Twin Harbors and Grayland Beach, Washington, Razor Clam Digging

 More Details and Photos to Follow.

Drive from Vancouver to Longview, then on WA 4 through Cathlamet and Naselle, then on 101 to South Bend, and Raymond. Then on 106 to Tokeland, Grayland, and Westport.

Our rental home was near Westport.

Nice weather. Beachcombing.

Grayland State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington

 Grayland Beach State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington

We drove to Tokeland for gasoline.  Breakfast in Raymond.

I drove southeast from Grayland Beach to Tokeland and then to Raymond.  The road travels along the edge of the Willapa Bay.  The low tide revealed immense blocks of sand in this very shallow Bay.  Over half the water in the Bay comes in and goes out each day.  

The countryside from Raymond to Pe El or Doty is very beautiful rural country.  I took back roads from Pe El to Vader, and from Vader to Longview along the Cowlitz River.  The main Chelais river goes through Pe El and Chelais while making its way northwest to Aberdeen and Grays Harbor Bay; and, the south Chelais river flows further southeast from Pe El.  The level of "green" is astounding!  

Drove from Raymond to Pe El, then to Vader, then Interstate 5.
Unpack at home. Clean up. Shower. Rest.

It is 53 miles east from Raymond on the Willapa to Chelais via Washington State Road 6.  Always a pleasure.  

Raymond's many metal sculptures.

Chelais

Centralia and Chelais, Southwestern Washington

Centralia  Population 18,183  Images
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia    WA6 Junction   Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 
Centralia is 84 miles south of Seattle.  
Centralia Outlets Shopping     Business Directory

Centralia: Weyerhaeuser Timber Company   The company owns most of the Willapa Hills forests to the west of Centralia.  

Chehalis  Population  7,259   Images   Chehalis is 88 miles north of Portland, and 28 miles south of Olympia. 
On Interstate 5 between Portland and Olympia.  About 12 miles north of the I5/WA12 Junction near Mary's Corner. 
Timber industry, farming, city, businesses, tourism. 

Grand Mond   Great Wolf Lodge and Waterpark

Lucky Eagle Rochester Indian Hotel and Casino 

Chehalis River    Images   Newaukum River

Chehalis Reservation Confederated Tribes

Native Indians of Southwestern Washington

Raymond

Raymond  Population 2,975  Pacific County  WB  Junction of US101, WA 6, and WA 105. 
The largest town on the east side of Willapa Bay and largest city in Pacific County. 
Raymond is 35 miles north of Naselle, 56 miles west of Centralia, and 25 miles south of Aberdeen. 

Raymond Images  WB  

Raymond:  Carriage Museum   Willapa Seaport Museum    Harbor/Docks    Sightseeing    Paddling    

Raymond:  Willapa River  Images   WB  There is a north and south fork of the Willapa River in Raymond.  

Raymond:  Steamboats of Willapa Bay   There is a huge Weyerhaeuser lumber mill in Raymond. 
Many fish canneries are in or near South Bend and Raymond.  There are numerous commercial and public docks in the area. 

Raymond Timberland Library

Raymond:  Willapa Paddle Adventures   Paddling canoes or kayaks on the many Willapa Bay rivers is very popular. 

Raymond:  Willapa Hills State Park Trail   56 miles east to Centralia.  River biking trail from Raymond to South Bend. 

Numerous rusted metal sculptures along the roadway in Raymond.  

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

               

Grayland State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington

Grayland Beach State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington
Near Westport, Washington

We drove into the town of Westport and stopped at the marina to shop and tour.
Shopped at Brady's Oysters.
Mushroom hunting at Twin Harbors State Park.
Seashore driving.
Cranberry fields.
Campfire.
Kumimoto Oysters and clams for dinner.
Beachcombing.

Trails leading from grassland to shore pines forest.

We found many mushrooms in the forest.

Grayland State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington

Grayland Beach State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington
Near Westport, Washington

Drove to Raymond on Washington Route 106.
Visited the Carriage Museum in Raymond.
Shopped at Dennis Mercantile, visited South Bend, stopped at Tokeland Cannabis Store.
Nice clear day, little wind, cool temperatures.
We enjoyed a campfire.
Fine food dining: steak, wine, veggies.
Mick and April went clamming until 10 at night. 
I was not feeling well all day.
Karen and I were too tired to clam at night ... asleep by 7 pm.

       

        

          

Grayland State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington

Grayland Beach State Park, Coastal Southwest Washington
Near Westport, Washington

We drove from Vancouver to Grayland in cold, windy, and raining weather.

Karen and I enjoyed our lunch at the Tokeland Hotel's, the Wandering Goose Restaurant. I ate 6 beautifully fried oysters and cole slaw ... delightful.

 

We went yurt camping at Grayland Beach State Park with Michael Delmer, April, Karen, and I.

We tried razor clamming at around the low tide at 7 pm. Very dark and extremely windy.

Tokeland Hotel
Karen and I enjoyed our lunch at
The Wandering Goose Restaurant
in the Tokeland Hotel

                     

            

Westport, Southwest Coastal Washington

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:

Gray's Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Hypertext Notebook and Guide

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.