Wanderlust Traveler: Ocean Shores, Washington

The beach at Ocean Shores, Washington.

We spent three days visiting Pacific Beach, which is located south of Olympic National Park and north of Ocean Shores on the Washington State coast. During this weekend getaway we spent a half-day down at Ocean Shores.

I also have two other entries from the trip that discuss our time spent in Pacific Beach and our visit to Lake Quinault.

Ocean Shores was only recently developed in 1960 as a summer-home/retirement community.

While in town, we stopped in and ate lunch at Bennett's Fish Shack. The restaurant appears rather dull and rundown from its exterior but was actually surprisingly nice inside: bright, clean, and decorated in a charming nautical theme. All four of us were completely starved by the time we sat down to eat so we ended up ordering quite a bit of food. I selected the Best of the Best (Cranberry Coast Salad, 1/2 Dungeness Crab and Cheddar Melt Sandwich, & a Cup of Clam Chowder), Shyawn had the Hand Breaded Halibut, Liz ordered the Battered Cod, and Adam requested the Famous Crab Cakes, the Fish Taco, and a bowl of Clam Chowder! We all thought that Shyawn's choice of the Hand Breaded Halibut was definitely the winner of the meal. I also really enjoyed my Dungeness Crab and Cheddar Melt Sandwich. If you are a seafood fan and happen to find yourself in Ocean Shores, Grayland, or Westport, definitely make your way over to Bennett's!

Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

Famous Crab Cakes from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

Fish Taco from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

Bowl of Clam Chowder from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

Battered Cod from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

Hand Breaded Halibut from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

The Best of the Best from Bennett's Fish Shack in Ocean Shores.

On our way out of town, after spending some time at the beach, we stopped in at Murphy's Candy and Ice Cream for some ice cream. In addition to serving homemade ice cream, this local joint also sells dozens of flavors of saltwater taffy. The ice cream was good, but definitely not as great as we were hoping for. Additionally, the staff on duty that evening were unfriendly and almost rude, which was disappointing and surprising considering how important tourists are to Ocean Shores.

Murphy's Candy and Ice Cream in Ocean Shores, Washington.

Ocean Shores is most well-known for its beach, which is wide, expansive, and flat. In comparison to the beach at Pacific Beach, I found it to be quite boring due to the lack of terrain. However, the city does allow vehicles to drive upon the beach which is prohibited at most other beaches in Washington State. Adam drove his car onto the beach but we almost got stuck in the sand so we instead parked the car and then walked to the beach where the boys spent quite a bit of time flying Adam's kite again.