On Pioneer Road

One of the things that makes our area unique is the lack of Big Industry (as in Industrial Revolution type industry) here. No factories dotting the shores of Willapa Bay. No oilrigs along our long stretch of  the Pacific. And none of the population density problems that accompany such development. Thank goodness, say I!

Traditionally our economy has been based on our natural resources – timber, fishing, oystering, cranberry farming – and, other than the addition of tourism, they still are our most important underpinnings. This weekend, we have the possibility of seeing one of these economic biggees up close and personal! The cranberry harvest!

Cranberry Harvest 2014

At the Cranberry Museum on Pioneer Road, harvest will be in full swing on Saturday, October 10^th. Visitors are welcome. Not only can you see cranberry farmers in action on the bogs, you can visit the Cranberry Museum, learn about the beginnings of commercial cranberry growing in the days of Anthony Chabot and John Peter Paul. To say nothing of the Gift Shop!

Somewhere in the vicinity, I will be signing books from 11:00 to 1:00. Featured, of course will be C is for Cranberries which is a basic history and how-to manual written for those who would like to know more about this mainstay of our Pacific County economy. But I’ll have other books available, too – specifically Ghost Stories of the Long Beach Peninsula. (After all, as everyone knows, cranberries and ghosts and October all go together!)

Fresh Cranberries!

And, don’t forget that the Cranberrian Fair will be happening this weekend, as well, at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. In fact, if you begin there you can take the Cranberry Trolley over to the Cranberry Museum for lunch and a meal catered by The Cove and… me! Here’s what the CPHM website says:

A celebration of local harvest including all things cranberry kicks off the Fall season on the Long Beach Peninsula, October 10 and 11, 2015 from 10 am until 4 pm. Foods, crafters, bog tours, and more will showcase the area’s rich heritage during this popular fair. Collectible Cranberrian Fair buttons are $5 each and cover admission to all events at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum. The Cranberry Museum is free.

Hope to see you Saturday! Here’s your chance to learn first-hand about cranberries which, when you think about it, is an opportunity not so readily available with timber, oystering, or even commercial fishing. With cranberries, on this particular weekend of the year, you can be right in the thick of it!