Plan a trip to the Long Beach area during the next beach clean up! They need your help & you can make a make a wonderful difference!

The GrassRoots Garbage Gang is an all-volunteer, Washington State not-for-profit group that cleans up the Peninsula beaches in SW Washington. (Visit their website for all the details)

Each January, April and July hundreds of volunteers clean the Peninsula’s 28-mile beach. Support comes from incredible volunteers, local businesses, City of Long Beach, Marine Resource Committee and Washington State Parks!

Next Clean Up Date~ April 23, 2011

• Potluck – Friday night at Sr. Activity Center in Klipsan on Pacific Highway from 5- 6 and Speaker from 6- 7pm
• Soup Feed after the cleanup at Sr. Center as well 11:30-1:30
• Clean Up starts at 9:30am at any of the major beach approaches (Seaview, Sid Snyder, Bolstad, Cranberry, Klipsan, Ocean Park, Oysterville Rd)  generally finishing around 11:30–12.

The Beach Approach Coordinator will give you some cleaning supplies and direction on where we need the most help today – just ask them where to start cleaning when you sign in.

Mark your calendars for the next beach clean ups:
2011: January 8th, April 23rd and July 5th
2012: January 21st, April 21 and July 5th

View photos from past clean ups on their FaceBook Page

Make it an annual family event… the little ones will love it!  Then kick off your sandy shoes and relax in a Long Beach vacation rental for a few days

~Thanks & have fun AT THE BEACH!

It’s Whale Watch Week on the Oregon and Washington Coast! The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a great place for Whale Watching on the Washington Coast, offering fantastic views from 2oo feet  above the Pacific Ocean on the cliffs of Cape Disappointment State Park. Location is just off  HWY 101, four miles southwest of Ilwaco at the foot of the Long Beach Peninsula.

Each winter from late December through to the end of January, you can witness the Pacific Gray Whale migration as they pass the Peninsula after spending the summer feeding in the waters of the arctic. The whales are leaving their feeding areas off of Alaska and heading to their breeding and calving lagoons along the Baja Coast, south of California.

Trained volunteers from “Whale Watching Spoken Here” will be at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center 10 am and 1 pm daily through January 1st.  When the surf is smooth, expect to see 10-25 whales per day. Bring binoculars  as most whales are spotted traveling 3-5 miles offshore.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is open year round. For specific seasonal operating hours & current admission rates, please call the park office at (360) 642-3029

• Admission: $5 per adult and $2.50 per child ages 7 to 17 – ages 6 and under enter free
• Location:  At Cape Disappointment State Park, two miles southwest of Ilwaco
• Driving Directions:  Located off U.S. Highway 101, four miles southwest of Ilwaco at the foot of the Long Beach Peninsula

~ Thanks & have fun AT THE BEACH!

October is a great time of year to visit the Washington Coast during it’s quiet season… so come & celebrate the Long Beach Peninsula’s bounty at this special event during it’s 90th year!  You will want to plan lodging in Long Beach area for this popular festival now.

The Cranberrian Fair, A Harvest Festival celebrates the history and harvest of America’s native fruit and all of the rich food resources of the Long Beach Peninsula.  While cranberries take center stage for this event oysters, fishing and garden harvests will also be presented.

There will be plenty for all to see and do… the Cranberry Trolley will whisk visitors from from the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum to the Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation & Cranberry Museum. Browse the Museum’s gift shop which is stocked with cranberry goodies and watch the harvest on Friday October 8th through Sunday October 10.

Silver & Bronze Medal Winner, KW Cellars of Walla Walla, WA  holds a  wine tasting of their 100% cranberry juice wine. Snacks and lunch can be purchased from Beach House Catering from 11:00 – 3:00 on Friday Saturday and Sunday. While you eat enjoy jazz, classical and just plain fun music by local pianist Tom Trudell.

• ~Cranberry Trolley
• ~Bog Tours
• ~Wine Tasting
• ~Art
• ~Music
• ~Local Foods
• ~Vendors & Crafters

Photo courtesy of the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau

Long Beach, WA is well known for its Annual Washington State International Kite Festival held every year during the third week of August. This summer marks the 30th year of the week-long celebration and competition &  it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.  If you haven’t already reserved your lodging for the Long Beach area, there may still be some time…

August 16- 20, 2010~  Beginning on Monday and ending on Sunday, you can take part in this event or kick back and enjoy the beautiful beach, ocean and color filled sky full of  floating kites and high action choreographed dancing kites.  The week  includes competitions by professional and amateur kite flyers, lighted kite fly nights, fireworks and a variety of vendors.

