City of Dublin, 1878, British ship.Allegiance, 1879, ship.Great Republic, 1879, American sidewheel steamship, 11 lost.Dilharee, 1880, British barkentine.Edith Lorn, 1881, British barkentine.Emily Stevens, 1881, American schooner.Fern Glen, 1881, British ship.G. Broughton, 1881, British barkentine.Lammerlaw, 1881, British barkentine.Rival, 1881, American barkentine.Corsica, 1882, British barkentine.Harvest Home, 1882, American barkentine.Primrose, 1882, vessel.Cairnsmore, 1883, British barkentine.Queen of the Pacific, 1883, American steamship.J.C. Cousins, 1883, American pilot schooner, four lost.Whistler, 1883, American barkentine.Devonshire, 1884, British ship.Abbey Cowper, 1885, British barkentine.Dewa Gungadhar, 1885, British barkentine.Ariel, 1886, American schooner.Carrie B. Lake, 1886, American schooner, three lost.

W.H. Besse, 1886, American barkentine.Grace Roberts, 1887, American barkentine.Telephone, 1887, sternwheeler, one lost.Gleaner, 1888, American river steamer, three lost.Artemisia, 1889, American schooner.Douglas Dearborn, 1890, schooner, all lost.Governor Moody, 1890, American pilot boat.Strathblane, 1891, British schooner, six lost.Cadzow Forest, 1896, British barkentine.Glenmorag, 1896, British ship, two lost.Point Loma, 1896, American steam schooner.Potrimpos, 1896, German barkentine.Orion, 1897, American schooner.Samaria, 1897, American ship.Gamecock, 1898, sternwheeler.Staghound, 1898, American sternwheeler.Columbia River Lightship No. 50, 1899, American.Protection, 1899, American steamship, one lost.Andrada, 1900, barkentine.Poltalloch, 1900, British barkentine.Cape Wrath, 1901, British barkentine, 15 lost.Henriette, 1901, French barkentine.Monitor, 1901, American barkentine.Pinmore, 1901, British barkentine.Alsternixe, 1903, German barkentine.Cavour, 1903, Italian barkentine.Frank W. Howe, 1904, American schooner, two lost.Zampa, 1904, American schooner.C.A. Klose, 1905, American schooner.M.F. Hazen, 1905, American launch.Unnamed vessel, 1905, Japanese junk.Alice McDonald, 1906, schooner.Drumcraig, 1906, British barkentine.Emma Claudine, 1906, schooner.Galena, 1906, British barkentine.Melanope, 1906, British barkentine.Peter Iredale, 1906, British barkentine.Solano, 1907, American schooner.Broderick Castle, 1908, British ship.Alice, 1909, French ship.Aurelia, 1911, American steamer.Oshkosh, 1911, American motor vessel, six lost.Roanoke, 1911, American steamer, one lost.Washington, 1911, American steamship.William Nottingham, 1911, American schooner.Admiral, 1912, American schooner.Daisy Freeman, 1912, steam schooner.Marie, 1913, American motorboat.Rosecrans, 1913, American tanker, 33 lost.Rochelle, 1914, American steam schooner.W.T. and B. No. 3, 1916, American barge.Captain James Fornace, 1917, American steamship.Lenore, 1917, American fishing boat.Americana, 1918, American schooner, 13 lost.Jupiter, 1918, American fishing boat, four lost.State of Washington, 1920, American sternwheeler.Welsh Prince, 1922, British steamship, seven lost.Alpha, 1924, American gasline propeller.Caoba, 1925, American steam schooner.Coaster, 1925, steamer.Nemanosha, 1925, American fishing boat, 2 lost.Columbia, 1928, American fishing boat.North Bend, 1928, American schooner.Laurel, 1929, American steamship, one lost.Multnomah, 1929, steamship.Admiral Benson, 1930, American steamship.Sea Thrush, 1932, steamship.Pescawha, 1933, American motorship, one lost.Childar, 1934, Norwegian motorship, four lost.

