Long before Instagram, Ocean Shores had some of the best photo opportunities on the Washington Coast – and as far as we’re concerned, it still does! Once famous for Pat Boone and a party, party, party atmosphere, many of us still remember fun times climbing around the shipwrecked SS Catala out at Damon Point, the giant Razor Clam that’s MIA, the Gitche Gumee… and the list goes on!
Today there’s still a lot to see and plenty of social media eye candy and (of course) our most photographed location is (and always will be) the beach…
Which no doubt includes all the usual suspects; lovers, dogs, kids, kites, cars, bikes, horses, sunsets, found objects, and FORTS!
If you’re looking to deviate from the sand, here are a few fun alternatives:
Sharkys
Brainchild of owner Scott Chapin, our iconic (dun…dun..dun.dun.dun) shark head has been delighting tourists and locals since the mid 1980’s. Practically an institution, it’s nearly impossible to scroll through #OceanShoresWA without stumbling upon at least one funny person taking advantage of this famous roadside attraction. While there, don’t forget to notice the amazing mural painted on building that gives it a real “I’m in the water of doom” feeling!
Buck, Buck, Doe
Almost as popular as Sharkys – we call it “deer hunting,” or if you prefer to be more politically correct “deer spotting.” You can spend days driving around Ocean Shores without seeing the same deer twice and I double dog dare you to try to keep count as you see them! They’re everywhere… munching berries, grass, more berries, more grass, people’s gardens… and they walk wherever, whenever they want – without a single care in the world! Now that’s a beach-life! No feeding and petting allowed so if you do, best not to post it on social media 😉
Welcome to Ocean Shores
Placed here a couple decades ago, this sign was carved by one of the most famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) female chainsaw artists on the Washington Coast; Judy McVay. Her signs are prolific in this area and can be found at Kalaloch, Lake Quinault, Humptulips, Ocean Shores (on the front of Moby Dicks), Moclips (at the Museum of the North Beach), Ocean City at the Marketplace and many – many other places. Truly a work of art, this and her other signs are baked into the history of Washington’s Hidden Coast.
Guinness Door – what the heck?!
They don’t call it the “Most Amazing Door in the Universe” for nothing! Watch the video and you will be left amazed, yearning to see this in real life, and jealous of the artist who figured out how to make this glorious structure – or at least that’s how I feel! Having never walked though a pint of Guinness (or any other beverage), like Sharkys, this is a special treat only available in Ocean Shores!
Seahorse Twins
Once upon a time, two carved sea horses stood at the entrance to the beach where the Ocean Shores Inn once stood. Now it’s where the Shilo Inn sits. As the story goes, these were carved by a local artist and when the Ocean Shores Inn was torn down, they were given away – one to a regular at the bar and the other to the guy who carved them. Don’t quote me on the story, I’m just repeating the folklore as I heard it!
Flash forward and Scott Chapin (of Sharkys fame) bought a house once owned by the sea horse creator and found one of them stashed in the yard. Scott promptly donated it to the Coastal Interpretative Center, it was lovingly restored, and it still sits out front, on display. As for the twin – that’s a living legend… much sought after and rumored to be in an Illahee garage, but only the people who have it know where it is!
Run for the Hills!
Surprisingly popular for a photo-op are the Tsunami Evacuation Route signs all over town. In fact, I’ve seen people hold up traffic for the occasion. ‘Nuf said.
The Boardwalk Shops
Also known as “the colorful shops on Point Brown Ave.,” the Boardwalk Shops are too cute to miss and in the right light with the right filter applied, they make for an irresistible Ocean Shores Instagram post. They also happen to be one of the only areas on Pt. Brown where you can shop a variety of locations without risking your life to traffic – and thus is why they’re called the “boardwalk” shops!
You’ll find: kites , local artists and cool adventure items, incense and rocks , garden and home decor, beachy gifts, fresh flowers, and eclectic vintage clothing! And if this much shopping makes you hungry, the bakery next door is amazingly terrific.
Sooz Vintage Phone Booth
Last summer we pulled this relic out of an old, dilapidated garage in Copalis Beach and it sat out front of our house entertaining us and our neighbors on a daily basis. With too much stuff in the shop, we had to wait a bit until some of the big stuff sold to make room for this beauty. As you can see – that magic moment has been realized!
While we’ve always had a desktop rotary phone for purchase, first a red one with a Cadillac emblem on it – that was scooped up and now lives in the railroad room at the Museum of the North Beach in Moclips, now we have a white one – still cool as heck but less glam:
Anyhoo – turns out parents love to torture their children (especially teenagers) by making them figure out how to operate a rotary dial phone – oh… if I had a dollar for every time!
As you can probably imagine, the phone booth takes the whole “figure it out phone trick” to a new level and invites selfies galore. If you take a fun selfie, please tag us… we love to be amused!
#SoozRustyNail 😉
photo credits: @beckybquilts, @dannahbanana16, @auntiesnack, @costalinterpretive, @boulevardmercantile, @rms_titanic_19129, @clarissa_explains_it_all, @katzout4fun, @chrisu425, @heathermhaugen, @dansellsoceanshores, @julieannboberg, @deborahcoreywilliams, @coleen_schapp, @oceanshoresfan, @whyoceanshores, @onlythedrummer, @drsiddra, @tesa_emm, @coupledotcom, @karankees, @swanpetal, @kierra.clubb, @mydreamcanvas, @agatherapy, @bakerbabe48, @leahlisonn, @ntjstringer – thank you for posting these Ocean Shores Instagram moments!
