One of my favorite west coast weekend getaway locations is Long Beach, Washington. This hidden gem is a scenic 5 hour drive from Vancouver, 3 hour drive from Seattle, and only a 2 hour drive from Portland. What makes this place so wonderful? The obvious answer is the beach. With over 28 miles of sandy waterfront it is easy to see why this is THE attraction. Beyond enjoying the sun and the waves, what to do? Well friend, there is no shortage of interesting and odd things for you to discover in this little town. With that let me share my favorite things to do in Long Beach Washington:

Bike Tour

What better way to get around and explore? Get your cruiser bike and stroll the town for some eats or take a ride along the beautiful beach front boardwalk. This is a must do. Roads and trails are flat so no need to worry about working up a sweat.

Clamming

Get your clam diggers on and grab a bucket. Clamming is incredibly popular on the Long Beach peninsula as the delicious crustaceans are easily accessible. One of the most popular things to do in Long Beach for sure. Once you get your fill stick around and enjoy a bonfire on the beach where you can cook them and eat them as fresh as they can be.

Run on the Beach

Erin and I happened to visit this year during the annual Beach to Chowder Run…which is exactly what it sounds like.  Participants run a 5K or 10K course along the beach and then chow down on free clam chowder at the finish line. Amazing right? This was something that we could not pass on so we signed up, ran a great race, then attempted to keep down some heavy soup. It was an experience to say the least and we had a blast.

Horseback Riding

You could run on the beach (like a sucker) or you can rest your gams and ride horseback. There are a few operators in town that will take you up and down the beautiful coast like a cowboy. Giddy up.

Drive on the Beach

There is something truly liberating about admiring natural beauty…then driving over it with your 4×4 vehicle. Driving on long Beach is very popular and a great way to transport all that is needed for your picnic, bonfire, or clamming.

What else to do in Long Beach? How about:

Fly a Kite

There is no shortage of real estate or wind for one to fly a kite in Long Beach. There are plenty of places to pickup a cheap kite and take it for a spin, including the World Kite Museum – the only museum of its kind in America. Yup kites are a big deal in Long Beach, so much so that there is a festival held each year dedicated to all that is kites. Every last full week in August the Long Beach sky is filled with colorful kites flown by people from around the world. This is truly a unique and fun event.

Enjoy the Weird

There is absolutely no shortage of odd things in Long Beach. There is of course the famous and free Marsh’s Museum which features a bizarre collection from stuffed creatures to vintage fortune telling machines. This Museum has been entertaining guests since 1935 (1935!) and is the resting place for Jake – The Alligator Man. This half-man, half-gator is kind of a big deal in Long Beach as residents and visitors celebrate his birthday every year with a weekend long bash. Odd? You bet. Awesome? Absolutely.

Long Beach is also home to many antique stores – so many that even the antique stores have antique stores. There you can find many interesting items from the past to treasures that have washed up on the towns shores making it a popular to do in Long Beach activity.

Get your Goonies On

Just across the Colombia River is the quaint  town of Astoria, Oregon. This historic port town is home to my childhood favorite movie, The Goonies. You can find several filming locations around town including the “Goonies House” where much of the opening scenes were filmed. The town still backs this movie over 25 years later as in 2010 the mayor of Astoria declared June 7th  Goonies Day…so its not just me.

If thirsty and looking for something to do in Long Beach head over to the Fort George Brewery for a pint of the “Truffle Shuffle” stout.