As a parent, you may feel conscientious about taking your kids to a restaurant or out to eat. However, finding the right place can make all the difference. Whether you are looking for a sit-down restaurant or takeout, there are numerous places in Grays Harbor that are kid-friendly and ideal for a family meal.

Family-Friendly, Sit-Down Restaurants

Grays Harbor is fortunate to have several outstanding restaurants with cozy family-style seating. These include Mazatlán in Aberdeen; El Rancho in Montesano, El Ranchon in Elma, and Las Maracas in Ocean Shores. Not only are these restaurants designed to be family-friendly destinations, they also serve chips and salsa as soon as you are seated, which is ideal for keeping your hungry crew busy and happy until their meals arrive.

The Beehive in Montesano serves tasty food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Read more here at http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2016/01/25/kid-friendly-restaurants-grays-harbor/

Today’s ATVers aren’t what they used to be. Gone is the image of the helmeted, mud-splattered teenager tearing through the off-road landscape. “It’s not about going out in the woods and tearing up the trails,” says JoAnn Haynie of the Grays Harbor ATVers. “We’ve never been people to go out and tear up the woods. We want to be responsible being outside, exploring and sightseeing and enjoying the outdoors with care.”

Montesano residents for over 50 years, Larry and JoAnn Haynie say Grays Harbor ATVers is an informal club with a common goal: enjoying the great outdoors and riding responsibly on All-Terrain-Vehicles.

“I like to get out in the open and putt along,” says JoAnn. “We love taking them (ATVs) out for a short little run around town. I drive in nice weather to the grocery store and do errands around town. Larry goes fishing. We like to take them out on the back roads and go on picnics, that sort of thing. They run on gas. They’re much more economical than a car.”  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2016/03/08/grays-harbor-atv-trail/

 

In 1961, Grays Harbor was experiencing the beginning of the end of the timber industry’s economic boom. In just a few short years, mills would close and mill-workers would be out of a job, but for now, life was good in Grays Harbor County. The city of Ocean Shores had recently started to be built as a luxury “California-Style” community on the Washington Coast. Hollywood Stars, such as Pat Boone, were investing in the region and were greeted by thousands of fans when arriving at the Bowerman Field Airport.

That wasn’t the only thing Hollywood about Grays Harbor in 1961. Up in the deep gorges of the Wynoochee River, the people of Tinseltown were filming a movie.

Earlier in 1961, a movie called “The Ring of Fire” was set in Washington State, but was being filmed in Oregon. Starring David Janssen (The Fugitive TV show) and Frank Gorshin (who played the Riddler in the original Batman), the plot of the movie was silly, centering on a police chase from Tacoma to Shelton and then through the woods of the Pacific Northwest during a wildfire. This disaster film ends with the couple fleeing the city on a train, only to have their train get stuck on a wooden bridge over a deep gorge.  Read more here http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2014/07/23/explore-ring-fire-movie-train-wreck/

Steeped in stories and personalities of yesteryear, historic buildings offer quiet glimpses into the past and link us to the present. Their walls and rooms are lined with history. Grays Harbor is blessed with a plethora of such “silent witnesses.” You just have to know where to look – and how to “listen.”

“Hoquiam is a goldmine,” says Polson Museum Director John Larson. “We by far have the most nationally registered landmarks in the county.”

 

But Hoquiam’s not alone in storied sites. Here’s a quick listing of what you might “hear” from some of the county’s most interesting “silent witnesses.” Several are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Listen close!

Read more here at http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/12/23/grays-harbor-historic-buildings/

After the stress of the holidays is over and the start of the New Year has begun, decompress with an Elma favorite during the 9th Annual Winter Wine Festival on Saturday, January 23 from noon to 9:00 p.m. at the Grays Harbor Fair and Events Center.

Over the years, the Elma Chamber of Commerce has grown the Winter Wine Festival to become the chamber’s largest event. And with reds and whites from more than 20 Washington wineries, live entertainment from big names like Heart By Heart, countless food vendors, a silent auction and other exciting attractions, it’s no wonder that this event has more than doubled since its first year.

“This is our largest event of the year,” Winter Wine Festival Coordinator, Debbie Adolphsen, says. “Our whole entire chamber board works on this.”

Debbie says planning for this event takes place year-round. “I don’t think we ever quit talking about it,” she says. It takes a village to pull off an event this big, but that’s part of what makes it so special.

