Ocean Shores

As far as the Washington coast was concerned, Ocean Shores was about all Jim knew. Probably. Pretty much.
Well, Ocean Shores and maybe Long Beach. If you had played the lightening round of that popular game show "Name Any Washington Beach" with him.

It was our first summer together. And Ocean Shore was the first Washington Coast beach we visited.

A day trip, it was a mix of kite flying, shell hunting and real-estate-flier-gathering. It was terribly windy. From the part of the beach we flew Jim's fancy-nancy stunt kites (that are frankly even harder to fly than they might appear), we could see a small group setting up for a beach wedding. Those dresses whipped and swirled in the very predictable Washington beach wind.

Jim ruminated that day about what it might be like to have a home in Ocean Shores. And also a place to sleep in the Puget Sound area to be close to work, on those days necessary.

Maybe I'm in denial but I don't remember how much I reacted to this prospect. I'd like to think that I didn't go, "Ocean Shores? Ew!"

In the way that there are cat people and dog people, I believe there are Ocean Shores people and Westport people. I feel like I spent a good deal of my children's formative years in both places. And so I can say with some authority...I have always preferred Westport.
Okay maybe dogs and cats wasn't the best comparison. Maybe the Beatles and the Stones.
Ocean Shores served its purpose in a more superficial, inconsequential, family vacation-y type of destination for us as a young family.

From my fond perspective, Westport is a quaint and quiet fishing village. Perhaps a bit economically depressed. I speculate that this decline keeps Westport small and less attractive to vacation home builders and buyers. I do not wish the struggle of financial troubles on most people and not at all onto the people of Westport but in some ways have I hoped it will always have that lack of commercial appeal to developers. I doubt that it does. I’ve never known Westport to have any kind of chain or franchise-y business. Wait, I have to take that back. I believe there is a True Value hardware and probably well-recognized gas stations.  

But no fast food chains. No slow food chains. No God-in-heaven-forbid Walmart, Fred Meyers, Winco or Motel 6. Please never!

Anyway, back to our show.

Jim, poor dear, had never been exposed to any Washington beaches other than Ocean Shores. And he was sold. Ocean Shores was a desirable location to buy a home or piece of land. 

I am patient. I knew I’d get a chance to show him the light.