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Head to the beach

Where to stay and eat in Ocean Shores

Sharkey’s is the place for beach gear at Ocean Shores. Courtesy photo

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Ocean Shores, once the playground of Hollywood stars, is a peaceful retreat on the Pacific coast located conveniently 90 minutes west of Interstate 5 and the South Puget Sound area.  Here you'll find long stretches of sandy beach, 26 miles of inland waterways for boating and paddling, eclectic shops and art, accommodations ranging from hotels to campsites and an easygoing vibe.  Here is a quick primer about everything you need to get started.  Also check out theweeklyvolcano.com/ocean-shores for a live feed of what is happening right now in the Shores plus more stories, links to accommodations, restaurants and more.

Getting There
First, how to get there. It is easiest to type "Ocean Shores" into your car or phone's GPS or use Google Maps. Ocean Shores is just past Aberdeen on a sandy spit that extends into the Pacific Ocean -- a dead end at the beach.  

Where to Stay
Hotels such as the Canterbury Inn (use promo code "Military" at canterburyinn.com) and Quality Inn (oceanshoresqualityinn.com) have served guests for decades.  Search other hotels on travel sites such as Expedia or AAA.  You can also rent homes and condos using sites such as AirBnB, VRBO, or for pet-friendly hotels, visit bringfido.com. Rates vary and are higher in the summer, but compared to places like Cannon Beach, they are more affordable.  If you're looking for a more long-term or permanent housing solution, contact Windermere Realty at windermereoceanshores.com.

Where to Eat
Food choices will depend a lot on what you like, but most of Ocean Shores is moderately priced, laid back and family friendly.  Check out Trip Advisor for a list.  Standouts include Galway Bay Irish Pub (galwaybayirishpub.com) -- a fun Irish bar and restaurant with a killer gift shop located in the heart of the area.  Kids are welcome in the restaurant, and make sure to check out the door to the back patio through the huge can of Guinness beer.  Also worth a bite is the Ocean Grill (try the crab mac & cheese), Dugan's Pizza and the newer Oyhut Bay Bistro.

The Beach
The sand and surf are probably why you'll visit Ocean Shores in the first place.  First, the beach is flat and sandy with wide, sweeping views of the ocean.  You can drive right on the beach (but know what you are doing and watch the tide -- locals have tons of stories about cars rolling in the surf).  You can also have a fire on the beach, and the winds are great for flying kites.  You'll find beach gear at Sharkey's (sharkysos.com), plus there's horseback riding (honeypearlranch.com), electric beach bikes (electricbeachbikerentals.com/), and kite shops (oceanshoreskites.com). And, check out the city's beach cam at beachcam.osgov.com:85/popup.html?

Natural Ocean Shores
For those looking to commune with nature, Ocean Shores has some amazing opportunities.  There are 26 miles of inland waterway and lakes to boat, kayak, paddleboard and more. The Ocean Shores Boat House is the place to start (facebook.com/osboathouse).  Also check out the local conservation group at oceanshoresfreshwaterways.com. Other outdoor pursuits include camping (tinyurl.com/y7oo4knh), hiking (tinyurl.com/yb73o85t), bird watching (ghas.org/oceanshores.php) and clamming (tinyurl.com/24sh8za). For ocean sailing, charters and fishing, 90 minutes away in Westport you'll find these (tinyurl.com/yb72kpj3).

Photos
Check out these photos and blogs to get you excited about visiting Ocean Shores.  See the sweeping view of the beach at osgov.com/, and a fun map at funmapsusa.net/maps/view/ocean-shores

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