"Ocean Shores" Ocean Shores by Johnscarroll

Ocean Shores is a small resort and retirement community located on a peninsula between Grays Harbor and the Pacific Ocean in Washington State. About 4000 people live in this low-key town. And it's about a 2.5 hour drive from Seattle during good traffic.

I own a condo here and always enjoy using my place as a quiet get-away. Ocean Shores is not sophisticated or exciting. Mostly families and middle class couples visit. They are attracted by, of course, the beach and the quiet.

This section of the Washington coast is marked by low hills, marsh lands, tide flats, small lakes, canals, and mile after mile of grassy dunes.

Fifteen minutes to the north, the terrain changes. There the beaches are distinguished by sandy bluffs, rocky outcrops, and towering coastal cedar and hemlock.

Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rainforest are 45 minutes north of Ocean Shores.

The weather in OS is mild and wet. Summers are cool and dry, though fog and coastal clouds often cover the area. The best time of year to visit is the spring or fall when rains are light and sun is often plentiful. Winter wind and rain storms can be brutal. During the summer, a passenger ferry connects Ocean Shores with the community of Wesport, located just across the harbor entrance to the south.

Me and my pooch

I think the best thing to do in Ocean Shores is walk on the beach. If that isn't enough, try the Musuem of the North Coast (a tiny grassroots museum). Go to the OS Interpretive Center, see a movie (cheap!), go kyaking on Duck Lake and the canals, play golf, or shop in the art galleries (I recommend Fusion and Marjulie),

• Pros:Quiet, inexpensive, plenty to do
• Cons:Not a quaint coastal village, poor service in some restaurants
• In a nutshell:A good weekend getaway