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	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, 3-6pm, May-Oct, on W Birnie Slough Rd.	Hover Cursor Over Each Photo to Enlarge
	Take a ride from Puget Island to Westport, Oregon, to visit Astoria and other Oregon River Towns on The Wahkiakum Ferry, the last remaining ferry on the Lower Columbia River. Just $5 per car!  (360-795-3301) Birdwatch at the Robert W Little Nature Conservancy Preserve on Puget Island. Watch for bald eagles, osprey, the great blue heron, and lots of ducks and geese. Take a box lunch down to the Elochoman Slough Marina where there are always some beautiful boats docked. Or head to the downtown Cathlamet waterfront to watch the tugs.
	There are lots of beautiful, historic churches in Southwest Washington. This is Our Saviours Lutheran Church on SR409 on Puget Island, Cathlamet, WA. Climb Mt St Helens and pilot a tug boat at the J A Wendt Elementary school playground. The Town of Cathlamet (population 500) is connected to Puget Island by a bridge. Much of the Cathlamet waterfront reflects the original industries of those who settled here: logging, fishing, and dairying.
	Go fishing! It's world-class on the Columbia River. The photo says it all! Drive through the Grays River Covered Bridge on Loop Road in Grays River.  The valley around the bridge is very beautiful. Don't forget to go kayaking! You can rent kayaks and canoes, or bring your own. There are miles of sloughs and creeks to explore.
	Follow the trail of Lewis and Clark. There are 8 sites in Wahkiakum County with informative kiosks.  This one is on the beach at Skamokawa Vista Park. Discover movie sites, such as the former Rat Tap Tavern, where "Men of Honor" and several other movies were filmed. The local historical museums are filled with photos and exhibits about the early days of logging, fishing, and dairy farming. They also have info on local Lewis and Clark sites, plus a walking tour map of historical homes.

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

• 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 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 information 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?

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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 $5 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 Lodge at RiverMile39 and well worth the time!