Mini donuts made fresh while you watch. Copper bracelets fit to size. Salt water taffy. Pirate gear. Una the Mermaid (my neice and I pose with the amazing Una). All part of Pirate Daze in Westport, WA, population 2,300. My sister Alyce lives in this fishing village on the coast of Washington. Rusty Scupper's Pirate Daze has been held here for 23 years.
This year, the Chesslers attended the closing parade. There is nothing more fun than a hometown parade. Impressive floating ships with modern day pirates, unicycles, hogs (the loud motorcycle type), and vintage cars with no mufflers. Candy, particularly of the water taffy variety, was thrown here and there. A blast.
We stayed with a friend who recently built a house in Grayland, WA, just down the way from Westport. Her house and view is amazing, if you can get the marine layer to lift. Even in late June, you have to bundle up to venture to the beach here. But you will never see bigger crabs or bigger seashells. And the wind let's you know you are alive. To warm up, visit The Local Bar and Grill. Yep, that's what it's called.
We also visited Tokeland, population 99, where my brother Adam and sister-in-law Teresa have a vacation house, inherited through the family.
Purchased in 1964, the house was built in the 1940s and originally used for fish processing, then as housing for Coast Guardsmen. Adam is righting this ship of a house, shoring up the foundation. Until that's completed visitors feel like drunken sailors because of the uneven floors. Once you get your sea legs, its a great playhouse. Tokeland is on the Willapa Bay and here they harvest clams and oysters. It's also home to the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
The tribe sells fireworks, the good big kind. Samuel got a nice selection, and we fired them off on the beach past the sand dunes. It almost didn't happen, as a Bic lighter is no match for the winds of Grays Harbour. Finally, we used the lighting stick provided by the fireworks stand. Success!
