What do those people do with themselves in Grays Harbor?!
Over here we'd like to tell you a little about the area and what we've got going on in Gray's Harbor. Problem is, this is a pretty dead area... Well, okay - in an attempt to remain politically correct, we're talking about peace, quiet, and relaxation. In other words, there's not much night-life.
In terms of food, there are a few good places to eat. I've tried out nearly every restaurant in the basin area, so I can give you some references to keep you fed and watered.
There are few things to do in the Grays Harbor area, but this is small-town America. Granted, I'm from The Big City, so it takes a little more to amuse me than people who've lived here their entire lives. Let me fill you in on what I've discovered and, hopefully, you'll find some of this information useful.
Food If you're from The Big City, you're going to be a little disappointed. Sorry, that's just the way it is. If you don't like it, fuel up before you leave Olympia, eh? However, there are some bright spots I've found in my travels and trevails in the area.
I'm a seafood fan. Of course, many would say that I'm a SEE-food fan, but that's another story for another time. Of course, living on the ocean's edge is the perfect opportunity for seafood, right? Not. Just because you'd find it in the ocean doesn't mean they go out, pick it up off the beach, and cook it up for you at your table. Nor does it mean that the prices are any better than they would be in The Big City (TBC). However, there are a few highlights for the seafood lover in you: First, I'd recommend Alec's in Ocean Shores . Good food at a reasonable price. Not the least expensive around, but the food was very fresh every time and cooked well. They can be found at 131 Each Chance a La Mer NE and have a phone number of 360.289.4026. Mariah's, 615 Ocean Shores Boulevard NW, in Ocean Shores (360.289.3315) as well, did a decent job of feeding me, too. Reasonable price and good food. Of course, both of these restaurants are sit-down, relax, "we-have-a-bar" type restaurants, without being overblown and stuffy.
Now you're going to ask me what's available in Aberdeen, Hoquiam, and the general basin area, aren't you? Okay, there's a couple of places that stand out, but they're not your serious dining experience places, sorry. First, there's that little yellow seafood shack near the bridge as you're leaving Aberdeen - good seafood! Then there's my buddy at Gambelli's Parma Italian Resturante , 116 W Heron, in Aberdeen. Their prices don't fall into the "inexpensive" class, but you get what you pay for! From there, I'd recommend Los Arcos, a Mexican restaurant at the foot of the hill as you enter Aberdeen, directly across from the Wishkah Mall. Decent food, reasonable price. If you're interested in Chinese food, I prefer Ocean Palace - located at 112 E Wishkah in Aberdeen. They stick to the traditional style of Chinese cuisine and avoid odd 'experiments' in preparing Asian food. (Hint, hint).
There's a great little place in Hoquiam that wasn't bad - The 7th Street Deli & Sweet Shoppe at 317 7th St in downtown Hoquiam. I haven't had the opportunity to try The Oriel, yet, but I'm looking forward to the experience. I'll fill you in when I check 'em out.
Not TOO far from Aberdeen is Montesano and Elma (okay, in country miles it isn't too far!) and there are a couple of restaurants I've tried and found respectable: In Elma, The Rusty Tractor , located just off the highway on E Young St. Better than your greasy-spoon special, they will make sure you leave full and still have a couple bucks in your wallet for gas. You're going to need it to get back to Aberdeen... At the corner of Main and Pioneer in Montesano is the Bee Hive Restaurant , a surprising place for a decent meal (try those crab-stuffed mushrooms - you'll be happy you did - and really good shakes, too!)
As for your standard, eat-on-the-run fare, we've got the usual suspects. Micky D's, BurgerSling, Jaque-In-The-Crack, Dairy Queen, and Taco Hell are there to serve you up the Gut Bomb Special. Hey, in a pinch, right? In reality, the Dairy Queen seems to be improving quality - the burger seemed bigger the other day when I tried one out. Maybe they're tricking us...
If you're in need of an all-night place, there are two options that I've found. Dennys (spare me) and The Blue Beacon Restaurant & Lounge , a little greasy-spoon near the mall (406 S Boon St, Aberdeen). They're open all night, have a bar, and you can have a late-night meeting. Kinda small, though.
Of course we've got Starbucks. (Hey! We're movin' up in the world!)
What places wouldn't I recommend? Well, I'm not a fan of Duffy's - food is mediocre and the owner doesn't give a rip about maintaining food quality or taking care of his customers.
If you'd like to see the ongoing review of restaurants in the area, click HERE.