Iowa, 1936, American steamship, 34 lost.Efin, 1937, American feighter.Trinidad, 1937, American steam schooner, one lost.Nisqually, 1938, brigantine.Buster, 1940, American barge.Treo, 1940, American fishing boat.Mauna Ala, 1941, American freighter.Nightingale, 1941, American minesweeper.Vaslav Vorovsky, 1941, Russian freighter.29C822, 1944, American trawler, two lost.Donna, 1944, American trawler, three lost.Electra, 1944, American trawler.La Belle, 1945, American trawler, four lost.Republic, 1945, American trawler, four lost.Rudolph, 1945, American fishing boat.U.S.S. Arrow, 1947, U.S. Army transport.Drexel Victory, 1947, American steamship.P.T. and B. Company No. 1684 and 1685, 1947, American barges.29P859, 1948, American trawler, two lost.Marbet, 1948, American crab boat.Neptune, 1948, American tugboat, one lost.Rose Ann, 1948, American dragger, four lost.Sea Lion, 1948, American trawler, two lost.Ricky, 1949, American fishing boat.Deneb, 1950, American motor ship.Lucky, 1950, fishing boat.Sause Brothers, 1950, American barge.Erria, 1951, Danish motorship, 11 lost.Mizpah, 1951, American fishing boat, one lost.Oleum, 1951, American oil tanker.Sil-Char, 1951, American motorboat.Susan, 1952, American cannery tender.Ida-Mae, 1953, American fishing boat.Otsega, 1953, American barge.Flora, 1954, American fishing boat, two lost.Intrepid, 1954, American barge.Permanente Cement, 1954, American freighter.Baby Doll, 1955, freighter.Doris J., 1956, American trawler, two lost.Sandra Lee, 1960, fishing boat, one lost.Mermaid, 1961, American crabber, two lost.No. 36454, 1961, U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat.No. 40564, 1961, U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat.Triumph, 1961, U.S. Coast Guard cutter, five lost.C-Trader, 1963, American freighter.Bell Buoy, 1964, American fishing boat.General John Biddle, 1964, American dredge.George Olson, 1964, American lumber barge.Meteor, 1972, American crabber.Private American boat, 1973, two lost.Bettie M, 1976, American tuna seiner.Pearl C, 1976, American charter boat, eight lost.No. 41322, 1977, U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat, three lost.Carolina, 1978, American trawler.Hei-She, 1980, American sailboat, one lost.Elfin, 1980, American crabber.Dori-Lee, 1981, American trawler, two lost.Jennie Decker, 1981, American schooner-dragger.Midnight Express, 1981, American dragger, four lost.Fargo, 1982, American fishing boat, one lost.Proud Mary, 1984, American fishing boat, one lost.Bonnie, 1985, American fishing boat, two lost.McKinley, 1986, American dragger-trawler, one lost.Bad Check, 1987, American fishing boat, three lost.Nickie Joe, 1987, American fishing boat, three lost.Sea King, 1991, American fishing boat, three lost.Unnamed pleasure craft, 1991, American fishing boat, two lost.Caroline, 1992, American fishing boat, two lost.Ida E, 1996, American fishing boat.

The Ship Graveyard of the Pacific: A deadly legacy

MATT WINTERS collection

A 1930s postcard shows a shipwreck that still partially emerges from the sands from time to time.


Shipwrecked sailorsʼ graves on the Peninsula.


By MADDIE DICKERSON

LONG ISLAND — Bundled up in mysweatshirt and lifejacket, my soaked bangsdripped water into my eyes, I could feel theheavy damp mist soaking through my clothes. Itwas early in the morning and the only sound onWillapa Bay was the blades of my paddle cuttingthrough the still glassy water. I stopped paddlingfor a moment and looked around me back atLong Island, shrouded in thick fog and mist.

I still had the majority of the four-mile pad-dle back to where we had launched two daysprior and I started to wonder why I had agreedto this “adventure” in the first place.

DAY ONEOn a gorgeous Friday evening in August, a

group of modern day adventurers shoved offfrom the Willapa National Wildlife Refugeboat launch into Willapa Bay.

We were bound for Long Island, hoping theoutgoing tide would deliver us to our firstcampsite near Pinnacle Rock.

Brothers Scott and Jon Fagerland got aquick lead to the island in their canoe withNathan Moore close behind in his kayak. JacobMoore and I held up the rear. I paddledNathan’s yellow plastic Frenzy ocean kayak.Jacob sliced through the still water in what hasbeen deemed The Blue Wizard. A fiberglassOrca sea kayak that my dad bought used for amid-1980s 10-week trip through the InlandPassage, the boat has been through a lot overthe years, including having multiple trees landon it while it sat untouched in the yard.

