There’s a reason that we poke about, leaving our minds open to the possibilities, waiting for the next gem to appear around the corner, even in Ocean Shores, a planned community that rose out of a sand-and-brush cattle ranch between Grays Harbor and the Pacific Ocean.
Corporate dreams of gambling (the state Legislature was considering legalization), big profits and Hollywood stars motivated the purchase that bought the 6-mile-long peninsula for $1 million in 1960.
Ocean Shores went from boom (marina, motels, mall, restaurants by 1963) to bust (1970s recession). It never again had the glory moments when L.A. visitors landed on the airstrip.
Nature still has a place here.
The gem in Ocean Shores is the Coastal Interpretive Center, the only nature interpretive center on Washington’s outer coast. Human history literally takes a back seat to nature, with its stories tucked beyond the main show. The two docents I talked to were knowledgeable, friendly and patient.
Exhibits showcase the animals of land and sea: a large eagle’s nest and a hummingbird at its nest; touchable beaver, possum, coyote and muskrat pelts hang on the wall; fossilized sea sponge, a Humboldt squid’s beak, sand dollars and sea stars; bear, coyote and beaver skulls; a display of seafloor life, including West Coast fiddler and pea crabs; and an Earth Room that includes Ocean Shores diamonds (moonstones) and a video.
The center is user-friendly with some hands-on exhibits. Subjects of take-home pamphlets include brown pelicans, ducks, whales, Velella velella (aka sailors on the wind, a cousin of the jellyfish), crabs and sand dollars. Damon’s Outpost Bookstore’s offerings include books and minerals.
The center, located at the south end of town, is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through March 31. Call 360-289-4617 for information, or go to www.interpretivecenter.org.
Ocean Shores has more to do outside than one might expect. There are 10 beach access points, including one at the North Jetty. Damon Point State Park, which juts out into Grays Harbor, features a 1-mile-long walkable strip. It’s one of the state’s few nesting sites for snowy plovers, along with the nearby Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area.
Oyhut, a quieter area than the state park, is a natural salt marsh used by birds such as pheasants, brown pelicans and snowy owls.
One surprise in Ocean Shores is The Weatherwax, 121 acres purchased by the city in 1999, preserving a chunk of native forest and wetlands. The eastern edge borders Duck Lake. There are several trails.
For more information on birding hotspots, go to the Grays Harbor Audubon Society’s website, www.ghas.org/oceanshores.php.
In the interior of Ocean Shores is a system of canals, with two boat launches and one launch for canoes and kayaks. For more information, contact the visitor’s information center at 360-289-9586 or go to www.osgov.com/visitors.html.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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