Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 286

Billy's Bar & Grill PUB, STEAKHOUSE$$$
(322 E Heron St, Aberdeen; burgers $8-11; 8am-11pm Mon-Sat, to 9pm Sun) In the rootin'
tootin' days of yore, this bar was haunted by Billy Gohl (better known as Billy Ghoul), a
murderous fellow who robbed and killed drunken sailors and loggers. Billy and the era
are both commemorated at this handsome old bar and restaurant with OK sandwiches,
full dinners and regional microbrews. The local ambience is five star.
Information
Grays Harbor Chamber of Commerce ( www.graysharbor.org ; 506 Duffy St; 9am-5pm
Mon-Fri) Affords visitors a warm welcome. Pop by for free maps and plenty of informat-
ive leaflets.
Westport
Guarding the entrance to Gray's Harbor, stormy Westport is famous for its deep-sea fish-
ing, rugged surfing and isolated beachcombing possibilities. Once the largest whaling
port on the West Coast and the largest charter-fishing center in the Northwest, the town
has suffered since restrictions were placed on salmon fishing in the last couple of dec-
ades. In a bid to reinvent itself as Washington's most happening coastal destination,
Westport has invested heavily in a chain of restaurants, condos and golf courses. Still on
offer are the ever-popular chartered fishing trips and whale-watching expeditions, though
the backbone of the fishing industry disappeared years ago.
Sights
Westport Maritime Museum MUSEUM
(2201 Westhaven Dr; adult/child $5/2; 10am-4pm Memorial Day-Labor Day, noon-4pm Thu-Mon
Sep-May) This former Coast Guard station was built in 1939 and boasts some great period
photos and artifacts of seafaring days gone by. A separate building houses the 6-ton,
18ft-high Fresnel lens , manufactured in France in 1888, that beamed for over 70 years
from the lighthouse of Destruction Island, 50 miles north of Westport.
Grays Harbor Lighthouse LANDMARK
(1020 West Ocean Ave; admission $3; 10am-4pm May-Sep, noon-3pm Oct-Apr) Westport's
lighthouse used a French-made Fresnel lens until recently, when it was replaced by a
simpler electronic device. To reach the lighthouse - the tallest in the state at 107ft - re-