Jacob spent last summer rehabbing TheBlue Wizard and got it back into ship shape fora trip to the island. At about 16 feet long andbright blue, it’s a funny looking craft but issurprisingly easy to handle, once it’s in thewater that is.

With little kayaking experience and what Iassume is horrible form, I probably lookedpretty silly huffing my way around the westside of the island. I took frequent breaks,telling myself it was to take in the sights but inreality my tiny excuses for arms were justtired. About two miles later, Nathan helped topull my boat onshore and the lovely process ofsetting up camp began.

That night, after a strangely satisfying meal ofcheese and salami in tortillas, trail mix and TopRamen, the four of us sat on the rocky clay beachwith Pinnacle Rock in front of us and watched thesun set behind the Peninsula. While most sunsetslook pretty incredible from the mainland, from theview of Long Island it just seemed more majestic,surrounded by the slight rustling of trees on the is-land and the water lapping against the shore.

DAY TWOI should have probably prefaced this whole

story with the fact that I in no way consider my-self a camper. Sleeping on the ground andspending days without bathing just isn’t usuallymy idea of fun. But to me, camping on Long Is-land is different. It’s just not right to have aplace so beautiful so close and not explore it.

It’s so close to home, right in our backyard.

Yeah it’s only accessible by boat and yeah it’smore primitive than your standard camping ex-perience but to be able to say that you have ex-plored the island first hand is pretty cool. Imade my first trip a few summers back and re-alized that a few days of living semi-uncom-fortably are more than worth the experience.It’s surprising how many diehard locals havenever made a visit to the island but understand-ably, it isn’t your standard camping trip andtakes more planning and work.

With that said, day two started with gettingup way too early to paddle another two milesto our next destination at Smoky Hollow.When on the island, life goes by the tides. Ifyou miss high tide you’re simply out of luckuntil the next one rolls around about 12 hourslater. And heaven help you if you get stuck onthe unforgiving mudflats. To avoid all of that,plan well, bring a tide book, and rememberthat going against the tides is an all aroundhorrible idea if your boat’s motor is your arms.

We made it to Smoky Hollow in good timeand spent the morning setting up camp andlying on the beach. I had forgotten my book soall I had besides the island to keep me enter-tained was my camera. Lying on the beach, mymind kept racing back to the to-do list thatwould greet me upon my return to the main-land. I chuckled at myself when I realized theonly way to get myself to really try to relaxand step away from real world responsibilitieswas to escape to an island.

Smoky Hollow is a great example of the di-versity of Long Island. A wide stone beach withlittle agates mixed in with smooth round stones,the area differed widely from where we hadcamped the night before. Besides the beach, theforest was different too. While Long Island hasonly about 17 miles of coastline, each section isits own unique experience and destination.

After a few hours of relaxation, we startedthe trek to the cedar grove. The entrance to thegrove is fairly close to Smoky Hollow but wemanaged to take a few wrong turns. It tooklonger than normal but we eventually made it

to the Don Bonker Cedar Grove Trail.The feeling one gets when standing next to

a stump of an ancient cedar is something thatcan only be experienced first hand. There aremany trees and remaining stumps of what oncewas to “ooh” and “ahh” at and explore. Hugecedars and other ancient trees rose on all sidesof the trail, giving just a small glimpse into whatthe forest may have looked and felt like hun-dreds of years ago. We are lucky to have suchan amazing piece of natural history right in ourbackyard.

Back at the campsite, it was naptime for mebut Jon went out and scored us some steamerclams. That piece of coastline from PinnacleRock to Smoky Hollow is open to clammingbut be sure to stay on refuge property and havea license. And while as a beach girl, steamer

clams have always been one of my most fa-vorite foods, these were some of the best clamsI’ve ever tasted.

That evening a few more members of ourcrew arrived and it wasn’t long before every-one was out swimming in the bay enjoying thecalm, warm summer evening. Watching thesun get lower on the horizon while treadingwater in Willapa Bay with good friends will bea memory that I hold onto forever.

A surreal day was topped off by sitting onthe beach and watching the Long Beach KiteFestival fireworks explode over the Peninsula,the sound echoing over the water long after thebursts had faded.

RETURN TO REALITYThe next morning it hurt to wake up. I knew

there was a long paddle ahead and the hot, clearweekend had finally given way to cold mist andfog. Visibility across the bay was extremelylow and once we got in the water it felt like wewere paddling to nowhere. The surreal feelingof the night before wore off too quickly.

