still usually hiding behind a coastal overcast. On Tuesday we had a nice sunny day but the wind was blowing about 35 mph. I suppose that’s the reason they have a kite festival here every summer. Tuesday we tried fishing at Black Lake, just south of here in Ilwaco. Worked (sic) at it for a couple hours but didn’t get any bites. First time I have fished in at least 10 years.Since we will be leaving here in a couple days I will devote a big part of today’s dialogue to “Recommendations for the Long Beach Peninsula.”
Long Beach Elks Lodge - Located right in downtown (all of three blocks) Long Beach. The bar is open everyday but there is not much more going on there. We (us, the Purscell’s and their friend Russ) did have dinner there both Friday and Saturday, the only times they serve meals. Friday was a buffet which was surprisingly good for five bucks. Three different entrees, salad and sides. We had heard that Saturday night was normally steak night, but this past weekend they had prime rib. Not bad, but kind of small portions for $12. Both meals were well attended, but (as would be expected) mostly visiting members and guests. The few regular local members who were working the lodge were pretty friendly. All in all, if you’re an Elk worth at least one visit.
M
arsh’s Free Museum - Also located in downtown Long Beach, Marsh’s harkens back to the “good old days” when the main highways were two lane and the tourist traps abounded. The place is a “gift shop” with the ususal beach-town souvenirs and tourist kitsch, but it is packed to the ceiling (quite literally) with a variety of collectibles and oddities. Among the things you will see: A shrunken head from Jivaro Indians in South America, "Mary Lou," a complete human skeleton discovered in someone's closet in Aberdeen, the Wyoming Werewolf (a cleverly modified deer butt), and a baby lamb with eight legs and one head. Around the shop are a variety of mechanical peep shows, old carnival type Test-Your-Love-Power coin op machines, and a rather large collection of rare antique music players. Also look for "Morris the Cat" - Named after the TV pet food commercial feline, Morris was the store pet until he died. Then he became the store's stuffed pet. The oddity most advertised is Jake the Alligator Man. Purported to be a mummified half man, half alligator, he resides in a glass case against the back wall. You can buy Jake shirts, Jake cups, Jake glasses, Jake bumper stickers, and Lord only knows what else. Worth a visit. By the way, some of the info in the above description was “borrowed” from Roadside America, a most interesting web site which describes all that is weird along America’s highways. If you’re into the odd and interesting, be sure to check their web site (www.roadsideamerica.com) to research the interesting places and things which might be near your destinations.Chen’s Chinese Restaurant - Located on the main highway at the north end of Long Beach. We had noted that there were always a lot of cars in the parking lot. The Purscell’s told us the food was good, so on Tuesday night we went there with our little group. We got dinner “A” for $9.95 a head for five people. Soup, egg rolls the size of burritos, fried rice, and three entrees. There was enough food for ten people and it was some of the best Chinese I have had in years. Jackie and I took home the leftovers and had a full meal the next day as well. Highly recommended, even though my fortune cookie had nothing in it! Not sure what the cosmic meaning of that was, but I worry a little.
Ocean Park Eagles Lodge (Aerie) - Karoke on Wednesday night. Our new friend Russ is an Eagle as well as an Elk, so we went for the Karoke last night. Started and ended early (5 - 9) but they had a lot of people there with about 20 singers in the rotation. Some pretty good, some not so much! Very inexpensive place to party - they sold big orders of french fries for a buck and wings for two bucks. The drinks were cheap too, although strangely variable in price. Jackie (Absolute rocks) and I (bourbon & 7) had several rounds and the price was never the same. First $5, then $4, then $5.25! Since the average was under $5 I didn’t complain. Dave the Karoke guy was a friend of Jim (Nofish) Anderson, an friend we met “on the road” this past winter. Nofish lives in White Salmon, Washington and we stopped to see him before we went to Long Beach. Jim shares my love of Karoke and we had gone to the White Salmon Eagles for some singing during our visit. He told us about Dave and the Ocean Park Aerie. Dave signed us in as guests. I am considering joining an Eagles Aerie since there seems to be a whole lot of them around (at least here in the Northwest) and they appear to be very active, more so than most of the Elks Lodges. Very friendly place, recommend you stop in if your in the area. Ocean Park is about ten miles North of Long Beach.
World’s Longest Beach - The only beach in Washington on which you can drive, there are a number of access roads along the peninsula. We took a little drive on it shortly after we got here,
but the weather has not been conducive to spending much time on the beach. I have this thing about driving on beaches - must be some hold-over from the beach-party movies and my crush on Annette Funicello in my early teen years. We drove on several in Florida last year and again in Pismo Beach, California earlier this summer. (The only California beach you can still drive on)Neptune Theater - The only movie theater in Long Beach, the Neptune is a two-screen box with what have got to be the most God-awful theater seats I have ever sat in. They look ordinary, but when you sit down you immediately rock back on springs to a reclining position only a few degrees short of horizontal. I felt like an Apollo astronaut preparing for take off. Very friendly staff, but the popcorn was cold and you need a cervical collar to enjoy the movie with those seats. NOT recommended!
Tomorrow Bill and Lynette arrive so I suspect that there will be some major partying to report on in a couple days. Peace out, as the rappers say!
