DAYTRIPPING
Ocean Shores gets a lot of good press, it seems, but I can’t imagine why: the waves could barely menace a dust mite, the sand is like concrete, and the the water is cold enough to entreat members of the Polar Bear Club. On the other hand, they’ve got midnight “Rock and Bowl” and “Karaoke With Dave” at Shores Bowl. To add insult to injury, the so-called beachside cabin my family rented on the outskirts of town was actually situated by a rivery marsh, which one had to fjord to get to the beach…which was about a half mile away. A strange vacation, to be sure, particularly the drive through Kurt Cobain’s quirky hometown of Aberdeen to and from the town, which was further immortalized by Gus Van Sant (it’s also the birthplace of painter Robert Motherwell and pornstar Violetta Blue). Discovery Park is another interesting excursion where hiking paths likewise lead to picturesque yet disappointing beaches, whose shores are sometimes covered with moss and weird, bubbling algae, as well as large amounts of driftwood (and sometimes an upturned tree). And there are rocks, lots of rocks, ranging from the serrated palm-sized variety (which are great for skipping, or simply crafting large arrowheads or Neolithic knives) to lichen-festooned boulders and unstable tallus booby-trapped for small children. Let’s just say that you won’t find the cast of Baywatch milling about the base of Magnolia Bluff. The Arboretum is a land-based park, with a few notable ponds…and what a glorious park it is, particularly in Spring and Fall. There are so many little sidetrips and tributaries, one can spend half an afternoon just trying to find one’s car.
