OLYMPIA – Cape Disappointment State Park and the Columbia River Maritime Museum invite the public to celebrate Graveyard of the Pacific Weekend Oct. 24-25 at locations throughout the Columbia-Pacific area. Activities include a sea shanty camp, maritime programs, maritime music, ranger talks and exhibits. The Columbia River bar area earned the name “Graveyard of the Pacific” after more than 2,000 vessels met their end where the river meets the Pacific Ocean.
Cape Disappointment State Park
· Oct. 25, 1 p.m. – Bill Hanable, historian and author of “Lighthouses and Life Saving on Washington’s Outer Coast” will present a slide show at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Hanable will be available for a book signing after the program.
· The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center features ongoing exhibits that include artifacts from Columbia River bar shipwrecks, a life-saving service boat that is more than 100 years old and a first-order Fresnel lighthouse lens. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 adults, $2.50 ages 7 to 17 and free ages 6 and under.
· 10 a.m. to 3 p. m., Thursdays through Sundays – Tours of the North Head Lighthouse. Tours cost $2.50 per adult, free ages 7 to 17.
Fort Columbia State Park
· Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – “Sea Shanty Camp of the Columbia,” students learn about the history and performance of maritime music. Some of the talented regional instructors for the camp include: Hank Cramer, Mary Garvey, Hobe Kytr and Captain Matt Moeller. Participants may reserve a boxed lunch by calling (360) 642-3029.
· Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. – “An Evening of Maritime Music” featuring the instructors of the “Sea Shanty Camp of the Columbia.” Admission is free.
Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria, Ore.
· Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. – “The Archaeology of Shipwrecks,” a program presented by Dennis Griffin, State Archaeologist with the State Historic Preservation Office, Salem. For information call (503) 325-2323. Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors (over 65), $5 ages 6 to 17 and free ages 5 and under.
Cape Disappointment State Park is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers 27 miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails.
Fort Columbia State Park is a 593-acre day-use historical park with 6,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River. The park provides beautiful views of the Columbia River estuary, an interpretive center, an observation station and five miles of hiking trail.
The Columbia River Maritime Museum offers exhibits pertaining to the maritime heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information call (503) 325-2323 or visit www.crmm.org
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks the public for supporting state parks. Donations made to State Parks through the vehicle license tab renewal program will keep state parks open in the 2009-2011 budget cycle, provided adequate revenues are collected. The Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. The 96-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.
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