The Washington coast is ancient and wild. It’s a place where elk saunter across sandy beaches, waves crash over rocks, and hiking trails wind through forests so thick you can barely see the sky. It is, in short, breathtaking. You might expect a place this beautiful to be overrun with visitors, but despite its undeniable allure, tourism has never taken off here the way it has on the rest of the Pacific Coast. The California and Oregon coastlines are dotted with boardwalks and charming small towns, but for most of recent memory, there was no equivalent of Cannon Beach or Carmel-by-the-Sea in Washington. This is finally changing with Seabrook.
Perched on a bluff above the ocean, Seabrook is a unique destination on the Washington coast — a quaint community with a town square full of sweet shops, boutiques, and eateries. Despite being founded in 2004, it’s decidedly old-fashioned. It’s the type of place where you park your car and get around by foot or bicycle, waving to people you pass by. There’s a neighborly feel here that can’t be replicated in towns where you drive from place to place — a connection to the people and things around you that can only be felt in the open air.
Seabrook feels a little like a secret, since many Washingtonians are unaware of its existence. Despite living in the Seattle area most of my life, I was one of those people. Once I learned there was a picture-perfect beach town on the Washington coast, though, I couldn’t get there fast enough. I booked a two-bedroom home with my boyfriend and his parents, and we set off for the weekend. The drive from Seattle is just two and a half hours, and the trip takes you through small fishing and logging communities.
The Cottages and Town Square
Although there are a few hotels in the greater area, there are no properties in Seabrook itself. Instead, most visitors rent vacation cottages. We chose an impeccably decorated home with ocean views. The pictures online were gorgeous — and the reality only confirmed that. The views from here were so expansive that we stood in front of the windows with our mouths open like four people who’d never seen the ocean before. There was a path in front leading to the beach, but on our first night, we ordered takeout from the Mexican restaurant in town and soaked in the sunset through the window.
Everything in Seabrook is close. You can get almost anywhere in about 10 minutes, and that’s assuming a leisurely pace, so we decided to go for a walk the next day. The town square is full of specialty shops, including an independent bookstore and wine shop, a spa, and restaurants. In the summer, there’s also a courtyard full of food trucks. I’m a firm believer that dessert tastes better when you can hear the ocean, so I was sure to buy some ice cream and candy at the sweet shop.
On the way back to our cottage, we walked along sidewalks of crushed oyster shells through a few neighborhoods. Seabrook was modeled after Seaside, Florida, where “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey, was filmed. And, indeed, Seabrook is so picturesque that it does look like something out of a movie. The homes were built around public gathering spaces with fire pits — some with large lawns, others with bocce ball courts or gazebos. If you want solitude in Seabrook, you’ll find it, but if you’re seeking community, you won’t have to go far to find that either.
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