For bird watchers, annual migrations offer the best chance to see rare or exotic birds. As they travel either north or south, depending on the season, humans can spy unusual birds, often in large flocks. One of the four largest shorebird staging areas in North America, the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Hoquiam, WA offers an experience to inspire awe in even the most casual nature lover.

The cornerstone of this town’s history is the Polson Museum. Situated in the Polson family’s mansion on two acres of land, the museum includes gardens, a hillside trail, and various buildings. The museum has carefully collected several thousand artifacts from local history and materials for research. The mansion itself was built in 1924 and has 26 rooms, including 6 bathrooms. The building has been a museum since 1976 when the Widow Polson donated the property to the town.

Also on the land are a couple of replica buildings. The first, a replica of the Polson Logging Company’s blacksmith shop, houses two steam donkeys from the steam-powered logging era. The second, the Railroad Camp, will house the Polson’s heavy machinery collection. Also, it will have photographs showing how life was throughout the history of the Polson Logging Company.

For a glimpse into another part of town life in early Hoquiam, one must visit the 7th Street Theatre. Originally built in 1928, the theater once offered vaudeville acts and was the first theater in Washington capable of showing the innovative “talkie” movies. The theater was designed to look like a Spanish garden, including a ceiling painted to resemble the sky with lights as stars. Within the past 25 years, the theater has been lovingly restored. Now, visitors can watch classic movies and concerts while surrounded by old fashioned splendor.

The spring is the best viewing season as visitors can see sandpipers, falcons, dowitchers, dunlin, and red knots, as well as many other birds. In winter, birds spotted include geese, ducks, and hawks. The best viewing times at the wildlife refuge is from two hours before to two hours after high tide.

In fact, the bird watching is so awe inspiring at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge that the town of Hoquiam has established the annual Shorebird Festival. During this fair, visitors can attend lectures and receptions, shop at a bird related market, and participate in an auction. Several field trips around the area take place during the week to educate people about shorebirds and their habitat. The Shorebird Festival takes place during the spring migration and is a great time to share with others with similar interests. Bird lists are available to help visitors spot and identify various species.

Of course hunting is a popular sport in the Northwest. The lakes and rivers of Grays Harbor provide sites for hunting different types of waterfowl. The surrounding forests offer chances for hunting large and small game. Hunting guides can help visitors bag deer, elk, and even bear.

Washington State is rich in natural beauty. Everyone from a casual observer to the hardiest nature lover can find something to enjoy. The shorebird migration is the high point of the year for the outdoorsman in Hoquiam, and the sight of hundreds of thousands of birds should not be missed.

Ascertain moreover about Wade Entezar. Or, get info on new developments from Wade Entezar.

categories: real estate,development,investments,tourism,site seeing,parks,pic nick,water sports,family,travel,vacations