that's not the whole coast; it's cliffy (and gorgeous) in ONP. plus you were there when it was sunny. try it in the gloom, and you'll see why its not gentrified.

also native reservations: la push is semi-decent and has lodging, but taholah and neah bay are pretty depressing and off-putting to many (meaning old white people with money). which is probably how the residents want it.

You realize we also have the longest, non-road paralleling/accessible stretch of beautiful, rugged, and rocky coast in the entire continental USA, right? What you did would be like judging all of California's beaches on some crowded, trashy beach in LA County.

Kathleen; A group of us have been going to a resort a dozen miles north of Ocean Shores for years. One section of the beach is closed to cars. We've walked it dozens of times. This year it shocked me that it was so barren. The beach had all the things you mentioned: Kelp, shells, jellyfish, etc. This year nearly nothing except several dead seabirds of the same species in a one mile stretch. Apparently they're starving to death. Much of this is likely the result of 'the Blob', a huge area of very hot water off the coast stretching from southern Oregon to beyond the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The warm surface water is killing fish due to lack of mixing. This prevents the water from getting oxygen. In addition the warm water causes diseases to proliferate.

"I wonder how much longer it’ll stay that way."
Well, considering that the entire coast line, flat as it is, can be wiped out in about 15 minutes by tsunami, I suspect that anyone with money isn't going to invest in a sure loss.
Another difference is that California is basically BUILT on the coastline, whereas all our urban-splendor is pretty far inland. Additionally, the timber companies own a lot of the land out their for their trees-crops. They'd be none too happy to have a bunch of yuppies out there in B'n'B's.
IMHO.

@2: "We'll pay for them using the taxes of the patriotic rural folk"
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Have you noticed how it's King County (and a few other Dem-leaning areas) who actually pay the bills of the rural, Rep-leaning counties? Well, NOTICE. And it's the same picture if you look at where federal tax revenues come from and where they go!
You lot sure love to complain about your tax ₯₪££₳₽$ going to other people, but you're perfectly happy to leech off the big cities' prosperity (for they are the true centers of civilization).

Washington beaches are cold, grey, blank, and ugly. No many people want to be there.

Kathleen et al., try Ozette, Cape Alava, Shi, Shi, Cape Flattery.... Oh wait. You are right, just stick with Ocean Shores or better yet, the Oregon Coast. You are right it's a nightmare, solitary, blank space with a Sasquatch or two, and everything #9 said. Definitely a place to stay away.

When you say "Northern California" what exactly do you mean... San Francisco maybe ? (Humboldt Native here)

Also a Nothern CA native, and our first trip to the WA coast felt very much the same - especially the lack of super-expensive properties. And the beach-driving. Since then we've explored other spots mentioned above. This place is mind-blowing. Stark, diverse and pristine. (Sorry to expose your secrets, natives). One thing missing up here though are those damned magical coast redwoods.

@12:

You do have to go a bit inland to experience our native Old Growth timber, but a day trip to the Hoh Rain Forest can easily be combined with walks on some of the more rugged and less accessible shoreline on the Northern Peninsula (cit ref: @10).

How much do you make, Kathleen, to write this? With your skills, you could visit NYC and then write an article about how people eat hot dogs from street vendors. Or visit NO and write how they have jazz clubs where just anyone can go.

Actually, I think I'll visit Northern Cal and write about how gentrified the beach has become. I'm sure I'll get paid at least as well as Kathleen.

Seriously, I normally try to refrain from bashing Slog content... But what the hell kind of blog/news item is this? I spend a little time on the Washington coast, and there's extensive stuff to actually look into for a journalist/blogger. Wtf.

You went to a place and wrote up your thoughts, and you should feel bad.

YOUR PLACE DIFFERENT ME PLACE. IT OK I GUESS. IT NOT AS GOOD AS ME PLACE.

By reading this one item, I learned that The Slog is nothing but a carnival of inappropriate generalizations.

"......I saw someone trying to do doughnuts in the sand. It’s a total free-for-all. And this is legal. This just doesn’t seem right."
No, this is not legal! At every beach approach, there is signage stating the rules. Driving on Washington beaches, is considered the same as a state highway and there is a 25mph speed limit.