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Things to Do Without Leaving the Vacation Rental - Right on Puget Island!

• Relax and watch the ships go by! There are several websites that are fun to visit to learn more about the ships. The Columbia River Ship Tracking Page helps you find what ships might be coming soon. The Columbia River Bar Pilots Website has pictures and descriptions of the different types of ships on the river. And, the Columbia River Pilots Page has information about ships as they travel up and down the Columbia River.
   
• Enjoy a leisurely bike ride. Puget Island is about a 15-mile full-circle ride. Cathlamet is an easy 7 miles one-way.
   
• Go birdwatching! The Robert W. Little Nature Conservancy Preserve is just up the street (watch for bald eagles, osprey, the great blue heron, and lots of ducks and geese).
   
• Just hang out with friends and family! The vacation rental has lots of games and puzzles, a video library, books on local history, birdwatching, and chickens(!), kids' story books, satellite TV, and high speed internet access.
   

	Enjoy browsing in antique stores and gift shops, relaxing over a latte or ice cream cone, or going out to dinner. Marvel at the giant ships passing by on the mighty Lower Columbia River. Climb Mt St Helens and pilot a tug boat at the local school playground.
	The Town of Cathlamet (population 500) sparkles at sunset and is connected to Puget Island by a bridge. There are lots of beautiful, historic churches in Southwest Washkington. Discover movie sites, such as the Rat Tap Tavern ,where "Men of Honor" was filmed.	Hover Cursor Over Each Photo to Enlarge or Click Here for More Photos!

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Looking for Naturally Raised Meats and Fresh Produce? Visit Some Local Farms

• Learn about Washington farm life and local history! Homesteaded by a local Norwegian fishing family, the Farm at RiverMile39 has been a dairy and a sheep ranch. Now, there are cattle in summer and fall, migrating geese in winter, and chickens, goats, barnyard cats, deer, eagles, and osprey year round.
   
• Interested in agritourism? Enjoy Farmer's Markets? From May through October, Puget Island has it's own Two Island Farm Market on Friday afternoons, where you can buy meat, chicken, eggs, produce, and fresh-baked, artisan bread directly from local, Wahkiakum County farmers.
  
  Quite a few free-range, grass-based farms in our area of Southwest Washington specialize in grass-fed beef, soy free pork, pastured poultry, goat, eggs, and fresh flowers and vegetables.  Their animals are naturally raised in healthy, stress-free settings for people who want to know how and where their food is produced.
  
  This top quality food will remind you of the "flavors of times gone by."   Click Here for a list of these local farmers and start eating healthier today!

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There's Lots to See and Do in Downtown Cathlamet, WA

• Cathlamet is a picturesque town overlooking the Columbia River, on Hwy 4, 20 miles west of Longview, WA. Established in 1846 as a trading post, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery also stopped here to trade with the local Cathlamet and Wakiakum Indian tribes.
   
• Take time to explore and browse the quaint shops, antique stores, art galleries, and gifts shops.
   
• At least 3 movies were made in Cathlamet: Men of Honor (2000), Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), and Come See the Paradise (1990). The movie sites are marked. From SR 4/Main Street, turn down toward the river onto Broadway and walk to the dock. You'll see the signs about the movies on the buildings in that area.

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And...Here Are More Activities and Attractions in Downtown Cathlamet, WA

• Take in Cathlamet history! Visit the Julia Butler Hansen House, the Pioneer Church, the local cemetery where Chief Wahkiakum is buried, and other historical sites and riverfront parks.
   
• The local historical museums are filled with photos and exhibits about the early days of logging, fishing, and dairy farming. They also have guides and info on the local Lewis and Clark sites you can visit, plus a walking tour map of historical homes.
   
• Take a box lunch down to the Cathlamet Waterfront and watch the tugs on the river and amazing summer sunsets.
   
• Go golfing!
   
• Take the kids to the fantastic, community-built, playground at the J A Wendt Elementary School or cool off at our public swimming pool, adjacent to Wahkiakum High School.
   
• In the summer months, take a free trolley ride around Cathlamet and over to Puget Island. Catch the trolley at the Cathlamet at 3, 4 or 5pm on Friday afternoons from May through October.
   
