Ginny Hill named new general manager at The Polynesian

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Ginny Hill has been hired as the general manager of The Polynesian Condominium Resort in Ocean Shores, one of the most popular resorts on the Washington coast.

The announcement was made by Doug Nealeigh, President of Vacation Villages of America and the management company that operates the 69 unit beach front resort.

Hill, a resident of Ocean Shores, also serves on the town’s city council.

Hill brings over twenty years’ experience as a hospitality manager, including extensive food and beverage management knowledge.  Most recently, she spent 11 years as the general manager of the Ramada Inn Hotel and Events Center in Ocean Shores.  Prior to that, she helped develop, open and manage the Sleep Inn in the Tri-Cities area and worked for the Best Western there before being recruited to the coast.

“I’m very excited to join The Polynesian, a well-established resort hotel, and to continue working to welcome visitors year-round to this special place,” said Hill.

The Polynesian Resort offers beach front condominium-style suites and rooms, and a wide array of amenities, including an indoor pool, spa, game room and private outdoor playground. The Polynesian Condominium Resort‘s on site restaurant, Mariah’s, is a popular family-friendly dining location for locals and visitors.

A notable leader, in 2012, Hill achieved her professional recognition as a certified general manager, recognized by the Wyndham Hotels.   In 2002, she was named general manager of the year for small properties, by the Washington Hotel and Lodging Association.

The Gift of Special Moments

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af5be27a9d8f81d18caef033c5f3545eThis year, give the gift of special moments together.

Why not spend some of the Christmas holiday away from the traditional hustle and bustle and enjoy a peaceful visit to the coast with family and friends at The Polynesian Resort.

The apartment-style accommodations at The PolyCard-games-for-children-played-with-standard-52-card-deck. Little eco footprintsnesian Resort are ideal for groups, family gatherings and extended stays. With our sparkling and in
viting indoor pool, spa and game room, there’s always lots of indoor fun. Enjoy plenty of space in your unit to unwind, relax and ring in the New Year with cards, games, movies and family time.  Bring your binoculars for nature viewing and bird watching or cuddle up to watch a winter storm.

At The Polynesian, you can prepare special meals in your room, or enjoy
the family-friendly offerings at our on-site restaurant, Mariah’s.

Call today to see what rooms are available for your group.  And be sure to ask about holiday gift certificates for The Polynesian and Mariah’s Restaurant.

Fanta-Sea Craft Festival a Thanksgiving Weekend Tradition

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(North Coast News photo)

(North Coast News photo)

Over 70 arts and crafts booths will be open over Thanksgiving weekend, offering shoppers thousands of  unique,  handmade items just in time for the holidays.

The holiday-themed Winter Fanta-Sea Festival runs for three days, Friday-Sunday, November 27-29, with free admission at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

The center will be filled with many handmade goods and holiday shoppers.  It’s rumoured that Santa Claus himself is expected to make an early appearance in Ocean Shores to hear the Christmas wishes of kids of all ages.

Come shopping and support crafters and creatives at the Fanta-Sea Festival.

 

Great Idea! Gift Certificates to The Polynesian

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An easy Top-Places-to-Spend-Christmas-at-the-Beach-acc9f7dc290f406eaec629eac8b5a0c2to give and sure to please gift for just about anyone on your list is a getaway to The Polynesian Resort, in Ocean Shores.

“It’s a perfect gift for us to give to our grown kids and their families,” said recent guests, Holly and Jim, from Longview.   “They love it. They can use the gift certificates any time of the year, and we don’t have to worry about getting our grandkids more stuff that they really don’t need.”

Holly says she puts a lot of creativity into wrapping The Polynesian gift certificate in a large package.  She’ll add items the family can use during their getaway, like big beach towels, sand GiftCertGraphictoys, and flashlights.

In addition to lodging gift certificates at The Polynesian Resort, certificates can also be purchased for dining at our onsite restaurant, Mariah’s, Ocean Shores’  most popular dinner spot.  Mariah’s features tasty, family-dining with a complete menu from fresh seafood and choice steaks, to burgers, salads, desserts and nightly specials, too.  Dining at Mariah’s is a special compliment to everyone’s stay at The Polynesian.

Gift certificates don’t expire, so the recipients can use them any time of the year. To purchase your gift certificates, call 1-800-562-4836.  Certificates can be mailed to you or directly to the recipient.   It’s one gift that will not be returned!

