Steve's Day Out

Ocean Shores "Station" is Just a Covered Bus Stop - Aberdeen is Two Stops Away

For a while, I’ve been wanting to make a multi-mode trip from Ocean Shores to Aberdeen. Gray’s Harbor Transit has the very reasonable fare of $1 each way and the bus covers the trip in about 45 minutes, with no stops before it gets to Hoquiam and Aberdeen. That is far less than it would cost for gas alone if one were to motor the same distance and each bus has a two-bike rack on the front. Taking my bike on a bus rack is also something I haven’t done in the past. I found the bike rack pretty easy to use, but the beach cruiser tires did not fit the slots properly and the bike's wheelbase was also a bit too big. Still, it mostly worked OK and the bike didn't fall off the bus.

Oops. Wrong Library!

To make a long story short, I got off in Hoquiam, intending to visit the Hoquiam library. Lesson One: Make Sure the Library is OPEN on the day you plan to visit. No problem, since I got there at nine, I Googled the Aberdeen Library and found it would open at 10 and it was just after 9AM. Lesson Two: Sometimes, when you Google something, it finds something else as I discovered after reaching the “Spellman Library” at Gray’s Harbor College, which is in the middle of nowhere, though still “in” Aberdeen. While it was a nice library, I discovered that they don’t even have wifi for “regular” visitors, unlike the Aberdeen Timberland Library (which is a very nice library). Apparently it IS possible for "normal" people to obtain lending privileges at the Spellman Library, though it is difficult to get there on bike from the main part of Aberdeen. Across the street from the college is a traditional mall that's in the process of dying. One wonders why investors ever thought Aberdeen needed a mall in the first place. I'll avoid any speculation, but it isn't the sort of place you'd go except in a hard-core motor culture.

                         

Aberdeen Timberland Library is for Us "Little" People. Unlike the College Library, it Has Bike Racks Outside
the Front Door and also has WIFI for the General Public

After some shopping, and upon getting ready to board the bus home, I saw that Aberdeen has bike lockers provided by Gray’s Harbor Transit. Oddly, the same transit agency didn't see fit to provide as much as a simple bike rack at their Ocean Stores Station. Anyway, it was a fun day and I expect I’ll go back again before too long. Safeway has a FAR better selection of groceries than the Ocean Shores IGA and the Aberdeen Library is a big step up from its Ocean Shores counterpart as well.

Simpson Ave Bridge Across the Hoquiam River - Sign Requires Bikes to Use the Sidewalk
Bridge Was Closed to Roadway Traffic so that Didn't Seem Bad at All!

The Bridge Grate Shows WHY Cyclists are Required to Use the Sidewalk. It'd be Dicey Even for Motorcyclists

On my Ocean Shores blog, here, you can see some of the Aberdeen sights that motorists seem to miss. My own favorite is the rusty vintage truck, though the carved gargoyle is a close second.

Aberdeen Bike Locker Rules and Regulations

Loaded Up on the Bus and Ready to Come Home