Plan Fourth of July at the Beach

One of our favorite times at the Beach is the Fourth of July. We are usually just getting used to the summer days, Westport is finally bright and noisy with visitors and fishermen, and everyday the giant American flag flies proudly over the Maritime Museum visible from our house miles away.

We love to dress the kids in their matching red, white & blue and head down to the presentation of the colors by the U.S. Coast Guard Grays Harbor at the Maritime Museum. The Old Fashioned Fourth of July is one of those events that makes me thankful as a parent to live in a small town.

This year, according to Westport-South Beach Historical Society president Peggy Coverdale, visitors can enjoy musical entertainment with Captain Pete’s Lollapalooza (Pete Darrah of the Wilapa Seaport Museum & percussionist for the Grays Harbor Banjo Band), a magic show (amazing tricks and outrageous fun with magician Jeff Evans) a cake walk, clowns, children's games, face painting, vendors, a plant sale, silent auction, hot dogs, strawberry shortcake and root beer floats at the former Coast Guard Lifeboat Station.

The 4th will also mark the opening of a special exhibit of limited edition Lighthouses by Harbour Lights. The collection was recently donated by Gretchen and John Lamb of Aberdeen and is valued at more than $10,000. The Destruction Island Lens Building will be open, providing visitors an opportunity to examine a first order Fresnel lens up close. The museum itself will also be open from 10AM until 4PM on July 4.

The Maritime Museum is located in Westport’s Marina District. The Westport-South Beach Historical Society operates the museum and is presenting its 17th annual "Old Fashioned Fourth." Museum admission will be $5 for adults and $2 for children under age 12. There is no charge for admission onto the grounds and access to the events.

When the Maritime Museum's Old Fashioned Fourth is over at 4PM, visitors can enjoy a dinner in one of Westport's many restaurants or stroll on the waterfront, until the Shoalwater Bay Casino presents the South Beach community's spectacular fireworks demonstration. The exhibition will beginning at 10PM in Tokeland—where the fireworks will light up the skies.

We will probably hit the beach after dark, and watch the amateur pyrotechnics go wild with their fireworks, make a fire, and have too many smores. The boys love to eat food they cooked on sticks :) The beach on the 4th, with all the families, the campfires, the fireworks, is quite a sight. Somehow, the next day, it all gets cleaned back up.

Where ever you go on the 4th, have a great one! See ya at the beach!

Westport’s 24th Annual World-Class Crab Races & Crab Feed - Saturday, April 16, 2011

It's the 2nd weekend of April and in Westport, that means CRAB RACES!! It brings back memories of my previous life, as a big city dweller, a group of coworkers and I used to go to a place called Brennan's Pub, in Marina del Rey. Every Thursday night Brennan's ran Turtle Races, which was a crazy event where for $1 you could choose a "racing turtle" as your own. Each participant would place their racer down in the center of a circle (on the Brennan's outside patio) and then everyone would yell at their chosen turtle until one of them reached the outside circumfrence, thus being declared the winner. Prizes were awarded out of a giant trash bag, and were not anything you could discuss in polite company. It was crazy, and the liberal vegan that I was at the time found it really wrong. But the beer was cheap, it was walking distance from my office, so I witnessed a lot more Turtle Races than I care to admit.

The point is that this weekend is Westport's version of that event. At the Crab Pavilion, a giant tent set up in the Marina district for this event, anyone can register and borrow a racer crab for $3. When your heat is called, racing human places racer crab on a slanted table and the racing human pounds on the table and yells at his crab and the first crab to slide to the bottom of the table is declared the winner! Again, lots of fun for those who are into it, mixed with possible feelings of conflicted guilt if you're an animal lover, with any misgivings removed by the time you take your first bite of the fresh Dungeness Crab from the Crab Feed.