The Washington State International Kite Festival features famous kite fliers from around the world and it’s voted “Best Kite Festival in the World” by Kite Trade Association International.  It draws tens of thousands of happy spectators to the Long Beach Peninsula every year.

In case you can’t make it to this years event, here are future Kite Festival dates so you can plan ahead
August 15-21, 2011
August 20-26, 2012
August 19-25, 2013
August 18-24, 2014
August 17-23, 2015

~ Thanks & have fun AT THE BEACH!

Ocean Shores & Westport
Grays Harbor County Expo ~  At the Ocean Shores Convention Center – Thursday May 27 – Monday May 31.  Something for everyone! (Free and easy parking)  This 3rd Annual Expo is sponsored by Windermere Real Estate and Levee Lumber 

• ~Oceans of Fine Arts
• ~Arts & Crafts Show
• ~Cruisin the Shores
• ~RV Show
• ~Chainsaw Carving
• ~Hot Rod & Classic Car Show
• ~Home Show

Pacific Beach & Moclips 

Quilt Show~ May 29-30
Pacific Beach Quilters presents their 4th annual Pacific Beach Quilt Show at the Pacific Beach Elementary School. Features collections of antique and contemporary quilts.

Annual Memorial Day Weekend Garage Sale~ May 29-31 
Museum of the North Beach will hold its 8th annual sale to help raise operating funds. Located in the Pacific Beach Resort & Conference Center (Navy Base). Info: 360-276-4441

Long Beach Peninsula

World’s Longest Garage Sale~ 28 Miles of Garage Sales! May 28-31 Grab a copy of the Chinook Observer, or just follow the signs. There are so many sales, you can practically walk from one to the next, up and down the Peninsula. For more than twenty years, thousands of folks have come to the Peninsula over Memorial Weekend for its 28-Mile, fun-filled yard sale.

SummerFest~  May 28-31 Free Family Friendly entertainment and activities for the public

• ~Music in the gazebo
• ~Face painting
• ~Horse and wagon rides
• ~Balloon artistry
• ~Art in the Park- make & take crafts
• ~Mother Goose and Friends
• ~End of summer Dunk Tank
• ~Appearances by: Smokey the Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog, Rescue Dogs, Maddox Dancers and more!

If you need lodging and prefer to stay in a  Washington Coast vacation rental … you may still have  time to reserve!

 ~ Thanks & have a fun Memorial Weekend AT THE BEACH

Need a spine chilling Halloween Oregon Coast Adventure?

“Haunted Astoria” celebrates its second year for this annual event including… tours of local historic sites, a psychic and paranormal fair at Pier 11, a great classic scary movie at the Historic Liberty Theater, an open mic for ghost stories, a writing contest and special underground tours of the Liberty Theater and the Clatsop County Heritage Museum.

Astoria lodging accommodations include beautiful Victorian style Bed & Breakfast Inns and Hotels with awesome river views… but if you prefer ocean views… Long Beach is just across the bridge (a 10-15min drive) offering miles of sandy beach and plenty of ocean view and ocean front vacation rentals to choose from!

Here is a partial list of the haunted happenings:

Saturday, October 24 Events

• ~Haunted Astoria Tour 3-7 pm various locations
  ~Psychic & Paranormal Fair 3-7pm Pier 11 mall
  ~Film: Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds 7:30pm Liberty Theater
    and following the film:
  ~Open Mic Story Telling at 9:30pm Pier 11 Lounge

 Tour Sites

• ~Heritage Museum
  ~Liberty Theater
  ~Pier 39 – Astoria / Rogue Ales
  ~The Messenger Building at 9th and Astor

For a complete list of details of these scary events coming to Astoria Oregon for Halloween 2009 at OldOregon.com.  Shiver me timbers… see you there!

~ Thanks & have fun AT THE BEACH!

GREAT CLAM TIDES ARE HERE!
Get those clam shovels ready… some record low tides are here this week providing  some great clam digging opportunites on the Oregon & Washington Coast!  The Long Beach Peninsula is a well known spot to try this fun sport, which the entire family can enjoy… The kids will have fun looking for the sink holes and you can enjoy a tasty meal of fresh clams!  These low tides also provide a great opportunity for exploring tide pools too!  If you are looking for a place to stay, the Long Beach area has some beautiful ocean front and ocean view vacation rentals to choose from.

If you are new to clam digging, here are some resources to check out on digging  and preparing…

The State of Washington has some nice information for clam digging, cleaning and cooking clams at the following web site:  Washington Dept of Fish & Wildlife.

(Don’t forget to check out the licensing regulations prior to digging)

Happy Digging!

~Thanks & have fun AT THE BEACH!