Grays Harbor College, Ilwaco

I wouldn’t say that it was exactly ‘with fear and trepidation’ that I waited for the bus yesterday at Grays Harbor College in Ilwaco. But I certainly had some degree of angst. It was to be my first experience taking one of the Continuing Education “Edventure” classes on a day-long outing. I was not sure what to expect.

Edventure Bus

I am here to report that it was a wonderful day! Even though I was the one leading the way and imparting information, I felt myself embraced by the group almost immediately. For one thing, we were ‘of an age’ and it all harkened back to the summers I taught Elderhostle classes on Historic Oysterville. Somehow, there is a fine line between teacher and learners when you’re old enough to have shared a lifetime of common experiences.

The class was listed this way on the Grays Harbor website:

The Continuing Education department of Grays Harbor College is offering the next EDventure to the original Pacific County seat, historic Oysterville. Did you know that mid night raiders kidnapped the county records in 1893? Local author, Sydney Steven will be guiding our tour , through the community located at the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula on the Willapa Bay side. Join us for lunch in the original Oysterville church built in 1892. Other historical stops include Nahcotta, Ocean Park, and Seaview. 

Edventure Group in Oysterville

History buffs will be able to spot the little errors in that announcement but the eight ‘students’ – all from the Aberdeen- Hoquium-Raymond area and all ‘transplants’ to the Northwest – knew very little about Oysterville or about the Peninsula in general. They were eager for information – the most willing students ever! And, I can’t say enough about Bus Driver David Blum! He made life easy for all of us.

Bus Driver Dave

A few of the participants had been to Long Beach during the Clam Festival earlier this year but, otherwise… they were here to learn and to enjoy! (Several did know about my Uncle Willard Espy’s book, Oysterville, Roads to Grandpa’s Village and, I am gratified to say that one woman mentioned my Dear Medora book! I tried not to act all puffed up!)

Pride of Purchase

We spent most of our time here in the village – toured ‘the loop,’ visited the church, ate in the parsonage, peeked in the post office, and browsed in the Oysterville Store. All the while, I talked and explained and even told the Chinook Indian legend about the creation of the Peninsula (with apologies to Tony Johnson for my mispronunciation of ChinookWawa.) We had time to go out on the Nahcotta Dock, to look at the Door House in Ocean Park, to drive out the Klipsan Approach right by the old Life Saving Station and to drive along K Place in Seaview for a glimpse of the fine old cottages there,.

Of course, we went right through Downtown Long Beach where we glimpsed kites flying over the beach and stopped briefly (by request) at the Cottage Bakery where most everyone loaded up for the return trip to Raymond. We were back in Ilwaco with seven minutes to spare so we drove past the port and around toward the boat launch for a look at all the boats in the harbor.

It was a grand day! I’d do it again in a nano-second!