If this sounds at all intriguing to you, below is the Westport Chamber's description of the event with all the details. Rain or shine, hit the coast for the 24th Annual Westport Crab Races and Crab Feed on Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Festivities are centered at the Crab Pavilion, with admission just $2 per person for live music by Catch of the Day, and the main attraction - "World Class Crab Races!" Then dig into the tastiest, freshest local Dungeness Crab dinner you'll ever have, with all the trimmings (just $10 for half or $15 for a whole portion).

Enter the Crab Pavilion for the event - Westport's World Class Crab Races run from 1pm to 5pm - sign up starts at 11am. Select a racer from one of our field of draft picks ($3 registration gets you a crab that's been training since their last molt), or you can bring your own fresh racing crab if you prefer. Racing registation begins at 11am and the heats start at 1pm. Lots of prices donated by local merchants are up for grabs in this annual fun event.

The crab feed will go from 11am to 5pm. The dinner ($10 for half a crab/$15 for a whole crab) includes assorted salads, baked beans, and garlic bread, plus coffee or a soft drink. Hot dogs and other beverages, including beer & wine will also be available for sale. If you prefer to catch your own, take part in sport crabbing right off the docks or the fisherman's boardwalk any time during the season. Westport is home to the most delicious Dungeness Crab you'll find anywhere in the world.

Whale of a Sale - Collectibles & Junque - A whole pod of things you can't live without!

As if there wasn't enough to do in Westport this weekend, the Westport South Beach Historical Society will be putting on their "Whale of a Sale" on Saturday & Sunday, April 16 & 17 from 9am - 5pm at the Westport Maritime Museum on the Marina. There will be Toys & Games, Sporting Goods, Books, Pet Supplies, Jewelry, Small Appliances, Household Goods, Small Furniture, and more!

The proceeds will benefit the Historical Society, who are the caretakers of Washington's Tallest Lighthouse & the Maritime Museum on the Marina.

Whales Breaching off Westport Marina

More than 20,000 California gray whales swim along the Washington coast from March to the end of May every year on their 5,000 mile trek from Baja to the Bering Sea. Gray whales up to 52 feet long and weighing up 36 tons can be seen just off Westport marina.

Westport locals say to bring binoculars for the best onshore whale watching from the beach at Westport Light State Park. Or visitors can reserve ahead for one of the Westport whale watching excursions that often find gray whales just outside the marina entrance.

Whale watching excursion boats are based in the Westport marina, taking visitors on a 2-2 ½ hour cruise to view gray whales from the water at a safe distance. All of whale-watching boats are fully US Coast Guard certified and inspected, and have the latest safety equipment onboard.

Westport excursion skippers often see whales returning year after year like ‘Old Spot,’ the elder male, who generally shows up early in the season. Gray whales are mainly seen just outside Westport harbor in a place locals call ‘The Whale Hole’ where they rest on their journey north.

Westport is located on the Washington coast in Grays Harbor County where boat building, sport fishing, and commercial fishing traditions dating back to the turn of the century live side by side with surfers catching waves on Half Moon Bay, and fun along Westport’s 18-mile sandy beach. Visitors can tour the Westport Maritime Museum, enjoy ocean views from the South Beach jetty and the Westport Viewing Tower, or the historic Gray’s Harbor Lighthouse, Washington’s tallest and third tallest lighthouse on the Pacific Coast.

One Eyed Crab in the NY Times

Who doesn't love to see their name in lights? We recently saw our local crab eatery written up in the NY Times. Check it out here, then head to the beach for some deep fried crab legs. Totally worth the drive!

The One Eyed Crab, 2309 Westhaven Drive, Westport, Wash.; (360) 268-0891.

Eastside Street Rod Association Westport, WA Show & Shine

I am lucky enough to be married to a carhound, so anytime we are within sniffing distance of a classic, unique, or otherwise noteworth auto, I get dragged along. As my Dad likes to joke "it's better than a pretty girl to him".

This weekend, July 17 - 19, is a special treat in Westport, because it's the Eastside Street Rod Association's Westport Rod Run.

