Southwest Washington - Washington State - page 250

Pirates of the Caribbean North?
The wind in the rigging, the smell of the salt air. If you long for the life
of a pirate or dream of being your own master and commander, then
plan to visit Grays Harbor when the Lady Washington is here in her home
port of Aberdeen. This tall ship, a replica of one of the ships Capt. Robert
Gray sailed when he first explored the Northwest coast in 1788, was used
in Pirates of the Caribbean as well as in Star Trek Generations. You'll
find the Lady Washington docked beside the Wal-Mart in Aberdeen at
Aberdeen Landing, 320 S. Newell St. ( & 800/200-LADY or 360/532-8611;
www.ladywashington.org). Dockside tours cost $3 for adults, $2 for sen-
iors and students, and $1 for children ages 12 and under. However, no
aspiring pirate should settle for a mere tour when a sailing excursion can
be had ($40 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under).

Moments

In the North Beach area, you can learn about both regional and natural his-
tory at the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center, 1033 Catala Ave., Ocean Shores
( & 360/289-4617; www.oceanshoresinterpretivecenter.com), which is at the
corner of Catala and Discovery avenues. The interpretive center is open daily
from 11am to 4pm between May 1 and Labor Day; in April and in September
after Labor Day, it's open Thursday through Monday from 11am to 4pm.
If you aren't here during the whale-watching season, you can at least have a
look at a couple of whale skeletons at the Westport Maritime Museum, 2201
Westhaven Dr., Westport ( & 360/268-0078; www.westportwa.com/museum).
Housed in a 1939 Coast Guard station, the museum contains Coast Guard
exhibits, displays on early pioneer life in the area, and, in a glass-enclosed build-
ing outside, the skeletons of a minke whale, a gray whale, and part of a blue
whale. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the museum is open daily from
10am to 4pm (fall and spring, Thurs-Mon noon-4pm; winter, Sat-Sun and
holidays noon-4pm), and admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children 5 to 14,
free for children 4 and under. Nearby, you'll find the Grays Harbor Light-
house, which was built in 1898 and is the tallest lighthouse in Washington.
Tours of the lighthouse are operated by the Westport Maritime Museum and
cost $3. The lighthouse is open the same hours as the museum. From the
museum, you can walk the Maritime History Trail to reach the lighthouse.
FISHING, CLAMMING, WHALE-WATCHING &
OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
The stretch of coast known as North Beach begins in the vacation and retire-
ment community of Ocean Shores and stretches north for 30 miles to Taholah,
on the Quinault Indian Reservation. In the southern section of North Beach, in
Ocean Shores, low windswept dunes covered with beach grass back the wide,
sandy beach. Kite flying and horseback riding are among the favorite activities
here. Horses can be rented at the north end of Ocean Shores from Chenois
Creek Horse Rental ( & 360/533-5591 ), which is located on the beach at the
end of Damon Road (beside the Best Western Lighthouse Suites Inn) and
charges $20 for a 1-hour ride. Also in Ocean Shores are 23 miles of canals and
interconnecting lakes that are fun to explore. Canoes can be rented at Summer
Sails ( & 360/289-2884 ), which is located at Point Brown. If you're looking