• Check out the boats and the view at the Elochoman Slough Marina - a walk through Strong Park, adjacent to the Historical Museum gets you there in 5 minutes.
   
• When you're done exploring, don't forget to relax at one of our many coffee houses and restaurants, where you'll find your favorite latte, sandwiches, burgers, full dinners, Chinese and Mexican food, take out pizzas, and, for the adults, micro brews and other favorite beverages.

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Explore Skamokawa, Grays River, Rosburg, Altoona in Wahkiakum County and other towns along the Lower Columbia River

• River Runners: There's nothing to compare with kayaking or canoeing in the Lower Columbia Estuary and or through the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Refuge, ecotourism at its best. Several tour operators on Puget Island and in Skamokawa offer guided tours or rental equipment. Stop by the Wahkiakum Chamber in Cathlamet for more information a brochure about the Lower Columbia Water Trail.
   
• Backroad Explorers: Turn off the main highway and you'll find beautiful farms and old-time barns. And, don't forget to drive through the Gray's River Covered Bridge.
   
• Fishing and Hunting Enthusiasts: Some of the best fishing and hunting in the US is in this area. For the fishermen, we're located between Buoy 10 (downstream) and the Wauna Powerlines at River Mile 40 (upstream). For more informationon regulations and updated fishing reports, check out the WDFW Website for Region 5/Southwest Washington.
   
• Wildlife, Birders, and Nature Lovers, Artists, Photographers, and Painters: Drive, bicycle, or kayak through the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge for Columbia White Tailed Deer - you won't be disappointed.
   
• History Buffs: Explore the campsites of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, visit Fort Clatsop, Fort Columbia, or the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.
  
  Click Here to follow an incredibly beautiful picture log of the Lewis and Clark Trail.
  
  Click Here to read more about what Lewis and Clark had to say about Cathlamet and Puget Island in their Journal on November 7, 1805.
   
• Just want to take it easy? Try a walk or a hike at Skamokawa Vista Park. Or, how about walking or bicycling around Puget Island or on the Bradley Mountain bike trail off Beaver Creek Road?

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Don't Forget Longview WA, the Puget Island Ferry to Westport, Clatskanie, and Astoria, Oregon, the Lewis and Clark Trail, Long Beach WA, and Mt St Helen's!

• Longview, Washington is just 45 minutes from Cathlamet. And, from Longview, it's just another 45 minutes to Vancouver, WA and Portland, Oregon. As Longview says, there are 100-plus Things to Do in Longview, including the Cowlitz County Historical Museum, one of the most complete historical museums about the history of the logging, farming, and fishing industries in southwest Washington and the beautiful Lake Sacajawea, with its 3.5 miles of walking trails, Arboretum, Japanese Gardens, and summer concerts on the lawn.
   
• Take a ride over to Astoria and other Oregon River Towns on The Wahkiakum Ferry (360-795-3301), the last remaining ferry on the Lower Columbia River - just $3 per car! Here are more pictures of the Puget Island Ferry that docks in Westport on the Oregon side.
   
• While on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, stop by the Bradley State Scenic Viewpoint, about 15 miles west of Clatskanie, and get a fantastic birds-eye view of Puget Island and the Columbia River.
   
• Take in the sights and smells at the Shooting Star Lavender Farm in Clatskanie, Oregon
   
• Visit the historic Flippin Castle in Clatskanie, Oregon
   
• Go horse-back riding on the beach at Long Beach.
   
• Ride the trolley and visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum and other local attractions in Astoria, Oregon.
   
• Enjoy a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants in Astoria, Oregon, and watch the big ships go by on the Columbia, one of the great American rivers.
   
• Learn about volcanoes at Mt. St. Helens, where the Johnston Ridge Observatory offers a close-up view of the volcano - within 2 hours of Cathlamet, WA
   
• Take day trips along the beautiful northern Oregon coast to Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon Beach, and the Tillamook Cheese Factory and its amazing gift shop, the Olympic National Forest, or the Historic Columbia River Highway, heading east between Portland and the Dalles. Each of these are moderately long day-trips from the Farm at RiverMile39 and well worth the time!