GRAYLAND, WA – A full weekend of cranberry-themed events will fill the activity calendar on October 12 & 13 in the seaside town of Grayland in south Grays Harbor County.

“This October will be the 20^th anniversary of the Cranberry Harvest Festival,” said Leslie Eichner, executive director of the Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce. “So, we’ve planned a big celebration to match the occasion.”

Both Saturday and Sunday are filled with food and fun events plus bus tours of the cranberry bogs and a fun run. If you’ve ever wondered where those tart red berries come from, and how they are harvested, this truly American festival is not to be missed,” Eichner added.

• Early on Saturday, a cranberry breakfast is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon at the South Beach Christian Center, located at 1360 SR 105, in Grayland.
• Entertaining and informative bog tours that bring you face-to-face with the local growers will leave by bus throughout the weekend from the Grayland Community Hall & Cranberry Heritage Center. It’s located at 2071 Cranberry Rd., Grayland. Tickets are $7.50 per person.1
• ‪The illuminated Firefly Parade rolls at 8 p.m., leaving from the Community Hall, traveling north along SR 105 and finishing at the Grayland Fire Hall.
• The Community Hall is ground zero for the festival. Entries for the annual Cranberry Cook-Off are accepted until 8 p.m., Friday, October 11^th. Medal award-winners will be on display there on Saturday and Sunday.
• Taste local baked goods and check out local crafts at the Community Hall. Or, purchase a pass to taste the “cranberry bites” featuring a wide range of berry treats, available for sale on both Saturday and Sunday.
• Sunday’s “Bog Jog” fun run begins at 9 a.m. at the Community Hall and is routed along the cranberry bogs to the Pacific Ocean Beaches. Run registration for the Bog Jog begins on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. and Sunday from 7-8:30 a.m.
• Live music during the festival will be provided by Bob Gorton, Eileen Pinkerton and Virgil Stroeheon.

(Sidebar)“The cranberries that grow along the Washington coast are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to 7 ft. long and 2 to 8 in. in height. Grown in bogs that are flooded at harvest time, the cranberries have slender, wiry stems with small evergreen leaves and abundant fruit,” said Mike Bruner of Grays Harbor County Tourism. “The cool, damp weather along the coast is perfect for cranberry cultivation. It’s an usual and informative experience that is unique to Grayland.”

The Harvest Festival schedule of events and entertainment will be posted onwww.westportcam.com as updates happen.

Sunset Magazine discovers Grays Harbor’s “Hidden Coast”

When I was a kid living in California, my parents subscribed to Sunset magazine, which became my window on Western living. I poured over the pages of interesting homes and staged gardens with the relish of a design-starved youth. Nowhere in my working-class neighborhood could I find the striking architecture, seemly design and chic-but-casual outdoor entertaining that the long-established lifestyle magazine promoted in its inspirational editorial spreads.

Sunset is Western America’s largest-circulation regional magazine with a circulation of more than one million.  Each monthly issue is devoted to four subject areas: Travel, gardening, food and home design. A staff of editors and writers based in Menlo Park, California tastefully captures life in the West.

So, it is with some personal delight that Sunset selected the Seabrook community in Grays Harbor’s Pacific Beach to be the 2013 Idea Town. Each year the publication chooses an outstanding architectural project to profile — and this year it helps to disprove the location’s Hidden Coast moniker. The Seabrook community is unique within the state for its Cape Cod beach-village concept.  The 2013 Sunset Idea Houses at Seabrook includes two handsome homes with courtyard guest cottages and extensive outdoor living areas.

Visitors will discover casual and innovative design ideas as they tour the ocean-view houses, which represent a microcosm of the larger community-focused, pedestrian-friendly town.

I chatted with one of the Seabrook representatives, Ivo Andov, who said: “Sunset magazine is one of the few publications that understands the direction new towns and neighborhoods are headed. The main reason they chose Seabrook for their first-ever Idea Town, was the unique link the homes will have with the rest of the community we’re building on the coast. Our growing town aims to be nearly car-less. All the main necessities at Seabrook are located within a 5-minute walk. This is a very sustainable aspect of Sunset’s Idea Town and re-introduces a concept that we once cherished.

The way the Sunset Idea Houses were designed is a unique approach to community living in Grays Harbor County. The main houses, carriage houses and additional buildings create a mini-compound where multi-generational families can spend quality time together while enjoying the right amount of privacy. This is right in line with Seabrook’s design goals of creating a community where guests and residents create traditions that stand the test of time while interacting daily with their neighbors. The Sunset Idea Houses will provide the perfect mix of traditional and modern architecture, outdoor courtyard living and sustainability.”

