March events; Whale watching is on the horizon , watch for the gray whales while they head back north.

If you are interested in Museums, the Heritage Museum is free for the month of March, great things to see. Or check out the kite museum to learn how to fly a two-line kite, the dates are Sat March 20th, Sat March 27th and Sat April 3rd.

For our fishing buddies, Buoy 10 for spring Chinook salmon opens  from buoy  10 upstream to the I-5 bridge.

March 19th -21st is the 15th Annual Peninsula Quilt Guild Show, “Quilting at the Beach” is the theme this year. Free admission, there will be demostrations of various aspects of quilting.

If you like Bluegrass, join us at March 26,27 & 28th for our very own Bluegrass Festival at Chautauqua Lodge. 20sets of top notch Bluegrass music. Shuttle service for anyone not staying at Chautauqua Lodge. Great music & fun….

You can begin your journey discovering the natural beauty of Leadbetter State Park at the northern tip of the Peninsula and continue to the southern tip in the City of Ilwaco where the mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

At the Peninsula’s north end, beginning in Oysterville, it is easy to step back in time and view the area as it was in the late 19th century. Founded on its bivalve namesake, the entire village of Oysterville was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Many of the homes along the town’s tree-lined streets were constructed from Monterey Cypress originally shipped to the area as ballast on oyster schooners.

In nearby Ocean Park, weathered, century old summer cottages (built of cargo salvaged from shipwrecks) nestle amid charming year round homes. Jack’s Country Store in Ocean Park is Washington State’s oldest store being in business for 123 years!

Several museums dot the length of the Peninsula.  America’s only museum devoted exclusively to kites, another focused on the local cranberry industry and others which highlight the area’s cultural history.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse has been guarding the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ since 1856.  But, in order to protect ships coming from the north, the US was obliged to build a second lighthouse, North Head, in 1898.

A fresh or salt water fishing trip is guaranteed to put some excitement into a visit to the Peninsula. Ilwaco, known as the ‘Fishing Capital of the West’ can accommodate 1000 sport and commercial vessels in its port.  The area is renowned for having the best sturgeon fishery in the world and the season is open year round. Salmon fishing is outstanding and Spring Chinook fisheries are very popular with anglers.

Discover the Discovery Trail, which parallels Capt. William Clark’s hike to the Pacific Ocean in November 1805, stretching from Ilwaco through the City of Long Beach.  This 8.3 mile trail features interpretive markers, an authentic whale skeleton, a 20 ft bronze tree and bronze statues. Our guests enjoy direct access to Discovery Trail as it meanders through Chautauqua Lodge’s property while it runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean.

The Long Beach Peninsula and the City of Long Beach provide a lively array of fun things to do like carnival rides, kite flying, bumper boats, horses to ride on the beach, bicycle surreys to peddle, mopeds to putt around town, trails to walk, sunsets to watch and golf to play. All of these activities combine with the sheer joy of being where the air is fresher and the pace slower. Long Beach Peninsula Visitor’s Bureau provides a wealth of information for our guests and the staff is always willing to answer questions and make suggestions. You may reach the Bureau at 1-800-451-2542 or visit the website at www.funbeach.com

Sample Events to Look for Through the Year:

• The Bluegrass Festival
• Surf Perch Derby
• SandSations
• International Kite Festival
• Rod Run to the End of the World