Westport is a small Washington coastal town whose observation tower, perched at the Pacific Ocean’s edge, is one of the best storm-watching locations in the state. The maritime town also has the largest marina on the Pacific Northwest outer coast, with room for 500 boats. We’d long been considering a visit there, and finally did this year, partly as a road trip for our new car.

We started and finished the trip with lunch at a characterful McMenamins restaurant, one in Olympia and the other in Centralia. We reached Westport through Nirvana‘s hometown of Aberdeen, whose welcome sign encourages visitors to “Come As You Are”. In Westport, we had an enjoyable meal with local brews at Blackbeard’s Brewing Taphouse overlooking the marina, and of course, visited the viewing tower. We returned home the next day via State Route 105, first taking in the Pacific coast views and the following the Willapa River east.

Below are highlights from March 28th through 29th, 2025. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

3/28/2025

McMenamins Spar Cafe Position: 47°2.70’N, -122°54.06’W A delicious lunch at McMenamins Spar Cafe in Olympia en route to Westport, WA. McMenamins is a Pacific Northwest chain of brewpubs, restaurants, music venues and hotels, many in historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. After visiting the McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma, we’ve come to quite like the brand.

Chehalis River Position: 46°58.66’N, -123°47.88’W Passing alongside the Chehalis River en route to Westport. Several times during the 19th century, plans were introduced to use the river as part of a canal system between Olympia and Grays Harbor on the coast, but none came to fruition.

Come As You Are Position: 46°58.86’N, -123°46.90’W Entering Aberdeen, WA, the hometown of the band Nirvana, en route to Westport. “Come As You Are” was added to the sign in 2005 on the 10-year anniversary of lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death.

South Bay Position: 46°51.86’N, -124°3.68’W View north into South Bay in Grays Harbor as we approach Westport on the Washington west coast.

The Office Position: 46°54.56’N, -124°6.99’W James getting a little work done in our room at the Westport Inn, with a view to the Westport Viewing Tower and Grays Harbor in the distance.

Westport Viewing Tower Position: 46°54.67’N, -124°7.04’W The Westport Viewing Tower provides a 360° view to Grays Harbor and Westport and is an exciting place to watch big waves crack into the breakwater during winter storms.

Half Moon Bay Position: 46°54.69’N, -124°7.05’W View to Half Moon Bay in Grays Harbor, and the Pacific Ocean in the distance, from the Westport Viewing Tower.

Westport Harbor Marina Position: 46°54.69’N, -124°7.05’W Westport Harbor Marina, seen from the Westport Viewing Tower.

Blackbeard’s Brewing Taphouse Position: 46°54.57’N, -124°6.84’W Local brews before a tasty meal at Blackbeard’s Brewing Taphouse in Westport.

Fishing Boats Position: 46°54.50’N, -124°6.69’W Westport Marina is often in the top 10 commercial seafood landing ports in the country, with a fleet of roughly 180 commercial fishing boats and 5 processing plants.

Westport Maritime Museum Position: 46°54.49’N, -124°6.69’W The Westport Maritime Museum is housed in the original Coast Guard station for the area, that in 1972 moved to a new facility nearby.

Gray Whale Skeleton Position: 46°54.47’N, -124°6.73’W Skeleton of a yearling gray whale at the Westport Maritime Museum. The animal was roughly 30 feet (9 m) long and weighed 3,500 lbs (1,600kg) when it died.

Floats & Traps Position: 46°54.51’N, -124°6.85’W Colorful assortment of crab traps and floats, ready to deploy, streetside in Westport, WA.

3/29/2025

Breakfast Position: 46°54.56’N, -124°7.00’W Our room at the Westport Inn had only a microwave, but we wanted a full breakfast. So we tried two microwave recipes for making scrambled eggs and bacon. They turned out remarkably well, comparable to stovetop-cooked, and we had a pretty good breakfast.

Oceanside View Position: 46°43.87’N, -124°3.56’W At the Oceanside View overlooking Washington’s Pacific coast, en route from Westport to Seattle.

Johns River Wildlife Area Position: 46°44.41’N, -123°58.61’W The Johns River Wildlife Area encompasses 11,200 acres (4,500 ha), and is home to a wide range of wildlife from big game to songbirds, plus native fish populations.

Shellfish Gathering Position: 46°43.72’N, -123°57.22’W Several groups were taking advantage of low tide to gather shellfish.

Willapa River Position: 46°40.94’N, -123°45.69’W Fishing vessels moored along the Willapa River as we pass through the town of Raymond, WA.

Raymond Wildlife Heritage Sculptures Corridor Position: 46°41.42’N, -123°43.89’W For the past 30 years, 3 local artists have been creating and installing metal sculptures throughout the town of Raymond. Over 200 statues make up the “Raymond Wildlife Heritage Sculptures Corridor”, depicting the culture, heritage and wildlife of the area. We really enjoyed driving through the area and encountering each piece of artwork.

Weyerhaeuser Position: 46°41.34’N, -123°43.99’W Weyerhaeuser has been a major employer in Raymond for over a century, at a mill site that has been in operation since 1870. The mill produces about 200 million board feet (19 million board meters) per year of coastal Douglas fir lumber.

Minis Position: 46°37.67’N, -123°3.54’W Passing a convoy of Minis as we near Chehalis, WA on Highway 6.

Centralia Fox Theater Position: 46°42.91’N, -122°57.28’W Starting in the 1920s, Fox Film Studios built a large chain of often ornate movie theaters throughout the US. The Centralia Fox Theater, established in 1930, was the largest theater between Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA and attracted both touring shows and blockbuster movies.

Round Oak Stove Position: 46°43.00’N, -122°57.23’W We had lunch in another McMenamins restaurant on the way home, this one in Centralia. The Olympic Club Hotel opened in 1908 and has remained virtually unchanged since an opulent remodel in 1913. McMenamins still operates the hotel, and converted the former card room into the Olympic Club Pub where we had lunch. This is the original Round Oak wood stove, a top-of-the line heating product around the turn of the 19th century.

Faucets Position: 46°43.00’N, -122°57.23’W A complex arrangement of elegant faucets in the women’s bathroom at McMenamins Olympic Club Pub in Centralia.

Urinals Position: 46°43.00’N, -122°57.23’W Original early 1900s porcelain urinals at McMenamins Olympic Club Pub in Centralia. It’s funny that we both took photos of the bathroom here.

Centralia Position: 46°43.36’N, -122°58.16’W Centralia, WA became known as “Hub City” in the early 1900s for its location at the intersection of several major railway lines and strategic position midway between the cities of the Puget Sound and the Columbia River.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.