The Eastside Street Rodders will be hitting Westport in style, parading up and down Westhaven drive and creating a beautiful spectacle of pre-1949 classic automobiles. We will be the lucky ones, watching and peering into windows, and establishing an early love for classics in our 3 year old and 7 month old sons. I'm not sure if there is a specific schedule or times that they drive around, but you can usually catch them mid day on the Marina.

If you're headed to the beach be sure to take a cruise down to the Marina and check out these beauties. If you miss them, they'll be staying at Mc Bee's on the main drag into town, and that's a fun sight as well.

See you at the beach!

Old Fashioned Fourth of July at the Maritime Museum

I am totally late on this one... the whole point of this blog is to get information out to all of you in ADVANCE of things happening, but between the babies and a technical conference I was attending in Seattle last week, I didn't get a chance to post about all the things happening in town on the Fourth of July. But I can't skip it because this is one of those holidays that this town does right. And by this town, I mean the Westport-South Beach Historical Society.

The Old Fashioned Fourth of July at the Maritime Museum is the cutest

small town festival you could ever lay your eyes on. First of all, there is probably no prettier place than the front lawn of the Maritime Museum on a sunny day, secondly, many of the volunteers have been doing this for years, and are the friendliest bunch of seniors you ever met, and finally, the Maritime Museum flies its GIANT American Flag, which just makes it feel like 4th of July.

I love this event for all of those things, but mostly for its unpretentiousness. There are silly little homemade carnival games for the kids. Yes, the prize is a tootsie roll, but yes, my 3 year old still loves it. This is where you take your family to appreciate the simple things. Strawberry

Shortcake, hot dogs, root beer floats, and nothing costs more than a few dollars. The cake walk is a hoot, a real live piano player and people who are geniuinely happy to win a simple home baked cake. The silent auction? Well, okay, this part I actually don't understand, because a lot of the items looks like regifted Christmas presents, more like a garage sale than a silent auction, but hey, nobody's perfect :)

It's great to bring a picnic blanket and just hang out and watch all the people wandering in from the Marina, listen to music, and play a few games. Like everything in Westport, its also very pet

friendly, and there are lots of well behaved four legged friends hanging around watching the action.

This year they added a blues festival to the end of the event, and unfortunately, 2 children under 3 and concerts don't mix, so I have nothing to report. But I highly do recommend this Old Fashioned Fourth of July to all families looking for a slower change of pace on your next Independence Day at the beach!

Pirate Daze are here... 2009 Edition

It's Pirate Daze time, and I'm pretty excited because for the first time, I planned ahead and got my boys Pirate costumes ahead of time (and well, this is the first Pirate Daze for the baby). They look darned cute in their pirate hats, and I've got my fingers crossed that they will actually wear them & smile for my camera. If they do, I'll be sure to innundate you with photos.

Since the Rusty Scupper Pirate website is a little hard to follow, I thought I'd post the schedule of some of the highlighted events here (Note that most activities happen along Westhaven Drive in the Westport Marina District, and you can pick up a "South Beach Bulletin" the free weekly paper and there is an insert with all the details on the Pirate Days Festival):

Friday, June 26, 2009:

12:00 noon, festival opens, Games open in Scallywag Alley

3:00 pm Mini Brig Battle in the marina

4:00 pm B.O.O.M Pirates Show (Black Powder)

4:30 pm Treasure Chest Drawings

5:00 pm Espresso Drama "Shiver me Timbers"

Lady Washington & Hawaiian Cheiftain Tall Ship Tours

6:00 pm Captain Jack Sparrow Look Alike Contest

Saturday, June 27, 2009

10:00 am Festival opens

10am - 1pm Tall ships tours

11:30 am Costume contest for amatuer pirates, wenches & Scallywags

1:00 pm B.O.O.M Pirate Performace

2 - 5 pm Tall Ships Battle Cruise (Boards at 1:30)

6 - 9 pm Tall Ships Battle Cruise (Baords at 5:30)

