GGHI conducts Showcase Grays Harbor tour of North Beach

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Nobody is quite sure who coined the phrase, “be a tourist in your own backyard.” In the 1939 film Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says, “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

Last Friday, Greater Grays Harbor, Inc., (GGHI) took that sentiment to heart and conducted a tour of North Beach with stops at the Coastal Interpretive Center and Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort in Ocean Shores, Seabrook and Lytle Seafoods in Hoquiam.

Three tour buses provided by Grays Harbor Transit departed from Immanuel Baptist Church in Hoquiam shortly after 8:30 a.m. Guests included GGHI members, County Commissioners Georgia Miller, Rick Hole and Vickie Raines, County Administrator Sam Kim, banking industry professionals, Port of Grays Harbor employees, Grays Harbor PUD staff, city officials such as Aberdeen Mayor Douglas Orr, private citizens and more.

“We have a lot of great hidden areas in Grays Harbor County and we love to get out and show off what we’ve got available, especially the parts of the county people don’t see,” Darrin Raines, GGHI CEO, said. “This year with all of the exciting things that were going on in North Beach we wanted to get out and showcase the city of Ocean Shores, the Coastal Interpretive Center, we wanted to get out to Seabrook which is absolutely amazing, and here at Lytle Seafood. I didn’t even know how big of an operation they’ve got, 40-plus employees shipping product all over the world.”

The first stop was the Coastal Interpretive Center (CIC) in Ocean Shores where Mayor Frank Elduen, City Administrator Scott Andersen and CIC Executive Director Jacob Baker addressed the assembled tour group.

Elduen and Andersen provided an overview of the rapid growth the city is experiencing, along with the erosion issues along the north shore of Oyhut Bay. They also discussed how Ocean Shores can get overlooked or taken for granted by residents of Grays Harbor County.

“It’s really important, there are a lot of people who haven’t been here, it’s our opportunity to show everything in the city we have to offer for visitors and what we’re doing as far as the growth and improvements for the city,” Elduen said. “We’re happy to have this event. It’s a unique community.”

“Ocean Shores is a place that if you haven’t been here in five years, you probably don’t know all the changes that have happened in this community. We’re growing and we’re reaching our potential,” Andersen said. “Not a lot of places have what we have to offer. We’re a destination for families, for couples who want to come out, whether they want to come out and kayak during the day and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening and eat fine food, or you want to come out with the kids and play on the beach and then go to amusement parks and bumper cars and play mini golf. We have a lot to offer. There’s a lot to do in Ocean Shores that people don’t know about.”

Baker talked about the importance of the CIC and its role in research and education when it comes to the local ecosystem and its flora and fauna.

“We are an important partner of federal, tribal, state and local agencies engaged in natural resources, and we connect them to individuals and community groups who are working in community education and stewardship,” Baker said. We’re really excited that everyone from across the Harbor could come today to see our museum in person but also take the lesson home with them that we will meet people where they are geographically, culturally, socially, and economically across Grays Harbor. We get a lot of repeat visitors who find new details in the same displays, additionally we’re always making annual updates.”

After hearing about the city of Ocean Shores and the mission of the CIC, guests spent some time touring the inside of the CIC before walking out to the cobble berm that was constructed earlier in the year to help with erosion issues.

The buses then rolled a short distance to Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort where guests were treated to refreshments in the new event center while Chief Executive Officer Jason Meersman led a presentation about Oyhut Bay’s lines of business including food and beverage, retail, and real estate. Meersman also talked about development of outdoor spaces and upcoming projects like an ice cream parlor and quick service burger bar.

Then it was on to Seabrook which was roughly a 30-minute ride north along state Route 109. Tour guests disembarked and walked up the hill along Sunset Amphitheater Park. While Kit’s Catering Kitchen served lunch, Seabrook Marketing Director Lily Walsh provided an update on construction, real estate, and business and economic development. Seabrook, founded by Casey and Laura Roloff, recently celebrated its 21st anniversary.

After lunch and ample time for tour participants to wander Seabrook’s streets and interconnected sidewalks and visit the various shops and establishments, it was off to Lytle Seafoods in Hoquiam.

While taking in the view at Grass Creek’s North Bay outlet and learning about the local oyster population, tour goers were afforded the opportunity to mingle and sample grilled and raw oysters and purchase seafood and other fare at Lytle’s retail store.

Raines, the commissioner for Grays Harbor County District 3, relished the chance to show off the district she represents.

“I think it’s really important, we have a special type of county, with a lot of tourism. We have gems like the seafood we’re experiencing at Lytle Seafood. Seabrook has its own niche area, but getting people out of their regular environment and out into the community is good for the businesses, and it builds knowledge and tourism in and of itself,” said Raines. “I have the best district in the county and we have a lot of unique places in the county from the Olympic mountains to Lake Quinault, Seabrook, Ocean Shores, and even off 109 at Lytle Seafood. (People) want to come here and visit. I like being out amongst the people and showing them what Grays Harbor has to offer.”

Then it was back on the buses for the return trip to Immanuel Baptist Church in Hoquiam after a full day of touring, feasting and learning about the treasures that can be found in your very own backyard.