While the two paddles of the previous dayshad been only about two miles each, now wehad to do that whole four-mile stretch in onego. I know I probably sound like the biggestbaby to you kayakers out there but at 7 a.m.,the last thing I wanted to do was huff itthrough the wet and cold all while feeling theweight of two days worth of grime.

I was starting to wonder why I had agreed tothis trip in the first place. At the peak of annoy-ance, I stopped and laid my paddle across my lapand looked back at the island, shrouded in fogand mist. It didn’t look nearly as inviting as it hadthe days before. It was like the island was tellingus, “You got lucky.” After the incredible week-end Long Island had granted me, I felt silly forbeing irritated. I smiled, dipped my paddle backin the water and made my way through the fog.

Long Island is a 4,700-acre nature wonder-land. Home to an abundance of wild birds andanimals, it contains one of the last remainingreproducing climax forests, a unique, 274-acrestand of cedars that first sprouted during a dra-matic West Coast climate change some 4,000years ago.

The cedars average five to seven feet in diam-eter, although some are 11 feet wide. They aver-age 150 to 160 feet in height. In 2005, a trail tothe grove was dedicated to former WashingtonCongressman Don Bonker, who led efforts topreserve the cedar grove and Long Island for fu-ture generations.

The grove is just one small part of the is-land, managed by the Wildlife Service. Visi-tors to the island must provide their own boatto traverse an approximate 100-yard-widechannel from the boat launch at the refugeheadquarters on U.S. 101, or launch at theNahcotta Boat Basin for a crossing of approxi-mately one mile.

Other refuge units around the Peninsulaoffer their own unique attractions.

INFORMATION: Phone the Willapa Na-tional Wildlife Refuge headquarters at 360-484-3482. Also check out the Friends ofWillapa National Wildlife Refuge at www.willa-pabay.org/~fwnwr/ or write to the Friends atP.O. Box 1130, Ocean Park, WA 98640.

Visit remarkable Long Island

Step into a wild old green reality on Long Island

MADDIE DICKERSON photo


1. Hiking trails2. Astoria-Megler Bridge3. Fort Columbia State Park4. Sea Resources salmon hatchery5. Historic area and

Port of Chinook6. Prime salmon fishing grounds7. Ilwaco Airport: 2,500-foot

runway8. Port of Ilwaco9. Ilwaco Heritage Museum10. Sturgeon fishing11. Public boat launching ramp12. U.S. Coast Guard Station and

National Motor Lifeboat School13. Cape Disappointment

Lighthouse, oldest in NW14. North Jetty; viewpoints,

fishing, beach15. Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Park; Cape

Disappointment State Park; Confluence Project designed by Maya Lin

16. North Head Lighthouse, W.W.II bunkers

17. Beard’s Hollow: beach access, surf fishing

18. Peninsula Visitors Bureau Information Center

19. World Kite Museum,stores, banks, restaurants, motels, parks, RV parks

20. Saddle Club, rodeo grounds21. Rhododendron nursery22. Cranberry bogs23. Site of historic Klipsan Beach

Lifesaving Station24. Businesses: Restaurants, motels,

parks, stores, banks, RV parks25. State shellfish laboratory26. Mooring basin, restaurants,

oyster processing, boat launch27. Golf, recreational facilities28. Historic Oysterville,

pioneer cemetery29. Steelhead and trout fishing30. Twenty-eight-mile hard-sand

public beach, picnicking, kites,in-season clamming

31. Birdwatching: 200+ varieties32. Migratory and upland

bird hunting33. Centennial murals34. Tokeland

Sights to see on & nearWashington’s

Long Beach Peninsula

Lewis and ClarkNational and State

Historical Park

At the southern-most point of the Peninsulalies one of the oldest and busiest Coast Guardstations on the West Coast: Cape Disappoint-ment and the U.S. Coast Guard MotorLifeboat School.

Because it guards what has been calledthe world’s most dangerous waters, the sta-tion is often called to aid foundering vesselsand their crews.

The river itself is dangerous, but whencoupled with a strong outflowing (or ebb)

tide, the clash between the outgoing currentand the incoming ocean waves can be down-right deadly.

Numerous fishing and commercial vesselshave fallen victim to the Columbia’s powercombined with the dangerous offshore watersof the Pacific Ocean, with the area nicknamed“Graveyard of the Pacific” because of the num-ber of vessels lost there at sea.