Sunday, June 28, 2009

10:00 am Festival opens

11:30 Professional Pirate Costume Contest

12:30 noon B.O.O.M. show

So go shiver thy timbers (whatever that means), and have a piratey great time! If you see two adorable little baby boys in pirate costumes with their mama, say hi, it's probably me :)

Springtime means Crab Races

This weekend bring Westport's Annual "World Famous" Crab Races, Crab Feed, and Crab Derby. It also brings a forecast for SUNSHINE! So come on down to the beach and check out the crazy event known as crab races. As I've written in past years, its a wacky event, kids love it, but probably not a favorite of animal rights lovers. It consists of a big tent, a sloped table, and a lot of screaming and pounding, you can't imagine - you just have to come check it out.

Here's the details:

Crab Derby:
8:00 AM Saturday - Noon Sunday
$5 per ticket
You can bring your own crab pot or rent one from one of the many marina-front businesses that rent them. The local crab fishermen will "seed" the marina with crab, so there should be lots of them to catch. I'm not sure how they mark the crabs, but prizes for certain crabs caught will be distributed on Sunday. (The derby goes from ).

Crab Races:
Registration: 11:00 AM Saturday
Races: 1:00 - 5:00 PM Saturday
Entry fees: $2 to Race your own crab, $3 and they will provide a crab for you.
This is in the big parking lot down on the marina district. Drive down to Westhaven, near the Islander and the big Blue Viewing Tower, and look for the white tent ("The Crab Pavilion"). You can't miss it. I believe it actually costs $2 to enter the Crab Pavilion as well.

Crab Feed:
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday
$15 Whole Crab Dinner (includes salad, baked beans, garlic bread & beverage)
$10 Half Crab Dinner (includes salad, baked beans, garlic bread & beverage)
$4 Hot Dog & Pop
$4 Wine or Beer
$4 Shrimp Cocktail

If the idea of mass shellfish dinners doesn't appeal to you (and some people are weird about festival food, I get it), check out the races, and then walk across the street to the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill (kitty corner to the Blue Tower, in the Islander Hotel), and have a Surf Melt and Clam Chowder to satisfy your seafood craving. Or go crazy and just have a Bloody Mary for lunch, it's Washington's best, after all!

See you at the Beach!

Valentines Dinner, by the light of the ... destruction island lens

It's not too late to get take your sweet someone out for a romantic evening they will not soon forget. The South Beach Historical Society hosts a Valentines Dinner, with a 4-course meal and a bottle of wine for each couple, set by the light of the Destruction Island Lens, in the comfort of the lens house. Wine and dine your special girl or guy and help support the mission of Westport south Beach Historical Society all at the same time!

For tickets, call or visit the Westport Maritime Museum at 360-268-0078, they are $90/couple and include dinner and a bottle of wine.

Westport Winery Debut, March 22, 2008

On March 22, 2008, 6:30 PM, the Roberts will be debuting their wines at a special Winemakers Dinner at the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill.

Wines that will be available for tasting include the Grays Harbor Gewurztraminer, Elk River Riesling, Compass Rose, Surfer's Last Syrah, Shorebird Chardonnay, Mermaid's Merlot, Charterboat Chuck's Cabernet, Ancient Mariner's Asian Pear, Red Sky at Night (Raspberry Wine with Chocolate flavor).

The wine will be accompanied by a four course meal including such delights as baked brie, grilled pear, and cabrales crostini; procuitto wrapped scallops, seared prawns with braised leeks; hazelnut crusted wild salmon with beet risotto and butter roasted parsnips; grilled new york steak with sauteed wild mushrooms; and tiramisu and candied citrus.

Entertainment will be provided by the Electric Park Jazz Band, along with wine tasting notes by Kim and Blaine Roberts and their winemaker Dan Wood.

