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Page A—38 - Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020
ON THE
Towering cliffs,
fringed white
by cormorant
droppings,
join Cape
Disappointment
Lighthouse in
overlooking
Waikiki Beach,
a popular
swimming and
surfing spot in
Washington’s
Cape
Disappointment
State Park.
- Journal photo
Mark Woytowich
Cape Disappointment far from a letdown
can’t reveal the entire
backstory for why I chose
Cape Disappointment for
my first road trip in almost a
year. Suffice to say it marked
an anniversary of an earlier
time when I actually sought
out the place because I felt
suicidal and, thanks to its
catchy name, wanted to drop By MARK
WOYTOWICH main drag, literally, where
off the edge of the World here
— which, geographically, it
sort of is. p
In fact, just last week (and emo-
tional light years from feeling sui-
cidal) I stood before a brass plaque at
the Cape Disappointment Interpre-
tive Center indicating that this place,
indeed, holds the legendary honor of
being the edge of the continent and
the end of the New World, at least as
far as Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark were concerned, arriving by
land here with their Corps of Discov-
ery Expedition just in time for winter,
1805. ‘
Of course Cape Flattery, in north-
ern Washington, juts farther west into
the Pacific Ocean.
vHowever, Cape Disappointment,
with its two lighthouses and dark,
turgid Columbia River fanning miles
Wide and dangerous as ever. It has
claimed more than 600 ships in what
sailors still call “the Graveyard of the
PacificOcean.” This Cape has a name
with a reputation to match.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Cape Disappointment, despiteits
strong, suggestive name and mega
popularity as a Washington state
park and tourist destination, isn’t the
kind of place many local businesses
fashion their own names after. For
instance, you will not find a Cape Dis-
appointment Wedding Chapel here,
nor a Cape Disappointment Marriage
Counselor, driving school or even a
hospital or dental clinic trading on its
name.
Up the road barely 3 miles, how-
ever, you will find the crazy, camival-
like, tourist—trap town known
as Long Beach, with its T-
shirt shops, dozens of restau-
rants, taverns and doughnut
shops, kite, museum, noisy go-
kart track, heavily lacquered,
life-sized wooden Bigfoot
carvings ($1,500 each), putt-
putt golf course and mini
merry-go-round, all on the
cars crawl through town from
sunup till sundown.
Here crosswalks are crowded with
tourists, moms holding kids’ hands
while their kids hold onto snow cones
or helium balloons, teenagers laugh-
ing and rushing to join their friends,
tattooed bartenders and white-
aproned cooks catching a mask-off
break in their own beer gardens, old,
tired grandmas sitting on benches
’with cigarettes slanting from their
lips, empty-eyed and sighing as they
watch over toddlers at the many
trite, kitschy pocket parks filled with
oddball art such as ceramic turtles
crawling over metallic stools beside a
cement pond with its fountain pump
no longer pumping.
Long Beach is Hoodsport on ste-
roids.
One major difference, however: Lo-
cal authorities know how to handle
trash and they know how to handle
crowds. They’re not closing the beach-
es or lighthouses down.
SETTLING IN
We decide to stay two nights at a
sad, frumpy block of little buildings
called the Seaview Motel &' Cottages.
We overpay but are happy to know
where we are sleeping that first night.
“We” are myself and Hood Canal
photographer George Stenberg, who
is five weeks from knee replacement
‘ surgery and has been convinced ‘by
me to take his new knee out for a trial
spin.
I even bought him his walker — $5
at Nifty Thrifty — which he only used
for a few days. In exchange for his
nights of what my wife calls the How]-
watch ships from allover the world
wrestle their way over the Columbia
professional “coverage” of my Cape
Disappointment reunion, I premise
togaidehim toxzsome mpsshelfljght- ...bar as they chug up the
mightyaiuan...
house photos, provided the weather
cooperates. MISERY ATTRACTS COMPANY
Well, the weather was fine and
George did great, by the way. In ad-
dition to the three-hour drive, he
walked over a mile each day. He also
made it through two consecutive
Despite the trick knee, George
nearly jumped for joy when we found
the beachbelow fabled Cape Disap-
pointment Lighthouse. /_¢ ,
“I’ve seen other photos taken here,”
he said. “This is the pla ‘ "hereiyou
can get shots of reaflffilgaves.”
We took a break upon our dis—
covery, sitting at a picnic table and
chatting about how we’d get into posi-
ing Shore Storm —— thus the more
expensive cabin with two bedrooms
separated by a sliding, buffering door.
George would have paid extra for a
sound proof booth. tion once the sun got lower toward
evening.
FIRST-CLASS PARK Nearby, a man our age was root-
For the record, Cape Disappoint— ing in the back of his van, opening
ment has to be one of the most funded and eating from a tin of sardines. He
and most developed state parks ' glided over and introduced himself as
Washington has. To the best of my David, from Ohio, now six weeks into
knowledge, no other state park has a solo road trip, ostensibly to visit
his
its lakeside campsites, hot showers, daughter in San Francisco.
heated change rooms, bait and snack A few minutes into talking, how-
store, family yurts and sheer number ever, he admits to failing to see his
of camping options, and a dreamy, child, spurned somewhat by messy
soft-sand sheltered beach below tow- family politics involving a meddling
ering cliffs and an historic lighthouse, ex-wife.
making it a living postcard in addition “I came all this way to see
her,” he
to a top surfing draw. said, “and she doesn’t get how much
Am I missing something? Yes, the she means to me. I tell you it nearly
Discovery Trail, which meanders killed me. I was so disappointed, and
northward, far past the car-laden you aren’t going to believe this, but I
stretch of surf bordering Long Beach looked at the map that night and saw
— anyway, within park boundar- ‘Cape‘ Disapp‘ointment’ up the
coast,
ies, the Discovery Trail is a highly» and something about the name and
groomed and banked ribbon of Ameri- how I felt, I just knew I needed to
cans with Disabilities Act asphalt that come here.”
winds among hills, dunes and craggy OK, Cape Disappointment Suicide
bays, providing a high level of access Hotline, now there’s a name that
‘
to beach trailheads, scenic overlooks, sticks.
as well as the North Head Lighthouse. More about this adventure in my
Where not paved and bicycle- \ next column.
friendly, the park offers other trails
that follow jagged cliff tops, past
weird, warped trees that have with-
stood winds up to 150 mph.
You also have a World War II com-
ponent to the park, with old military
lookouts and bunkers similar to those
at Fort Worden State Park. From
some of these structures you can
I Mark Woytowich‘is a writer, pho-
tographer, video producer and author
' of “Where Waterfalls and Wild Things
Are.” He lives in Potlatch with his “0n
the Trail” column appearing every oth-
er week in the Journal. Reach him at
his website, www.wherewaterfallsare.
com, or by email at eyefive@hctc.com.