Vessels stationed at the Cape include the47-foot motor lifeboat, which was put

through its initial sea trials at the Cape.Cape Disappointment is also home to the

only motor lifeboat school in the UnitedStates. Originally established to serve theCoast Guard’s District 13, the school nowaccepts students from marine services world-wide. There are 36 students in each class.

To get to the station from Ilwaco, fol-low the signs to Cape Disappointment andthe station. Phone 642-2382 for more infor-mation.

LARRY KELLIS photo

This is one of the best sights you never want to see: If the U.S. Coast Guard is dropping a rescue swimmer, it may mean someone is inmortal danger. Home to the National Motor Lifeboat School and Station Cape Disappointment of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River,our hazardous waters are a perfect training ground for the men and women who keep our nationʼs waterways safe.


U.S. Coast Guard helps keep us safe on the water

The Peninsula is a wonderful place to visit. Pacific County Fire Dis-trict 1 wants your stay to be an enjoyable one. Staying safe makes yourvisit so much nicer. It is sincerely hoped that you will never be faced withany emergencies, but in case you are, here is some information that willbe useful.

The Peninsula shoreline is designatedas a state highway. All drivers and vehi-cles must be licensed and insured just ason any other state highway. The speedlimit is 25 mph, with extra caution to betaken for other vehicles, pedestrians andbeach debris. The beach is patrolled fre-quently and all laws are strictly enforced.

Recreational beach fires are permitted100 feet west (that’s towards the ocean) ofthe dune grass. Be aware of wind direction and be sure to completelyextinguish the fire before leaving the area. Recreational and outdoorcooking fires are to be no more than 2 feet x 2 feet with seasoned woodor charcoal. If your fire gets out of control, you may be held personallyresponsible!

If you have a vacation home on the Peninsula and are here to do somecleanup projects, be advised that there are designated “No Burn” areas on

the Peninsula. Residential yard debris burning is permitted at various timesand under certain conditions in other areas with a burning permit. Burn per-mits may be obtained free of charge at Jack’s Country Store in Ocean Park,Pioneer Market in Long Beach, Seaview One Stop in Seaview, Fire District

No. 1, Station 1 in Ocean Park and Station 2in Seaview. For a recorded message on burnconditions, call 665-3508.

Tsunami evacuation signs havebeen posted up and down the Peninsula inan effort to make people aware of evacua-tion routes. There may or may not bemuch warning time in such an emergency,so the best policy is to make your way tohigh ground as soon as possible. If youare on the beach and unable to get to high

ground go inland as far as you can and pay close attention to emer-gency personnels.

In the event of a sudden earthquake, be prepared to move to higherground immediately, keeping clear of buildings, trees and power lines.Also be careful of damaged roads with gaps in the pavement. Do not call911 and do not attempt to evacuate the Peninsula, there will not beenough time or access roads to accommodate an evacuation.

All emergency services can be reachedby calling 911. As a visitor it is veryimportant that you are aware of your

surroundings and know your address ifyou are staying in a vacation rental.

If emergency service personnel canʼtfind you, they canʼt help you.

Pacific County Fire District offers advice for your stay

SW Washington’s Beach & Bay If you are looking for a weekend close to nature, activities that the entire family will never forget, festivals or events nearly every weekend of the year, beautiful scenery, historic landmarks, walking trails and seafood that can’t get any fresher, then treat yourself to SW Washington’s Ocean Park Area.

Discover the history, festivals, food, and wildlife that made the region where the Columbia river meets the Pacific famous. Head to the coast! The Ocean Park Area Awaits!

2012 Local Events OLD FASHIONED 4TH OF JULY PARADE – JULY 4TH ART IN THE PARK – SHELDON FIELD – JULY 4TH JAZZ AND OYSTERS – AUGUST 19TH LABOR DAY BOOK SALE – SEPTEMBER 1 - 3 COMMUNITY BEACH BONFIRE At OP BEACH APPROACH - SEPTEMBER 1 ROD RUN TO THE END OF THE WORLD – SEPTEMBER 8 & 9 WATER MUSIC - OCTOBER 12 – 14 PENINSULA ARTS STUDIO TOUR – NOVEMBER 23 & 24

discovery coast 2012

Documents

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chinook art festival

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summer art festival

long beach2012 fun

festival of trees