It should be a night to remember, and a great way to welcome the Westport Winery to our little town, so don't miss it! The dinner, including the wines is $75 per person. Reservations are required, and can be made at the Islander front desk at 360-268-9166. The address is 421 E. Neddie Rose Drive, Westport, WA 98595. Josh Wood, the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill manager can answer any questions you have, and he can be reached at 360-268-9166.

Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill Winemakers Dinner

Well, this past weekend's clam dig was a bit of a bust, as the weather was cold, gray, and rainy - basically miserable weather for digging in the sand. But it was perfect weather for warming up with a glass (or 5) of wine and a fantastic meal.

I was lucky enough to get to hang out in the kitchen at the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill's Winemaker's Dinner on Saturday night, and it was a quite a scene. Chef Donny Silver reminds me that his restaurant has consistently received 100% marks from the health department, which makes me feel a lot better about the numbers of meals I eat there. The "back of the house" as those in the know call it, provides an amazing show when they are serving as many meals at one time as they were on Saturday (51 entrees in 25 minutes).

They served a 6 course dinner, which was paired with a selection of 6 different spanish wines - starting with an apertif of marcona almonds and chorizo sausage, a seared scallop on what looked like something yummy, followed by calamari (half moon bay style), a baked goat cheese dish, and then the entree was a choice of (1) seafood paella, (2) new york strip with some kind of creamy blue cheese on it, and (3) rack of lamb. Dessert was a choice of rice pudding, almond flan, or chocolate cake. Mmmmm.... the sights and smells in the kitchen were amazing. Chef Donny and his assistants Jose and Patricia are like artists, putting their special touch on every dish. It was a great experience, and I didn't even have to wash any dishes!

61st Annual Westport Seafood Festival and Craft Show

Labor day is when my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. I'd have to think twice to remember the actual date that we got married, but since it was on a Labor Day weekend, we just try to remember that and call it good.
So this Labor Day weekend (well Saturday), we get to do something that appeals to us both: The Westport Seafood Festival. He loves it because he gets to eat, and I love it because I get to shop. Needless to say, we're looking forward to it.
If you want a dose of small town eating festival, come down to Westport on Saturday, September 1, 2007. The event is being held at the Maritime Museum down on the Westport Marina (you can't miss it), from noon to about 6pm. In addition to live music and craft vendors the menu will consist of BBQ Salmon, White Fish, Tuna, oysters, salad (Ceasar salad from the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill), corn on the cob and garlic bread. All this for $14 ($9 for seniors). Chowder, hot dogs, beer and wine will also be available separate from the seafood feast.

While you're down here, try your hand at catching some fish and get ready for the Boat Basin Salmon Derby thats coming up next month. The limits are 6 fish per day, and reports are that fish are being seen already under the docks.

Come on out - the weather should be perfect!

Westport SalmonFest and the Boat Basin Salmon Derby

My family eats out a lot, and last September, while we would be eating at the Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill, we would often watch people out fishing on the docks outside the restaurant. Having, at the time, a 3 month old, I didn't think much of it (most of my thoughts were focused on strategizing the next nights sleep patterns at that time). But talk about the Westport Boat Basin Salmon Derby has been surfacing and I want to share it with you all.

Apparently, the local High School (Ocosta) has an oceanography program, that follows a batch (I don't know what you'd call it - a litter?, hatch?) of salmon hatchlings that are eventually released into the Westport Marina. When the fish come back to spawn, they come through the Marina, and apparently, there are tons of fish. So many, that the catch limits are higher for this location at this time than most other places - each license can catch 4 adult and 2 jack salmons. The beauty of this is that the catching happens right off the docks on the Marina, so no boats, no seasickness, no fear - all you need is a rod and a pole. To hear the locals tell it, you can watch the salmon swimming in schools right under the docks and around the boats. HOW did we miss this before?

According to Jim at Angler Charters, the fish are starting to enter the Marina now, but the peak time to catch Salmon are from mid-September through the end of October, which is when the Derby is run. You can see the rules from last year's derby at the Angler Charters website (http://www.anglercharters.net/PAGES/BOATBASIN2006/BOATBASINDERBY2006.htm), and Jim says 2007 rules will be up shortly. Last years winners ranged from 15 - 19 pounds.