Without community sponsors like Aberdeen Honda, Vaughn Company and Grays Harbor Tourism, just to name a few, Debbie says the event probably wouldn’t be able to happen. “We get so many donations for wonderful items for our silent auction,” she says, “and we have more than 60 volunteers each year, most of whom come to us from local businesses.”  Read more here:  www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/12/28/elma-winter-wine-festival-3/

There are few truly Pacific Northwest events that can compare to watching winter arrive in the rainforest. While many avoid the region due to the strong winds, constant downpours and occasional snow showers, there is something amazing and unique about spending time out in the wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula. Tucked away deep in Grays Harbor’s Quinault Rainforest, one of the most underrated winter experiences is waiting for you.  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/12/08/winter-lake-quinault/

By Chelsea Royer

Valerie Fox-Armes’ fascination with artistry began as a young girl. “We had art supplies everywhere growing up. My mother made many of our clothes and much of my passion for art came from my mom,” says Valerie. Now, many years later, Valerie is inspiring others with her own homemade creations. Her favorite of which involve dyeing yarns and silk in the upstairs studio of her home.

“I fell into the hobby by accident. I used to do pen and ink drawings and when I turned 40, came up with a design and looked up silk screening on a website. I accidently stumbled upon the art of silk painting and bought a starter kit. My husband built me the frames I needed because he’s an enabler,” Valerie chuckled. “It’s all his fault. Crafting supplies are now all over my house.”

Valerie now owns a dyeing business named, Fiber Play. She works with other fiber artists, like Lynn Lypski, who spin their own yarns, and dye these quality fibers in vibrant colors. She also enjoys the art of Shibori, which Valerie describes as the “classy, great, great grandma of tie-dyeing. It is an old Japanese technique.”

Valerie is a member of the Schafer Meadows Art Guild along with Lynn and dozens of other members. These two talented women are the co-coordinators of the upcoming Schafer Meadows Fiber Arts Festival. “It’s our 12th festival this year,” says Lynn. “It’s grown a lot in the last decade and we will be partnering with the Alpaca Ranchers of the Northwest. They will be in the building with a couple of alpacas and represent the husbandry of alpacas and where some of the fiber arts begin.”  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/09/27/schafer-meadows-fiber-arts-festival/

By Douglas Scott

By Douglas Scott

Fall is a transition time for the Pacific Northwest. As each day passes, the sun rises a little later, and the sun sets a little earlier. In fact, we lose three minutes of daylight each day during the month of October. During the fall, gray skies become more frequent, helping show off the beauty of the leaves transitioning from green to orange seemingly overnight. Rain starts to fall, the wind starts to pick up, and the communities around Grays Harbor come alive with an energy that only fall can bring. As elk bugle and birds migrate south, salmon swim upstream and hikers enjoy the beauty of the region. For many, fall is the best time to be a local, and these five activities will help convince you of the same. Whether you are a mushroom hunter, enjoy beach combing or are just like to experience a leisurely drive to view the colors of autumn, these activities are sure to get you out exploring.are just like to experience a leisurely drive to view the colors of autumn, these activities are sure to get you out exploring.

As crispness returns to the air, mushroom hunters around the state gather their buckets and head to the Olympic Peninsula and Grays Harbor. For mushroom hunters in the region, fall means it’s the time to find Chanterelles, Hedgehogs, Morels, Oysters, Boletes, and Chicken of the Woods, all of which are extremely delicious and can sell for quite lucrative prices. While mushrooms can be found almost anywhere, a good field guide is needed to help locate the best spots, as well as identify edible mushrooms. The best book to pick up or check out is the Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Daniel Winkler. If you are looking for an event to learn more about mushrooms, head to the Quinault Lodge for the13th Annual Mushroom Festival – October 16 through 18. More information about this event and other events around the region can be found on the South Sound Mushroom Club website.  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/10/04/grays-harbor-fall-activities/

Bike riding is a fun outdoor activity that provides healthy exercise and allows you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Whether you are looking for a short, family-friendly loop or a rugged 32-mile ride, Grays Harbor features picturesque bike trails to suit every skill level.

Short and Simple

Planning a bicycle ride with the kids or getting ready for your first cycling excursion? These trails are ideal for the novice biker or for families with young children. The Westport Dune Trail, also known as the Westport Light Trail is a paved 2.5-mile loop through grassy fields and sand dunes. The trail weaves through Westhaven State Park, ending at Westport Light State Park.

Vance Creek in Elma offers a paved loop around a pond. Enjoy the quiet country setting, shady trees and peaceful water as you cycle around this spot.  Read more here:  http://www.graysharbortalk.com/2015/09/16/grays-harbor-bike-routes/