Today (11/13/2023) We drove to Twin Harbors State Park, between Westport and Tokeland, WA. This beach park is about 4 miles from the downtown and fishing docks of Westport.. We are camping and staying in small cabins at the park.
We (April, Karen, Mick, and I) enjoyed breakfast at the Blue Bird Cafe in Centralia, WA. Mick and April then toured an abandoned mill in Centralia, and then the decommissioned Satsop nuclear power plant above the Chelais River. Karen and I dove WA 6 from Centralia to Raymond, and then WA 105 along Willapa Bay to Tokeland, Grayland and then to Twin Harbors State Park. Twin Harbors is located between Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor Bay along the Washington Coast. Then, at 4:30 pm, we all went razor clam digging at low tide.
For many photographs and more information go to: Four Days in Grayland by Michael P. Garofalo.
Chelais River Scenes
Here is a repost of my report from 9/21/2021:
Today, the beaches from Westport to Grayland (9 miles) were filled with people digging razor clams.
From my yurt campsite at the Grayland Beach State Park campground the distance to walk to the surf is about a 2 mile or more round trip over sand. I was the only person walking.
I walked out to the surf at 7:30 am this cool morning, 55F light wind. Surprisingly, the sky was clear blue and cloudless. Most important, it was a low tide of -0.2 at 7:30 am.
I could see about 100 vehicles parked along the shore for about a mile. Maybe 150 people were clam digging. Others huddled in chairs around their vehicles and talked, or sat and sipped coffee in their truck, big RV, SUV, or sedan.
I carefully walked in the digging area. I watched the people digging up many razor clams - a first for me. I did not dig - I observed.
One couple told me they got their limit (15 razor clams per person) in 30 minutes. Another old man was telling me about clamming at night at low tide at a full moon. Children talked about how hard it was to get the tube in and out of the wet sand. People seemed to like to talk.
Then, while walking the mile back to my yurt campsite I continued my normal nature studies.
I went back to the beach at around 4 pm. It was a receding high tide.
There were only 3 vehicles parked on the same one mile stretch of beach, nobody flying kites, nobody surf fishing, a few people walking - deserted compared to this morning.
One middle aged lady emerged barefoot from her big RV, walked to the surf, and got wet. She was thrilled, shouted, and threw her arms in the air.
I ate a good bowl of clam chowder at Long's Bar and Grill on WA105. Everything in Grayland is located on WA105. Some knowledgeable guy at the bar was telling us about how he would grind up the foot of the clam and cook in a flour recipe patty then freeze, and other clam cooking and digging tips. Some old fellow told me about his USA travels, his Air Force days, his stroke, and his love of Westport. His wife was very cute and flirty. Both were drunk, as people often are in bars.
Yesterday, I enjoyed delicious Portuguese Bella canned smoked sardines in olive oil with fresh French bread. For me, I have made tasting seafood dishes a regular part of my beach travels experiences.
I keep a fairly detailed hypertext notebook on Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay in Washington State. Activities at Westport, Twin Harbors, or Grayland Beach (e.g., surf fishing, clam digging, crabbing, jetty fishing, beachcombing, kite flying, camping, walking, reading, nature studies, photography, sit/stare/listen, your favorite hobbies, etc.) are covered in my:
By Michael P. Garofalo
Westport South Jetty
Westport docks, boardwalk, and fishing pier.
Surf casting for redtail surf perch.
Here are my notes about Westport and Grayland Beach.
I am camping at Grayland Beach State Park in a yurt.
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