What do you need? A rod, reel, and lures. Again, deferring to the local expert, Jim says the equipment is fairly straightforward, and you can buy a whole setup from him for $40. I am going to do some research and see if anyone on the Marina rents this stuff, and will post back.

The derby is a friendly competition, tickets will be $2, and prizes will be somewhere around $2,000 total. Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill will be handing out free derby tickets with every salmon entree you purchase there.

I'm excited. The last time I went fishing, I was on a group trip on a boat in LA, and it was a lot of fun. We caught a lot of ... well, I don't really remember what we caught, but catching a nice fish made us all (cynical 20-somethings) feel like kids again, and its hard to replicate that feeling. So come next month, I will drag my husband down the marina and see if we can't catch the big one!

The Freshest Fish in the West

One of the more common questions people ask when they're driving through town, sticking their head out the window, yelling at you for directions, is "where can we buy some fresh___" (insert favorite type of locally caught seafood... halibut, salmon, crab, oysters, etc). It's one of the quintessential things to do when you're on the coast - the search and acquisition of fresh seafood.

Here in Westport, my favorite finds depend on what is in season, and as you get to know the locals, more often than not, someone will just bring you a fresh piece of salmon or halibut or a few dungeness crabs when their husband/cousin/brother comes in from a particularly fruitful trip. But the one favorite that I will pay the premium for all year long are local spot prawns. My husband is a shrimp fiend, and so we have always consumed more than our fair share of tiger prawns and mystery shrimp from Safeway. But since we have discovered Spot Prawns, this is all we can ever stand to eat. They are local, so you can actually buy them fresh, not frozen, and they are absolutely rich and tasty. It's like eating little tiny lobsters. I highly recommend everyone try them when they find them.

But I digress. The point of this post was to provide a primer here on the best places in town to hit when the urge hits:

(1) Merino's Seafood Market, 301 E. Harbor Street, in the Westport Marina. Merino's always has a fresh supply of whole and sectioned dungeness crab, crab cocktails, spot prawns, shrimp cocktails, razor clams, and whatever fish happens to be in season. They also sell the "fixin's": seasoning packets, cocktail sauces, tartar sauces, panko (for your fritters and crab cakes), as well as canned and smoked fish and seafood meats of all types. The best part is, if you're kind of squeamish, they can clean everything, for example, taking all the guts out of the crab so that you are just left with a perfect, shelled crab, to have the experience of cracking crab without all the yellow goo. Plus, if you're on your way out of town, they can package your catch on ice in a cooler, and even ship it ahead of you.


(2) Seafood Connection, Float 8. Besides the "atmosphere" of actually walking down a dock to buy your fresh fish, this little market offers most of the same seafood that Merino's does. They are basically brokering a deal between the consumers walking the marina and all the individual fishermen. The fish is "the freshest" available. This is where I go to get my spot prawns. The cool thing is that they have some great specials when the fishing is great (like albacore tuna fillets for $3.50/lb a few weeks back)




(3) "Boat Sales". Sometimes, and I have no idea what the rhyme or reason for these signs, but fishermen will decide to offer whatever they've caught right off their boat. So keep your eyes open for the signs, which are typically handmade a-boards on Montesano as you enter town. They'll usually give you three key pieces of info: (a) What's for sale (fresh-bled tuna is a popular one) (b) What float they're at and (c) the name of the boat to look for.

(4) Nelson Crab. Not quite in Westport, but in Tokeland, 15 minutes south, Nelson Crab is another old favorite that people know-of-but-can't-seem-to-find. So here's the basic directions, head South on Highway 105, turn left into Tokeland when you hit the casino (you'll know you're in the right place because the speed limit changes dramatically), and go all the way down until you see the Nelson Crab on the left hand side of the road (across the water). They have their own brand of canned crab, as well as fresh and frozen, shelled and whole, dungeness crab. I don't know the pattern for the other stuff, but they do carry a selection of other types of seafoods that I haven't every really paid much attention to. I have used Nelson Crab to ship crabmeat back to family in Hawaii, and can vouch for their professionalism in doing the crab shipping.