Hands-on Learning: Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores

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A visit to the Coastal Innativeterpretive Center in Ocean Shores provides a fun and hands-on learning experience for all ages, fulfilling the center’s mission of promoting environmental stewardship.

The non-profit Coastal Interpretive Center is charged with educating the public concerning natural and man-made environments on the Point Brown Peninsula through the presentation of the history and ecology of coastal life.

Popular displays include Native American artifacts and basketry, rock identification tables, and several collections of shells and whalebones.  There are displays about maritime history, Japanese tsunami debris still washing ashore and information about the history of Ocean Shores.   Natural history galleries focus on seabirds, area wildlife and marine life, particularly the Orca whales that live in the waters of the San Juan Islands.

The center’s exhibits and displays captivate people of all ages and backgrounds.

The Coastal Interpretative Center is open from 11 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, now through April.  It’s open daily May through September.   The center is located on the south end of Ocean Shores, between the Marina and the community club.

A retail shop is operated on site, offering a wide variety of books and gifts.  All proceeds help underwrite the center, which is also member supported.

Visitors to the center are welcomed by volunteers who can guide you through the exhibits.   Special or larger groups are encouraged to call ahead to make reservations.

The center is located at 1033 Catala Ave, SE.   For more information, call 360-289-4617.

Fresh-Water Fishing: Duck Lake, Ocean Shores

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Chinook Park, Duck Lake   (April Swenson photo)

Fresh-water fishing on Duck Lake, near The Polynesian Resort is another great reason to stay in Ocean Shores.

In fact, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that October is one of the best months  for fishing the 27 miles of canals and lakes in Ocean Shores.

Why not make plans now to book a suite at The Polynesian Resort and drop your line in Duck Lake?

In the middle of Ocean Shores, Duck Lake is huge with plentiful wildlife and foul to catch your eye.   The lake is stocked regularly with Rainbow trout and Jumbo Rainbow Trout.  The stocked fish average 4-6 pounds each.   Largemouth Bass are more elusive.  There have been good reports on yellow perch and bluegill sunfish.

The City of Ocean Shores maintains and patrols two public boat launches.  One launch is   at North Bay Park, near the center of town.  The other city launch is at Chinook Park. Anglers can fish off the docks, embankments or launch their own vessels.  Both parks have ample parking, play areas, portable toilet and are wheelchair accessible.

The average depth of Duck Lake  is 7-11 feet with some areas in the north end reaching depths of 20-25 feet
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Fishing licenses can be picked up in town at the Ace Hardware.  A one-day freshwater fishing license for residents is just $11.35.  Non-resident fee is $20.15.

Whether you catch a fish or not, you can always wind down the day at the Rusty Anchor Grill & Pub, Ocean Shores’  favorite restaurant, where you can enjoy fresh favorites and daily happy hours starting at 4pm.

 

Bring Your Binoculars: Birding is exceptional in Ocean Shores

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Bird watching in Ocean Shores is good any time of year. But it is exceptionally interesting now as migrating shorebirds pass through the Central Washington coast.

The diverse habitat on the peninsula is exceptional.  Nowhere else in Washington do so many diverse habitats co-exist–open salt water, ocean beaches, tidal salt marshes, freshwater ponds, deciduous and conifers woods, rock jetties  and open fields.  For that reason, over 300 species of shore birds and sea birds co-exist.

A snow owl spotted in Ocean Shores.

A snowy owl spotted in Ocean Shores.

Washington State’s birds belong to 18 orders—or large groupings of related families and species.   Easy to identify online, visit BirdWeb (a site of the Seattle Audubon Society) where you can search for a specific bird by entering its name or look for birds according to their groupings.

Be sure to bring binoculars with you when you plan an autumn escape to The Polynesian Resort.   Look up and around and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll see!

Note:  Washington’s state bird is the Will Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), designated in 1951. It’s also known as the American goldfinch of will canary that live on a diet of mainly seeds.

Grab Your Mates for the Huge Irish Music Fest in Ocean Shores

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Irish Music Festival in Ocean Shores,WA

Irish Music Festival in Ocean Shores,WA

The 12th year of the Galway Bay Irish Music Festival, celebrating Irish songs, ballads, players and bands that will be flooding Ocean Shores, WA with music and fun for five days this October.

Grab your  mates—Irish or not–and book a roomy suite now  at The Polynesian Resort  for this five day festival celebrating the music, ballads and energy of Ireland.   You don’t want to miss a minute of the music and fun.