If you go, Sunset magazine’s Idea Town at Seabrook is located at 4275 SR 109, Pacific Beach, WA 98571, 18 miles north of Ocean Shores on SR 109 in Grays Harbor County.   The Sunset Ideas Houses will be available to tour from 10 am – 5 pm as follows:

Aug. 2 – 4, Friday – Sunday;

August 9-12, Friday – Monday;

August 15 – September 16, Thursday – Monday;

September 20 – October 27, Friday – Sunday

Cost:  Adults, $17, with a portion of proceeds going to the Seabrook Community Foundation.  For more information visit www.sunset.com/ideatown

April 22, 2013

By:  Terry LaBrue, APR

When the weather changes in May and the buds burst into spring color, Grays Harbor transforms into a wonderland. It’s a wonder of bucolic scenery and a wonder why it remains undiscovered.

Many of our friends and acquaintances tell us how they vacationed on the Central Washington coast when they were kids. But now, they find other places for getaways. Why? Indeed, the country leading west of Olympia on SR 12 might have missed the consciousness of newcomers but Grays Harbor County is the number-one rural destination in the state.

It’s been nearly twenty years since I’ve been writing about Grays Harbor. First, my focus was on the fishing villages on the South Beach, home of the largest sport fishing fleet on the West coast. Not being much of an angler, however, and subject to unfortunate bouts of seasickness, I tend to keep planted on terra firma. But the South Beach area has plenty of activities in the spring including the World-Class Crab Races, the Clean Water Surf Competition and the nautical Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze.

Next, I began documenting the activities and events on the North Beach. I got to know Tom Hyde, who was then the publisher and editor of the North Beach Bulletin.

Together we covered the clam digs, the Museum of the North Beach and the Ocean Crest Resort, the venerable lodge and culinary standout between Moclips and Pacific Beach.

Without these opportunities, my decade-long coastal forays would have robbed my family and me of unforgettable memories. Where else would travelers experience the grandeur of the Olympic National Park, serene Lake Quinault, historic lighthouses and accessible salt- and freshwater fishing? We enjoy Grays Harbor County in all its seasons but spring bestows a special charm.

I have had many conversations over delightful lunches in Elma with the staff at Grays Harbor Tourism. The question of why people travel to Oregon beaches often arises.

People who live in Western Washington are surprised to explore a grand variety of sites and experiences they can enjoy in their own backyard – within a few hours’ drive of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. The coastline north of Ocean Shore along SR 109 is as picturesque as more popular coastal routes in other states. And, the winding two-lane highway is devoid of much of the traffic that clogs US 101.

With warmer spring weather here and dozens of festivals and local events on the activity calendar, Grays Harbor satisfies the seasonal itch to get out and explore.

Outdoor Adventure in Grays Harbor County Goes from Mild to Wild

The paths and trails of Grays Harbor County are prime year-round destinations for visitors that want a gentle outdoor experience or something more adventurous.

In the “Guide to Walks and Trails of Grays Harbor County,” an informative and easy-to-read directory captures the unique landscapes of the area. With a host of suggested picturesque routes located across the county, from Lake Quinault to the Capitol State Forest, there is a path for every adventurer.  The guide is a useful tool for visitors searching for a relaxing walk, scenic exercise, family-friendly trecks or those seeking a challenge on steeper terrain. This guide offers outings through forested lands, the famed temperate rain forests, coastal estuaries, urban walks and relaxing riverside strolls.  The free, four-color guide is available through the Grays Harbor Tourism office in Elma.

Grays Harbor is also the destination for unforgettable hunting and fishing adventures. As waterfowl hunting moves into its close, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials say this season may have offered the best opportunity in more than 50 years.  Next season may promise the same.  Waterfowl biologists have reported the best fall flights of migrating ducks since 1955,” said Greg Schirato, deputy director of WDFW’s Wildlife Program. “The opportunities haven’t been this good in most hunters’ lifetimes.”  Schirato said the bounty this season was due to good rainfall in northern waterfowl breeding grounds last summer, as well as favorable conditions here for duck and goose production. The abundance of birds made this a good season for waterfowl hunters to introduce newcomers to the sport, he said.  Hopefully this trend continues and the 2012-13 waterfall season will offer the same opportunities.

WDFW has launched a new waterfowl hunting feature on its website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/waterfowl/ to offer information for new or returning waterfowl hunters, ranging from the basics of duck and goose identification to details on hunting locations, equipment, licensing requirements and handling harvested waterfowl.

The department has also been working to provide additional places to hunt on state-managed lands and is working with landowners to open private lands to hunting within the county. Waterfowl hunting success traditionally increases as the season progresses with influxes of migrant birds and added hunting days.

If you’re an angler and enjoy testing your luck on the water, early season reports have Grays Harbor rivers producing strong numbers of stealhead this winter, as well.  The Satsop, Wynooche, upper Chehalis, Humptulips and Quinault River systems have reported stretches of good fishing. The best numbers are being reported as rivers begin to fall from high water levels.  A state record catch is only one cast away!