I hope this helps you find the fresh fish you've been dreaming of!

Shopping the Westport Marina

Today was one of those picture perfect sunny days that makes me remember what brought me to Westport to begin with. Since I had some visitors in town, we decided to walk the Westport Marina, and since I had my camera out, I thought it would be a good time to point you all out to some of the best shops on the Marina.
Yes, there is shopping in Westport, and its not all kites and T-shirts. The first store I'm going to talk about is the Picaroon Pelican. This is a very cute tea-themed shop that sells everything you need to put on a proper afternoon tea, as well as collectible teacups and tea paraphernalia. The owner is also the woman who coordinates the annual Pirate Daze festival, and she is very friendly. She also runs a little english tearoom out of the back of the store, but I have not made it in there as yet, so can't vouch for it. The next stop as you walk west (toward the blue tower) is Miss Avenue. This is a little clothing boutique which doesn't look like much from the outside, but has some surprising inventory on the inside. In addition to a cute gift section for little girls (think pink princess themed), Miss Avenue also carries some of the hippest stylish clothes West of Olympia. Her inventory includes 7 for all mankind and Citizens of Humanity jeans, as well as other lines that I'm clearly not hip enough to wear. They also have a great selection of accessories and other fun stuff. Definitely worth popping in.



Further down the marina, you'll find Cutting Edge Kites, which has every kind of bright flying item that you might want. Today there were some particularly cute garden spinners that looked like woodys (the surfers station wagon) with wheels that spun. (Note to self, buy one of those when you have a garden to show it off in). They also carry cheap kites for the day tripper, and elaborate set ups for those wanting to do kite fighting or kite ballet (see the post on the windriders festival).












At the end of the marina, there are two artsy galleries; the Albright Jewelry Gallery, and Art Talks. Both feature jewelry and glass art by local artists. Art Talks also sells a lot of local metal art, and lot of beach themed treasures. These places have stuff for inexpensive souveniers, the sometimes collector, as well as high end art. Needless to say, I can't bring baby in either store anymore, because I'm not interested in buying something he's broken, but I love to covet the beautiful metal sculpture in Art Talks.

So there you have it, my five favorite stores on the Westport Marina. I do stroll in the others, even the Charter offices, from time to time, because you never know what you might find. And of course, there's always Pomegranate's in Grayland, which is the queen of all coastal gift shops. But next time you're in Westport, stop in and see if you find a treasure to take home with you.

Visiting the Westport Maritime Museum

Calling all lighthouse lovers and coast guard buffs:

You should definitely check out the Westport Maritime Museum and the Grays Harbor Lighthouse. Both properties are operated by the South Beach Historical Society, whose mission is:

"to interpret and preserve the history of the South Beach area of Grays Harbor County in Washington State, with an emphasis on the impact of local natural resources on the regional growth and development of our maritime community."

Actually, the Museum itself is right on the Westport Marina, and its an old Coast Guard Station that was built in 1939. It was dedicated as a museum in the mid-80's once the modern Coast Guard facilities were in place at the east end of the Westport Marina.

Exhibits include some science related information about the ocean and what lives in local waters; local history; information about the local Cranberry industry; Whales and whaling history (including a full Whale Skeleton that has its own building); and the lighthouse lens from the Destruction Island lighthouse. There is also a "discovery room" which has activities and hands on exhibits for the kids.

I took baby into the discovery room on the 4th of July and he was a little young at 13 months to do anything more than stack and unstack the shelf of kids books, but there were other kids in there that seemed to enjoy the puzzles and toys (I am guessing the right age range is probably in the toddler to maybe 8 years old).