RV and Campers
Maybe you're thinking of staying in your motorcoach or a facility with a kitchenette... If so, I'd encourage you to pick up groceries before you leave Aberdeen. You've got a couple decent choices: Safeway, Top Foods, and Swanson's. I prefer Safeway, since the produce, as well as their meat, is always fresh. If Top Foods were in TBC, I'm sure things would be better... Swanson's isn't bad, but not my favorite. I think you get a better deal at Safeway, overall.
Other Special Eatin' Places
Brady's Oysters at 3714 Oyster Pl E, Westport
Little Restaurant in Westport -- what's the name of this one??? Bill?
Michael's Meats at 906 E Wishkah St, Aberdeen
Other Notable Items Fuel
By and large, fuel prices in the harbor area are $0.15-$0.20 higher than competitive outlets in Tacoma. (I've found, through my travels, that the outskirts of Tacoma is one of the better pricing alternatives in the Puget Sound region). You're probably better off fueling in Montesano, which seems to run about $0.10/gallon cheaper than Aberdeen. Choices, choices, choices... Here's the list:
Aberdeen
Chevron - Generally one of the highest prices in the area.
Arco - AM/PM - Usually one of the lowest prices in the area.
Safeway - Low price, IF you have your club card AND you're getting a .06/gal discount
Hoquiam
Tessoro - Frequently lower in price than the big two, below
Shell at the corner of Simpson & Ontario - Generally high priced
Chevron, Mahony at 600 Simpson Ave - Generally high prices
Ocean Shores
Westport
Realty
Of course, we know you're interested in moving down here, so you're looking for a realtor, right? I wouldn't recommend ERA or Aberdeen Realty - at least not from my experience with the realtors I dealt with there. On the other hand, my man at Coldwell Banker was on top of things from beginning to end. They're located at 110 W Market, Aberdeen.
However, what's the value of a house in this region? Well, you certainly don't want to be living down in the flats (that's most of the basin!) when the Tsunami hits - there isn't likely to be much of the region left. Of course, who's afraid of a little wave action, eh?
You COULD live on one of the hills in the area, which seem to be crumbling apart. That's okay, however. If the big, bad, tsunami hits, we'll be stranded on the hills anyway. Hope you've got a big house, 'cause I'm going to need a place to stay for awhile! Heh...
Currently, median housing prices are $124k in the Grays Harbor area. Of course there are some "special places" I'd encourage you to avoid. Ocean Shores is full of restrictive covenants that I hear people complain about all the time, and you're generally required to be a member of their exclusive community club to live in the town, at a premium fee. (I've heard a rumor that the community club was trying to establish itself as first lienholder on properties in the area to control property transactions - I'm still trying to track this one down!) Otherwise, Hoquiam is a nice place to live but they're having some financial difficulties. Aberdeen is pleasant, as well, but their business district is decimated. Some attribute the severe business climate in the region to the "Wal-Mart Syndrome", however, there has been (more) job losses as a local Weyerhaeuser mill closes its doors..
There's some great information at the 2005 Data Book of Washington, located HERE.
Parks
There are a couple of great parks in the area that you might enjoy. If you take the highway out to Westport and just keep going straight, you'll run smack dab into Twin Harbors State Park : Right on the ocean, comfortable camping, Twin Harbors State Park is a nice place to visit. (Watch out for the cops in Westport - finances are tight, so they're looking for anything to write a ticket for!).
Coming into Aberdeen, just as you pass the garbage dump, you'll want to make a right - there's a cool park up there with a lake and hatchery - nice place to spend an afternoon! If you're into a longer drive and want to "get out" of the bustling big city of Aberdeen, you might want to head North on 101 and head out to the Lake Quinault Lodge . Nice place to visit!
Medical Care
The joke in the region is: First the bad news... You're gonna die...
The local hospital, from personal experience, leaves much to be desired. Most of my friends tell me that the best thing to do, in the event of an emergency, is to drive to Olympia. After taking my wife up for an ER visit following a fall on the sidewalk ($1500 later!) she was less than well cared for and, honestly, I wish I'd made the drive... (And my wife works in the medical industry!) What's a guy to do when he's having a stroke? Call 911 and get medical care immediately. However, you might want to plan on a transport to Seattle or other regional hub to get the quality care you're going to need.
Oddball Items
Need to know where the garbage dump is? Heading into Aberdeen on Highway 12, just after passing the Chevron Station, you'll note the garbage dump on the same side of the road. Of course, if you're headed INTO town, you'll have to go to the next opportunity to turn around to get back to it! (Hah! Thought something would be simple here, didn't you?!)
Looking for traffic information for the area?
Looking for statistical information about Washingon ?
What else would you like to know? Drop me a line and we'll find you an answer.
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