The Festival begins the evening of Wednesday, October 21st, 2015 and lasts until Sunday, October 25th, 2015. An eclectic mix of Irish bands, choirs and dancers hailing from throughout the United States, Canada and, of course, Ireland will be rounding out this year’s entertainment.

With thirty acts on 10 stages, its not just Danny Boy, anymore!   Performances are held

Performances  the Ocean Shores Convention Center are family friendly.   Over 21 shows are held at the Galway Irish Pub.   A complete schedule of performances are listed here.

This year’s headlineSeán+Keaners include Sean Kean, from County Galway, described as the`greatest musical find of the 90’s by `The London Independent.’  He is a singer and multi-instrumentalist of skill, acclaim and flair.

With blazing bag pips, mighty drums and the power of a rock bank, international performers CELTICA will also perform, taking audiences by storm with their high energy music, fire juggling and instruments with flamethrowers.    An event not to be missed.

Celtia with blazing bagpipes, drums and flaming instruments.

Celtica with blazing bagpipes, drums and flaming instruments.

 

Ever wonder about the vessels off the Washington coast?

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Orca calfs are not tracked on Ship Finder but ocean vessels are.

Ever been curious about the ships and yachts off the Central Washington coast and around Puget Sound?

Port pilots, dockworkers, ship spotters, and maritime enthusiasts rely on Ship Finder, an app that identifies commercial vessels and pleasure craft.

You can view the information online or on your smart phone.  Track a friend on a ship or boat, or just learn more about the vessels at sea.

ship finder

The Ship Finder App can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.  The App works by picking up ship feeds used by commercial and pleasure vessels to transmit their name, position and status.  The radio transmissions are sent to internet servers and uploaded onto live data coverage maps.  It’s a fun way to see all the traffic on the water.

If you have ever been curious about the ships from around the world or the yachts from afar that travel off the coast of Washington, and Harbor and Puget Sound, this is how you can learn more.

The Polynesian Resort in Ocean Shores offers ocean front suites are great for spotting vessels at sea. 

 

Razor clam digging OK’d for May 2-3

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Copalis Beach, also known as Ocean Shores.

 

Olympia  – Clam diggers got a green light to proceed with a two-day razor clam dig starting May 2 at Copalis and Mocrocks Beaches, in Ocean Shores.

The Polynesian Resort in Ocean Shores has long been a favorite of retreat for fans of razor clam digging.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the digs after marine toxin tests showed the clams on those beaches are safe to eat. All of the digs are scheduled on morning tides. No digging will be allowed on any beach after noon.

The upcoming dig is scheduled on the following dates, beaches, and low tides:

  • May 2, Saturday; 6:23 a.m., 0.2 feet;  Mocrocks (Ocean Shores)
  • May 3, Sunday; 6:59 a.m., -0.3 feet; Mocrocks (Ocean Shores)

WDFW has also proposed additional digs in May, pending the results of future marine toxin tests.

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2015-16 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.go and from license vendors around the state.

During all upcoming digs, state wildlife managers urge clam diggers to avoid disturbing snowy plovers and streaked horned larks. Both species nest in the soft, dry sand at Leadbetter Point on the Long Beach Peninsula, and on a section of Twin Harbors beach.

The snowy plover is a small bird with gray wings and a white breast. The lark is a small bird with a pale yellow breast and brown back. Male larks have a black mask, breast band and “horns.”

To protect these birds, the department asks that clam diggers avoid the dunes and areas of the beach with soft, dry sand. When driving to a clam-digging area, diggers should enter the beach only at designated access points and stay on the hard-packed sand near or below the high tide line.

Tentative upcoming digs

Proposed digs are tentatively scheduled on the following dates.

  • May 7, Thursday; 9:30 a.m., -0.8 feet;
  • May 8, Friday; 10:14 a.m., -0.7 feet;
  • May 9, Saturday; 11:03 a.m., -0.4 feet;
  • May 10, Sunday; 11:58 a.m., -0.1 feet; ,
  • May 15, Friday; 4:58 a.m., -0.2 feet;
  • May 16, Saturday; 5:50 a.m., -0.9 feet;
  • May 17, Sunday; 6:38 a.m., -1.5 feet; ,
  • May 22, Friday; 10:18 a.m., -0.8 feet;
  • May 23, Saturday; 11:03 a.m., -0.2 feet;
  • May 24, Sunday; 11:51 a.m., 0.3 feet;

 

Clamming Ocean Shores, or Copalis Beach

Clam digging in  Ocean Shores, WA

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