The Destruction Island lens is quite a site. It's in a separate building on Museum grounds, which has a skylight, and the lens flashes colors throughout the building. There is a great scientific explanation about the various types of lighthouse lenses and how they work for geeks, and for everyone else, its just darn pretty.

You can find their hours on their website: http://westportwa.com/museum/ and the fee to get in is nominal (a few bucks, I'm not exactly sure). The volunteers are friendly and excited to be involved in the museum. I'm glad we finally got around to visiting and plan to be back soon!

Happy Independance Day!

The beach was made for the Fourth of July, and today did not disappoint. From the Maritime Museum's Old Fashioned Community Festival, to the fireworks on the beach, the area was hopping. It was hard to believe it was a Wednesday and we all had to wake up for work the next morning, but nonetheless, it was a fitting celebration.

Hope you all enjoyed your day off!

Arrgh Matey, Rusty Scupper Pirate Daze

Westport's Rusty Scuppers Pirate Daze took place this weekend with a "thar she blows" and an "aargh matey". This event, which is coordinated by local merchants and the Rusty Scupper Pirates (apparently community based pirate clubs abound in the Puget Sound area and they're not too unlike the Kiwanis or Lions Club, they just like to dress, um, differently).



We had dreams of decorating baby's stroller to look like a pirate ship, but like all really great home made craft projects, it died in committee. No problem, though, we figured we could still enjoy the festival, so, we packed up and headed again to festival central - the Westport Marina - sans costumes or decorations, but looking forward to the elephant ears.

The festival itself did not disappoint. You can't really go wrong with hundreds of people dressed in their fantasy costumes of pirates, wenches, and gypsies. It was a plethora of inappropriately costumed women (think lots of women with borderline S&M leather bustiers) and men. This is the renaissance faire type crowd who does not spare any detail, including the leather cup holder for the daschund. No kidding.

In addition to the people watching, there were costume contests (one for professional pirates - huh? - and one for regular joes), pirate bands, and lots and lots of pirate themed gift booths. Don't laugh - it took all of my personal restraint not to buy myself an inappropriate outfit to squeeze into for next year's pirate daze.

Baby loved the dogs dressed up as pirates and even wobbled along to some of the pirate music. In all, it was great to see the Marina so heavily populated and definitely one of those festivals worth traveling to at least once.

Note: Mark your calendars, the 2008 Event will take place June 20 - 22.

Best Breakfasts in Town

One of the best things about taking a weekend trip is that it gives you an excuse to eat out. Because, after all, you didn't just drive 3 hours from Edmunds to eat cheerios, right? And Westport doesn't disappoint. Whether you're looking for greasy spoon hash or bloody mary and crab cakes, here are some of the best places to start your day:

Best Coffee Stand: Hands down, Captain Jack's Espresso, conveniently located near the Red Apple (or at our only stoplight). Friendly service, sugar free flavors, expect to wait for at least a few cars ahead of you. It's the only place in town to drive through for your morning brew.

Best Bloody Marys: Islander aka Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill. I would also argue that its the most "sophisticated" breakfast menu in town, with crab benedict and fruit cups on the menu. If there's a big eater in your crowd, order the chicken fried steak, which is portion big enough to feed a family of four for a week. Yummy breakfast sandwich on ciabatta bread is great. Drawbacks - only open Saturday and Sunday. Definitely try "washington's best bloody mary" here and drink your breakfast.

Best family breakfast: Inn at the Westwind. It's low key, and there's nothing your kids can do here that hasn't already been done. Best hot chocolates with mountains of whipped cream, and kids will love the smiley face pancake, complete with cherry nose.

Best view: Hands down, the Fogcutter. This little diner (whose owners used to run "THE DINER" down the street which closed early last year), has a full breakfast menu with such standards as omelettes, eggs benedict, and pancakes as big as your head, but the real star here is the Grays Harbor Lighthouse immediately across the street. You can eat your breakfast and then walk over and climb to the top and work off, if not all, at least a little of breakfast.