HOME
The Lodge
The Cottage
Our Guestbook
Our Bookstore
Check Availability
Make a Reservation
Govt Per Diems
Today's Weather
Monthly Averages
You Can Live Here!
Houses for Rent for
Extended Stays &
Corporate Rentals
What To See & Do
Watch a Video!
Explore the Area
Lots of Fun Links
Enjoy Local Events
Tim's Woodshop
Guest Reviews
& Testimonials
More Photos!
CONTACT US
|
|
Explore Cathlamet, Skamokawa, and Southwest Washington
We're a Little Out of the Way, But Worth the Adventure!
Cathlamet is located just off Hwy 4 about 30 min's west of Longview, WA and 90 minutes from Portland, Oregon.
-
Click Here
to Watch a Video About Wahkiakum County
- Long Beach, the Pacific Coast, Seaside, and Astoria, Oregon are each about an hour to the west.
- Skamokawa WA, gateway to the Lower Columbia Estuary, is 20 minutes west of here.
- Across the Columbia River, the Oregon towns of Knappa, Westport, Port Westward, Clatskanie (along the Clatskanie River), and Rainier, are just a 10-minute ferry ride away.
- We're 2 hours from Olympia and about 3 hours south of Seattle, WA.
- The nearest major aiport is PDX, Portland, OR, about 90 minutes away.
So much to do...so little time! So, take a deep breath, look up on a a clear night,
see the Milky Way, and marvel at thousands of stars you never saw before. Whatever you decide to do, you'll be creating
memories to last a lifetime... or at least until your next visit!
Back to Top
Things to Do Without Leaving the Vacation Rental - Right on Puget Island!
- Relax and watch the ships go by! Or, visit these websites to learn about the ships.
You can see which ships are coming soon on the
Columbia River Ship Tracking Page or on the
Google Version of the Ship Tracking Page. .
The
Columbia River Bar Pilots Website has photos and descriptions of the different types of ships. And,
the
Columbia River Pilots Page has information about ships currently on 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).
- Hang out with friends & family! Each home has games, puzzles,
a video library, books on local history, birdwatching, and chickens(!), kids' story books,
satellite TV, and wireless internet. On a clear night, you'll see the Milky Way & 1000's
of stars you probably never saw before!
| |
Come relax in our garden, where you'll find
berries, fruit trees, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins,
and other vegetables, herbs, & flowers to pick.
The restored milk shed is now the chicken coop!
Marvel at the giant ships passing by
on the mighty Lower Columbia River.
Tour the farm, feed the chickens, and search for
their eggs. You'll be intrigued by the variety
of chickens we have and how beautiful they are.
|
| |
Enjoy browsing in antique stores and gift shops,
relaxing over a latte or an ice cream cone,
or going out to dinner.
Turn off the main highway, explore the backroads,
and you'll find beautiful farms and old-time barns.
Buy fresh, locally-grown produce, meat, and
flowers at the Farmers Market on Puget Island.
Fridays, 3-7pm, May-Oct, on W Birnie Slough Rd.
|
Hover Cursor Over Each Photo to Enlarge or
Click Herefor More Photos!
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Back to Top
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.
- You're invited to tour our farm, feed the chickens, and search for their eggs.
Many guests are intrigued by the variety of chickens we have and how beautiful they are.
Some of the rare and unusual breeds you'll see include
Araucanas (they lay blue, teal, and green tinted eggs -
I call them our "Martha Stewart" eggs),
Cuckoo Marans (they give us the dark, terra-cotta colored eggs),
Blue Cochins,
Polish (with the beautiful "hair do's"),
Lakenvelder,
Mille Fleur, and
Rhode Island Reds.
Their coop is the original milk shed built around 1920 for the dairy that was on this farm. We
carefully moved this miniature historical barn to our garden area and
lovingly restored it to its former Norwegian splendor. There's
a photo of the coop in the photos further up on this page.
To learn more about these wonderful breeds of free range chickens who give you fresh eggs and how you can start your own flock (yes,
they can be delivered to you in the mail!),
visit McMurray Hatchery's website.
- 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!
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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.
Back to Top
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 and 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 Print a Map of the 8 Lewis & Clark sites in Wahkiakum County.
Click Here
to follow an incredibly beautiful picture log of the Lewis and Clark Trail, including
Cathlamet,
Puget Island, and
Skamokawa.
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?
Back to Top
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 on the Pacific Ocean on the Long Beach Peninsula.
- Ride the trolley, visit the
Columbia River Maritime Museum, board and get a 20-minute tour of the
US Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC-630) - docked near the 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!
|