Washington Coast Guide: Beauty, Novelty and Curiosity

By Marques Vickers

Follow a picturesque adventure tour along Washington Coast’s Interstate 101 and north of Seattle Interstate 5 that captures the majesty and quirkiness of the state. The exploration begins at the Oregon border with crossing the expansive Megler-Astoria Bridge into Washington. The background and commentary from each chapter is concise and insightful giving you an intimate glimpse of a West Coast region bountiful in aesthetics and generally absent of tourist herds. Ideal for the roadtrip warrior or day-tripper.

En route, your itinerary will feature:

Natural and Historic AttractionsLong Beach Peninsula
Southwestern Estuary Marshlands and Sloughs
Ocean Shores
Point No Point Beach
Crescent Lake
Rialto Beach Tree Graveyard
Cape Flattery
Shi Shi Beach and The Point of Arches
Blakely Harbor Park

Notable Bridges and Crossing Spans
Megler-Astoria Bridge
Wishkah River and Heron Street Bridge
Agate Pass Bridge
Hood Canal
Deception Pass Bridge

Tour Attractions, Artistic Works and Oddities
Raymond Iron Sculptural Cut-Outs
Aberdeen: The Floating Cadaver Fleet of Billy Gohl
Norwegian Town of Poulsbo
Japanese-American Exclusion Memorial
Sacred Stone Labyrinth and Prayer Wheel
Fort Ward Park
Port Townsend Victorian Architecture
Fort Worden
Sequim Lavender Festival
Camp Hayden
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Fairhaven’s Haunted Sycamore Building
Bellingham: Serial Killer Kenneth Bianchi’s Killing Site
Haunted Old Town Café
Waterfront Tavern: Serial Killer’s Hideaway Tavern

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marques Vickers
• Release date: Aug 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005342425

Marques Vickers

Visual Artist, Writer and Photographer Marques Vickers is a California native presently living in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Washington regions. He was born in 1957 and raised in Vallejo, California. He is a 1979 Business Administration graduate from Azusa Pacific University in the Los Angeles area. Following graduation, he became the Public Relations and ultimately Executive Director of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce between 1979-84. He subsequently became the Vice President of Sales for AsTRA Tours and Travel in Westwood between 1984-86. Following a one-year residence in Dijon, France where he studied at the University of Bourgogne, he began Marquis Enterprises in 1987. His company operations have included sports apparel exporting, travel and tour operations, wine brokering, publishing, rare book and collectibles reselling. He has established numerous e-commerce, barter exchange and art websites including MarquesV.com, ArtsInAmerica.com, InsiderSeriesBooks.com, DiscountVintages.com and WineScalper.com. Between 2005-2009, he relocated to the Languedoc region of southern France. He concentrated on his painting and sculptural work while restoring two 19th century stone village residences. His figurative painting, photography and sculptural works have been sold and exhibited internationally since 1986. He re-established his Pacific Coast residence in 2009 and has focused his creative productivity on writing and photography. His published works span a diverse variety of subjects including true crime, international travel, California wines, architecture, history, Southern France, Pacific Coast attractions, fiction, auctions, fine art marketing, poetry, fiction and photojournalism. He has two daughters, Charline and Caroline who presently reside in Europe.

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Megler-Astoria Bridge: Expansive Crossing of State Borders

Megler, Washington to Astoria, Oregon

The Megler-Astoria Bridge is a steel cantilever through truss bridge spanning the Columbia River and connecting the states of Oregon and Washington. Constructed in 1966, the four-mile bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America and became the final segment of U.S. Interstate Route 101.

Ferry service between the two states began in 1926 and the operation was purchased by the Oregon Department of Transportation in 1946. The typical crossing required over a half-hour and did not operated during inclement weather. The bridge was designed by William Adair Bugge and required four years of construction. The construction costs were financed by tolls until they were removed in 1993, two years ahead of schedule.

Approximately 8,000 vehicles and bicycles cross the bridge daily and during one day in October, pedestrians are allowed to cross during the Great Columbia Crossing. The bridge features 8 main spans and 33 approach spans. The width is 28 feet.

Long Beach Peninsula: Fisherman’s Historic Paradise

Long Beach

Tracing the ocean shoreline at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River, the Long Beach Peninsula is the longest contiguous beach (28 miles) in the United States. Separating the peninsula from Washington’s inland coast is Willapa Bay, the source for half of the state’s harvested oysters. Fishing is a major recreation activity of the region. The Peninsula features the largest salmon run in the world. Other sport and shellfish fish include halibut, cod, sardines, tuna, anchovies and razor clams.

Long Beach was originally called Tinkerville after the community’s founder H. H. Tinker, whose son became the first mayor. The Ladies Union Aid Society constructed the Long Beach City Hall in 1914. The structure was relocated in 1922 when the city became incorporated. It was donated to the community in 1947 with an expressed prohibition against dancing or card playing.

Historically, the isthmus has been renowned as a destination camp for Portland regional tourists. Lacking any vehicle roadways between Oregon and Washington, visitors arrived via the Columbia River on the T. J. Potter stern-wheeler. The trip commenced from Astoria, Oregon arriving into Ilwaco, Washington where passengers then transferred into Long Beach by coach. Remnants of the wooden docks are still visible near the entrance of the Megler-Astoria Bridge.