Hi Everyone! We are the Fontes Four Pack, an adventurous family of four living in Salt Lake City, Utah! Andy and I have loved traveling our entire lives, and now as a family of four, we love experiencing new cities and locations with our 5-year-old twin boys. This past May, we took a family trip to the adorable fishing town of Westport, Washington, and fell in love! This was our family's first time visiting Westport. From walking the docks and miles of empty beaches to enjoying locally owned businesses, it is a true hidden gem, untouched by the corporate environment and filled with local artistic curiosities.
We flew direct on Alaska Airlines from Salt Lake City to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The flight was quick with our kiddos, who love traveling (especially the plane snacks). Despite being a larger international airport, we found it easy to navigate as a family with new spacious terminals and a train that brought us right to baggage claim. Right outside the terminal, we hopped on a bus for a short ride to the SeaTac Car Rental Facility and walked straight to our car with online check-in. The process was simple, and SeaTac is located right off Interstate 5, which took us on a scenic ride to the coast. In two short hours, we were enjoying the sunset on Westport's beach!
Sea Bird Gift & Candy
This locally owned gift shop was our first stop when walking the marina boardwalk. We all were craving something sweet and were instantly drawn into the shop by the vast amount of salt water taffy! They had so many different flavor options to choose from. Both of our boys each received a bag to fill with all their favorite flavors. I am also a huge fan of fudge and ended up getting five squares because I was having such a hard time deciding between all the different flavors (plus it was buy 4 get 1 free, and I couldn't resist). Beyond all the sweets, this shop also had so many wonderful Westport souvenirs!
Merino's Seafood Market
I have three words to describe this market - amazing fresh seafood! This locally owned market sells a wide variety of locally sourced seafood caught by Westport fishing vessels! You can order from the retail counter to take seafood to go or sit down and relax in their upper-level cafe to enjoy delicious food from their menu. This became our go-to lunch spot, and everything we ordered was fantastic! We ordered the half Dungeness Crab, fish and chips, their version of a tuna melt as well as a few varieties of their seafood cocktails. They offer beer on tap from the local brewery, Blackbeard's Brewing Co., which was so refreshing on a hot day. Merino's also specializes in premium canned seafood. They employ a "Fin to Tin" mentality to ensure that each hand-packed can of seafood is the best available. Before our lunch arrived, we tried a can of tuna, which was some of the best we have ever had! It was so fresh and full of flavor.
Seafood Connection (On Float 8) Crabbing
Crabbing as a family was one of our favorite moments from the entire trip to Westport! Never crabbed before? Neither had we, but we were excited to try something new with our kids and were so happy we did! The local businesses were very friendly and happy to help us with the appropriate gear needed. Seafood Connection is located right on Float 8 dock and where we geared up for the experience. In addition to fresh, locally sourced seafood, they offer Crab Pot rentals for $15 per day and have $3 bait bags as well. We were a little hesitant to grab the backs of the crabs the very first time pulling them up, but over time felt more comfortable with each catch. Our boys were so excited every time we pulled up crabs and loved watching them scurry around the dock as we let the ones that were too small to keep crawl back into the water. Crabbing at sunset was the best way to end the day and experience life like a local!
Details to keep in mind when crabbing off the docks in the marina: You must have a valid fishing license. Marine Area 2 has a daily limit of 6 Dungeness Crab, 6" minimum size (you can purchase a small crab ruler that makes measuring easy), males only, and in hardshell condition. All areas have a daily limit of 6 Red Rock Crab, 5" minimum size, of either sex.
The lighthouse is uniquely nestled among the pine trees and is an amazing part of Westport history to tour! The Grays Harbor Lighthouse is the tallest in Washington State and has 135 spirling steps leading up to the lantern room. Westport will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of its lighting on June 30th. The lighthouse construction was completed in 1898, and unlike many lighthouses, the Grays Harbor Light still houses the original 3rd order clamshell-shaped Fresnel lens. This lens was incredible to see in person and so impressive. Our tour guide was also great and taught us so much about the lighthouse's history. The views from the top were fantastic, and we were lucky enough to have a clear day and had 360' views for miles! I will note for families planning their trip to the lighthouse that for safety reasons, all climbers must be at least 40" tall and at least five years old to climb the lighthouse.
International Mermaid Museum
It wouldn't be a trip to Westport without visiting the International Mermaid Museum! The museum is located just 11 miles from the Westport marina off Highway 105. The museum is dedicated to teaching ocean ecology from the seashore to the sea floor, immersed in mermaid mythology, unifying oceanic cultures. There were so many different displays to explore, including many donated mermaid-related items. Our boys loved seeing all the mermaid displays, and the museum also has an interactive mining display. Each of our boys picked out a mystery bag that was full of gemstones and fossils hidden within the sand-filled bag to sift through in the running water troughs. The boys were able to keep their treasures and still talk about them at home.
Westport Winery Garden Resort
The Westport Winery is located next door to the Mermaid Museum and offers local wine tasting along with beautiful gardens throughout the property. After trying a few delicious wines, us dads each ordered a glass to enjoy while wandering the many different gardens available. The gardens were great for our entire family to enjoy, with winding pathways through vibrant colored flowers and plants with sitting areas throughout. Our boys loved exploring each area, and the more we looked, the more details we noticed in the designs of the gardens.
Japanese Glass Fishing Floats
"We found pirate treasure!" our boys yelled as they found a Japanese Glass Float along the beach! The rental property where we stayed for four nights, Wandering Dunes - Perennial Vacation Rentals, is located right along the shore, and our family spent time on the beach every day, beachcombing for shells, seaglass, and glass floats or "pirate treasures" as our boys would say.
Every year the Westport South Beach Historical Society releases authentic Japanese glass fishing floats along the Westport Beaches with the goal of tidal landings, and beach finds during the beachcombing season from January - May. The floats are hand etched with the year of release (For example, this year was labeled with WSBHS 2023) to identify floats released from the program as opposed to what locals refer to as "Truly Wild" floats that are still found every now and then by beachcombers.