LONG BEACH ong Beach is a fun place, famous in the Northwest for its eccentric charm, its bustling summer sidewalks, its many festivals and soaring kites. It also is a place of incredible natural assets: miles of beach, dunes and forests. Founded in 1880 by Henry Harrison Tinker from Maine, Long Beach has been a resort town since the beginning. Unlike many “beach” towns, Long Beach is a place with a solid core of reality — the people who make their homes here love it. It is, first and foremost, a community. When you visit Long Beach, what you’ll experience is a bright little town that happens to be on the beach. Visitors to the Peninsula inevitably gravitate toward Long Beach for its shops and the many activities geared toward families, teens and children. This is where you’ll find amusement rides, horse rentals, go-carts, video arcades, bumper cars and other traditional beach fare. Long Beach also has much to appeal to mature visitors, such as its famous boardwalk, the great paved Discovery Trail along the crest of the dunes, and a nice variety of art galleries, gift stores and restaurants. If you’ve been here before, come again and see how much Long Beach has transformed in the past few years. If you haven’t been here, come take a look. You won’t regret it. Long Beach has many motels, B&Bs and RV parks, so finding a place to stay is rarely a problem. But on festival weekends, be sure to have a reservation and to check in early in the day. WHERE FAMILIES MAKE MEMORIES L WHEN IN LONG BEACH BE SURE TO VISIT THE FAMOUS BOARDWALK, THE GREAT PAVED DISCOVERY TRAIL AND THE NICE VARIETY OF ART GALLERIES, GIFT STORES AND RESTAURANTS. Spectators enjoy the City of Long Beach's July 4 fireworks show. The beach also is the scene of massive amateur fireworks displays over the holiday. Please respect the beach, neighbors and coastal wildlife by picking up debris and keeping celebrations within polite bounds. — NATALIE ST. JOHN PHOTO A GOOD TIME DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE Pick up your FREE info Packet at the Visitors Bureau in Chinook or Seaview (intersection of Hwys 101 & 103) • Settle in for some people watching. Leading sites include benches along the boardwalk and anywhere in fun downtown Long Beach. • Take a romantic walk on the boardwalk and Discovery Trail, enjoying the sounds of the surf. • Hit the many yard and garage sales. • Stop by real estate offices and daydream about owning your very own piece of heaven. • Columbia Pacific Farmers Market Fridays June to Sept 29. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Veterens Field in downtown Long Beach. VISITLONGBEACHPENINSULA.COM 10 • DISCOVERY COAST 2017-18 • www.chinookobserver.com EVENTS GUIDE MAP