Weekend trip to discover the journey's end of Lewis and Clark's Corp of Discovery in 1806
A 10 mile Peninsula
Our weekend trip starts as a celebration of our first anniversary. We have the weekend to explore a new area and taste some samplings of a true Northwest favorite, the Oyster. We start by driving south from Seattle towards the Capitol city of Olympia. On a mission to find the Bread Peddler, a local French-style "artisan" bakery and cafe. The pastry is authentic and hand- crafted. Our Eggs en Cocotte, baked in a ramekin, with ham, mushrooms, Mornay sauce and Yukon potatoes was excellent for $7.95. Forget about your diet today, you must try some of the pastries. My favorite is the simple Brioche a' Tete for $1.95 and my husband, the Almond Croissant for $2.95.
About The Bread Peddler
The Bread Peddler opened on July 17th, 2006, in Downtown Olympia. All of our products are made from scratch and are cooked with the utmost attention to ingredients and technique, and our goal is to provide you with the best-tasting foods. Enjoy!
As we drove southwest, in our rented hot-rod Impala ($19.00 per day from SEATAC) we went through the town of Aberdeen on our way to Westport. Westport is located on the northern tip of the land between Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay. April 20th is the annual Crab Festival and the community of Westport and neighbors all turn out for the crab feed and crab race. Don't forget to wear your favorite crab costume!
We stopped by a small off-the-road store called Brady's located by the Elk Estuary in the south bay of Grays' Harbor. They have all the crab, oysters, picnic stuff and gourmet condiments you would need for a fabulous crab feed on the beach. Don't forget the oyster knife.
Our goal is to make our way north to Oysterville, WA. a small town located on the eastern starboard side of the Island. Located just north at the tip of the Island is the Leadbetter Point State Park, and to the west or port side is Surfside, Ocean Park, Klipsan Beach, Longbeach and the Loomis Lake State Park. Further south, we will end up at Cape Disappointment, the end of the Corp of Discovery journey.
Since it is our anniversary, we are looking for a slightly more romantic lodging for the evening, even to spend a bit more than our $100 or less budget for short trips. We often don't make lodging plans ahead of time, we like to see where we end up. Sometimes a bit risky, but it usually works out.
We find another local store called Willabay Inc, Oysterville Sea Farms. We had a good talk with the rubber boots, orange overall clan women behind the counter. She sells us some oysters, a book, a oyster knife, lemon, some wine called Willabay Oyster Blanc, a Washington State Wine. The back label of the wine bottle says, "This crisp, complex blend pairs perfectly with Willabay oysters."
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| Willabay Inc - Oyster shack |
Oysterville was first settled in 1841 by John Douglas, who married a local Chinook woman. Oysterville was established and named in 1854 by J.A. Clark. It was a hub of oyster farming as the name suggests. It was the seat of Pacific County until the seat was relocated to South Bend in 1893. This Island has a long history of crabbing, fishing and oyster cultivation. Some of the oyster beds have been active for more than 100 years passed down from one generation to the next. I picked up a very interesting historical account of the oyster industry in a book by Nancy Lloyd called "Willapa Bay and the Oysters". The book is dedicated to Willard R. Espy, a local writer, editor and poet. He wrote the best-seller Oysterville - Roads to Grandpa's Village.
We had to purchase a oyster knife to open them which was great fun! no cuts either.
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| Oyster shell flower |
With a recommendation from our new friend at Willabay, we head south to find Adrift Hotel and Spa. The place is full, but next time we are staying there. Very cool built green with repurposed materials, drift wood to create a "modern and laid-back experience". From what I hear the restaurant upstairs, called pickled fish has a fabulous view and good food.
[pickled fish] eat + drink located on the top floor of the Adrift Hotel, directly overlooking the pacific ocean! come experience our creative, fun, locally inspired cuisine, while you enjoy the amazing view...our focus is on small to medium sized plates, meant to be shared with good friends (old or new) and paired with our craft cocktails, regional wines, or northwest micro brews...come, savor, remember, and return. -cheers, eat local!
We continued south to find our romanic room for the night at the Shelburne Inn. In a lovely turn of the century suite - yes we could actually afford a suite in this classic hotel. It was perfect with a small sitting room and patio overlooking the hotel garden. After a sunset walk on the beach, some clams and a burger (husband loved it) at the bar, we called it a night.
Chorizo, Mussels, and Clams $15
Fresh local mussels and clams and Chorizo tossed in shallots, rosemary and wine.
Innkeepers Clam and Mussel Chowder
tomato based in a clay bowl $8
Angus Beef Burger $10
Even though the kitchen was about to close, everything was delicious and well prepared.
Breakfast in our suite, which was included in the price, was brought by the waitress on a large tray served in our sitting room with good coffee and fresh juice. We had a Northwest Benedict, made with a creamy earthy mushroom sauce and the famous DDD (Davids downright delicious) daily inspired special breakfast of the day. It was a seafood scramble with fresh herbs and cheese. A large breakfast for the day ahead.
Cape Disappointment - the end of the journey - where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.
There is so much I could write about in this area. So much history, such isolated beauty. I will leave it up to you, the reader to do some research about the Corp of Discovery, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and their final stop at Station Camp before they arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Head into the park and drive to whole way through in a loop. Don't forget to pick up a park pass for a $10 day fee. It is worth it. Park ranger are out in full force. Stop by all the turn offs, get out of the car and walk a bit. Everywhere in the moss covered dense rainforest, we found quite trails, hidden brooks, ponds, waterfalls, vistas with views toward the horizon. The sounds of nature around every corner and bend on the trails. Birds singing, frogs croaking, buzzing, wind shifting. It was a musical odyssey. At one point, both my husband and I took out our phones to record the sounds surrounding us. The lighthouses at Cape Disappointment and North Head are very interesting and worth a look. The views are stunning from each of the lighthouse outposts. Lots of wind sweep cliffs with ocean water like geysers spraying to the sky.
Along the western or port side of the 28 mile Island, you will find the Discovery Trail.
The Discovery Trail is one of the most scenic in the Pacific Northwest with outstanding views of the ocean, grassy dunes and forest groves. As it's named for Lewis and Clark's explorative trek here more than 200 years ago, you'll find several bronze sculptures along the path that commemorate the expedition. But the trail offers a collection of other impressive public art as well that adds to the trail's natural beauty. You may also be lucky enough to see deer, bald eagles, shorebirds and other wildlife on your journey. From the trail's northern terminus in Long Beach, you'll travel south along the coast, at one point paralleling the city's extensive wooden boardwalk from Bolstad Street to Sid Snyder Drive. Continue along the quaint town of Seaview until the trail approaches Cape Disappointment, where it turns east and it becomes forested. If you're not in a hurry, take some time to enjoy the state park's beaches, hiking trails and two lighthouses (both more than 100 years old). The ocean overlook at Beard's Hollow is especially worth a look. You can also learn about the history of the area at the park's Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The trail continues east to end at the historic fishing village of Ilwaco.
I am going to end this blog now. All I can say is we will return!
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| mile post signs indicate the trail - good for bikes or hiking |
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| a quite trail in a noisy forest |
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| Stunning views and cliffs |
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| This is where were are, close to the Columbia River and Oregon |
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| The Columbia River |
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| crossing the Columbia River back to Washington |
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