During the last few months, we have been making great progress on our new site that should be up and running soon. But this post is not about that — no, it’s about what we’re all about: scenic driving!
The weather is improving, the days are getting longer, and the trees and plants are starting to bloom, at least here in Washington. While some of the scenic drives over the Northern Cascades or near Mount Rainier are closed for a few more months, there are still great drives for you to do now.
Last weekend, the weatherman predicted some rare Seattle winter sun. Not wasting any time, my family jumped in the car, and we drove south on I-5 headed towards the Pacific Ocean following US-101 from I-5’s 104 exit, then merging onto WA-9 and US-8, and finally onto WA-109 just after Aberdeen and Hoquiam. The WA-109 follows along Grays Harbor, which in about a month, Bowerman Basin will be full of birds migrating back home after their winter vacations in the south.
About a 30 minute drive on WA-109, you will see WA-115 on the left and here you can either head towards Ocean Shores or continue straight. I personally like heading to Ocean Shores. Where Point Brown Ave, Discovery Ave, and Marine View Ave join up, you will have a great view of Mount Hood, the Cascades, and the Olympics on a clear day.
If you head down Marine View Ave and head south on Ocean Shores Boulevard, right when Ocean Shores Boulevard veers towards the east, find yourself a parking spot and walk down to the beach. It’s a wonderful experience to walk on the rocks on the Grays Harbor shore that jet into the Pacific Ocean, hearing the waves crashing on both sides of you. The beach itself goes all the way north for miles until just after Moclips, where the beach is not accessible to the general public.
From here, I recommend you head back to WA-109 following the Ocean Shores Boulevard. If you are here before April, you might want to turn onto one of the beach access roads where you are permitted to drive your car on the beach. If you have never done that before, it’s worth a first time!
Once heading west on the WA-109, the road is a little winding and hilly with an occasional glimpse of the ocean. As you drive, there will be beaches in each of the towns you encounter; Ocean City will be the first, followed shortly by Copalis Beach. After several more twists and turns, Pacific Beach is at the bottom of a hill and is one of my favorite stops. The last is Moclips beach.
Depending on your schedule, you can continue following the Pacific Ocean and head north towards Taholah on WA-109 at least for a little while. For my route home though, I enjoy driving through the dense white birches and the brief views of the Olympic Mountains that the Moclips Highway provides on the way towards US-101.
Not only is the drive fun with its twists, hills, and views, the beaches have very few people on them this time of year and are a great place for a family adventure or a romantic picnic. Wherever your destination, have fun and stay safe!
Update: The complete drive is described in the Hoquiam to North Beach drive and we have other great scenic drives in Washington.
