Coastal charmer: With plenty to explore, Ilwaco a worthy destination for a day trip – or better yet, an overnight stay

Our family has always zipped through the Washington coast town of Ilwaco on our way to Long Beach, but last month we decided to stop and see what we’d been missing. We found a busy little town full of waterfront restaurants, shops and galleries — a worthy destination for a day trip or, better yet, an overnight stay.

Ilwaco sits at the elbow of the Long Beach Peninsula, with a southerly view across the mouth of the Columbia River. Ilwaco does have a few businesses dotting Highway 101 (aka Spruce Street), but the most scenic and lively portion of the town hugs the Port of Ilwaco marina.

It’s easy to spend a whole day in the brightly painted buildings on Waterfront Way, overlooking the hundreds of boats bobbing among tidal ripples. However, I do have a word of advice for Ilwaco day-trippers: Get an early start because many harborside places close at 4 p.m., even on Saturday. We didn’t arrive until early afternoon and we wished we’d had more time to linger in each location. Starting in May, visitors can pick up organic produce and artisan goods at the Ilwaco Saturday Market.

Our first stop was the crowded pub at the Salt Hotel. We coveted a table by the window with a view of the marina but alas, the only available seating was tucked into a corner. We split the fish and chips, filets of cod coated with thick, crunchy batter and chunky, skin-on fries, and enjoyed brief glimpses out the window whenever a table would empty.

Thus fortified, we worked our way eastward along Waterfront Way. We popped into Time Enough Books, a small but charming independent bookstore with plenty to keep customers browsing. Kids will love the snug alcove full of toys where I was tempted to stop and spend a few minutes, but it would have embarrassed my husband, so we moved on.

I’m not an expert knitter, but I do enjoy looking at colorful yarn, so we peeked inside Purly Shell Fiber Arts. We were greeted by the most magnificent and 100 percent organic fuzzball of all time: a huge, fluffy Great Pyrenees, who calmly accepted our pets and head scratches. The yarns were also attention-grabbing: rainbow-hued sock yarn; angora, alpaca and merino yarn; handspun and naturally dyed yarn; and myriad other yarns that I don’t know enough about to describe, but they were beautiful to behold and soft to touch.

We were still fully caffeinated from coffee we drank en route to Ilwaco, but that didn’t keep us from slipping into 3 Otters Coffee Company (slogan: “You otter be there”). It’s a breezy, welcoming spot with comfy furniture inside and bright yellow café chairs outside on a weathered front porch. The store is a haven for local artists, who sell ceramics, jewelry and other handmade goods in the shop. Next time I’ll stay for a latte, brewed with Sleeper Coffee from Astoria.

I couldn’t wait to get inside the Marie Powell Gallery, judging by the vibrant colors I spied through the window. I was lucky enough to meet Marie Powell herself, who was in the gallery that day. She showed us ceramics by David Campiche and basketry by Susan Spence, then gamely posed for a photo next to one of her own works: a richly-hued painting of chinook salmon. Powell also shares her space with Vancouver artist Gregory Gorham, known for his vivid oil paintings of boats and coastal scenes.

Powell recommended we visit the recently opened Drop Anchor Bistro. It’s owned by Ilwaco’s youngest-ever mayor: Eddie Hillard III, just 25 years old. Hillard was happy to chat about his hometown and seemed to embody the town’s youthful energy. However, the hip boutiques, hotels, galleries and eateries lining the harbor belie its long history.

From fishing town to tourism hub

Originally called “Unity,” Ilwaco was established in 1868 and incorporated in 1890. The town’s name is inspired by Elowahka, daughter of Chinook Chief Comcomly. The region swelled with money from fishing and canning in the 1900s but shrank again after fish stocks declined. There’s still a small canning operation on the waterfront — Sportsmen’s Canning, where sport fishers can process their catches — and the port is a hub for fishing vessels, but now the town is a big draw for tourists eager for a bit of coastal culture.

“We might have had a quiet few years, but we are bustling now,” Hillard said. “Ilwaco is coming back with our own unique identity.”

An Ilwaco native, Hillard owns Drop Anchor Bistro with his mother, Cindy Hillard, the mastermind behind the best oatmeal cookie I’ve ever eaten. It was big, chewy and full of plump raisins, tangy cranberries and flakes of coconut. Hillard himself cheerfully took our order and noted the use of local ingredients. (Indeed, there are several cranberry farms on the Long Beach peninsula and if you’ve got time to spare after visiting Ilwaco, check out the Cranberry Museum, 2907 Pioneer Road, Long Beach.)

At this point, it was getting late and we wanted to visit the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum before it closed. I was excited to see the current exhibit, “From Tin to Table: The Art of Salmon and Oyster Labels from the Matt Winters Collection,” on display through April 18. The exhibit showcases a mind-bogglingly massive collection of vintage salmon and oyster label art. Winters, publisher of the Chinook Observer, has been amassing the labels for decades. Most of them are in mint condition with deep colors barely dimmed by time.

But labels aren’t the only thing to see at the museum. I was riveted by the exhibit about Gerard D’aboville, the first person to row solo across the Pacific Ocean, from Choshi, Japan to Ilwaco, a harrowing 133-day journey in a 26-foot rowboat. He capsized nearly 40 times but made it to the Washington Coast on Nov. 21, 1991.

Other permanent displays include exhibits about the Chinook Nation, a model village, an N-scale model railroad and galleries highlighting stories about the region’s history of fishing, oystering and logging. Visitors can also see the Nahcotta, a completely preserved passenger coach built in 1889, once part of the historic “Clamshell Railroad” that traveled up the Long Beach Peninsula.

We then drove back to the harbor to peep inside At the Helm Hotel and Waterline Pub, a high-end boutique hotel with spa facilities and a restaurant serving seafood specialties and coastal fare. I got to see inside one of the rooms. The sumptuously made bed looked soft as a cloud but the true star was the view out the sitting room window, straight across the harbor. The “wellness suite” also piqued my interest: a private, wood-sided jacuzzi in one room and another room across the hall with a massage table and sauna.

We ended our day with a long walk around the marina. We spotted a heron and several buffleheads, small black-and-white sea ducks. I had what I thought was the bright idea to watch the sunset in the nearby town of Seaview.

Sadly, our Pacific idyll was ruined by the steady rumble of cars and trucks on the beach, revving engines and spewing exhaust. Next time, we’ll stay in Ilwaco with the buffleheads.