Love to see newspeople ask: Is there any shortage of lodging facilities in this community?
Ocean Shores has other areas that cry out for improvement. Pedestrian friendly public access to the beach at Damon Point and sidewalks and crosswalks in general are two of those. Details on those in a recent blog here:
Public access for beach walkers at Damon Point has been on my mind. For a town that promotes visitors, tourism and good times at the beach, things are piss poor over at Damon Point.
Today, beach walkers moving toward the water from the parking area at Damon Point are channeled to a choice between an eroded/unsafe former road drop-off and private property that is posted, telling walkers that they are not welcome. WTF?
Image above taken earlier this winter.
KOSW recently discussed some erosion issues at Damon Point.
“The only trail leading to Damon Point now has a sign that says private property. The public is no longer allowed to access it You can cross over the rocks on the jetty. At low tide this is not terribly difficult, you just need to be careful However at high tide it becomes more difficult. In the winter with high tides and wind it could become dangerous. Please take care crossing it.”
Rehab of the marina would attract sport fishermen for launching and mooring of boats. Set up a place for fish and chips, a pub with a view, bait and tackle/boating store, a cocktail lounge, restaurant, etc. Use some imagination and get it going.
Damon Point was once a state park. Why is it no longer a state park? Is there an attitude related to climate change/sea level rise that is used as an excuse to back away from maintaining the shore?
Any federal money for ports and coastal improvement?
Other than federal funding, go with cooperative efforts, negotiations with the tribe and creative thinking here. City leaders, volunteer work parties, local businesses who may donate trucks and materials, landscaping resources, etc. Offer to create some sort of access trail with a fence, plantings, trash cans, etc. Make an offer to the tribe that can help to improve the situation.
Meet me at Ocean Shores McDonald’s. We will stay on that side of the street, facing traffic and walk north on Point Brown Ave NE, all the way up to the Beacon Pest Control facility, just across from the entrance to Ocean Shores. Walking this route will suck. Couples & families are staying in a hotel room near the beach. They want to go on foot and see the town, maybe have a beer and avoid drinking and driving, maybe visit the shops, head over to Galway Bay, Lucky Dragon, walk over to Playtime Family Fun, etc. Traveling on foot will suck. Much room for improvement here.
Ocean Shores features a freshwater canal system that runs through residential areas. The views here are from the electric boat we rented. This outing was a highlight of our year. Info on rentals here.
Ocean Shores features a freshwater canal system that runs through residential areas. The views below are looking south from the Ocean Lake Way NE Bridge.
The folks who did the 4th of July cleanup in the Ocean Shores area did excellent work. We have been out there a couple of times in the past week and the beach has been spotless. Well done.
Great weather and the Sand and Sawdust Festival brought a large number of people out to the beach on Saturday. Just south of the Shilo Hotel, the beach is off limits for vehicles, and this is the spot for art in the sand.
The convention center area has a large and impressive live demonstration put on by several chainsaw wood carvers.
We waited all year for this weather.
Count the kites. Click image once or twice to show detail.
A busy scene:
For those who prefer the offseason, it’s also a great time to come and see us.
It’s about 145 miles from Port Townsend to Ocean Shores. On the way back, we went though Matlock, WA and on up to the south end of Hood Canal. This route is like getting home via country roads. I enjoyed it.
Lodging Night One
Days Inn by Wyndham Ocean Shores
Very strongly recommend avoiding this facility. If you took a chance on a Mom & Pop place and found out it was disagreeable, you could just be more careful next time. A nationwide chain/brandname would be expected to maintain some standards. Many issues here. Take a look for reviews on the web if you are interested.
View from room (no screen for window).
Lodging Night Two
Fled the Days Inn and checked into a spot where we have stayed before.
Years ago, we were very familiar with several Ocean Shores restaurants, taverns and pubs. We began to get away from Ocean Shores and were taking trips to Seaside Oregon, the last few times we went to the coast.
What we found on Friday was a combination of places that were fully open, partially open and closed or maybe gone for good.
Went out Saturday morning for breakfast. We had been here before and enjoyed it. Entrance to casino was confusing. Sign says masks preferred. Security staff meets us at entrance and asks us if we are there to eat/drink, gamble or are we staying there?
Not a welcoming vibe.
We said we wanted to eat breakfast. “It does not open until 8:30.” We said thank you and left, not to return on this visit. Why no security asking what we want at the grocery store?
Americans were never meant to agree on matters of a personal nature. This is why we have so many different churches here and people who opt out on attending services.
Ocean Shores, WA –
