Sampson Johns: First ‘Modern’ Hero on the Hidden Coast

Over a century ago, North Beach resident Sampson Johns received a congressional life saving medal for rescuing over a dozen shipwrecked men who were otherwise doomed at sea. Can you imagine being a 19th century sailor; far from home on a sinking ship in unforgiving waters, praying for someone, anyone to jump the breakers and […]

Washaway No More: The eerie story of North Cove

In 2018, before settling on the North Beach we put an offer on the most adorable, small, round-ish house we’d ever seen. Stocked with remnants of a simple mid-century modern life, Phyllis whose husband hand-built it, lived there until 2017 when she passed away at the ripe old age of 91. It’s a red zone […]

Secrets from 1977; Finding Glass Floats on Grays Harbor Beaches

From time to time, we find and buy small hoards of glass floats for the shop. They sell fast and visitors are always amazed when we get into conversations about the abundance of glass floats on Grays Harbor beaches still being found, to this day. If you know when and where to look, you might […]

Talking Crows on the Washington Coast? Who said that!

Coastal Crow

Over the summer, I was chatting with Boaz Backus, the chainsaw carver guy who built Ocean City Marketplace in 1995, and son of woodcarving pioneer (and my friend) Judy McVay.   Boaz doesn’t live along the Washington Coast anymore but his legacy lives on in stories; about saving Dorothy Anderson’s cabin, drunk adventures, travel, carving, […]

Dead Crabs all Over the Beach at Pacific Beach & Moclips

Hidden Glass Floats Grays Harbor Beaches

All sorts of people wander into the shop on any given day and many of them ask interesting questions and we get into conversations about history, pickin‘ and the North Beach. But recently I was asked an odd question and surprisingly — I knew the answer! A couple came, shopped around and at checkout they […]