My favorite gifts are experiences — presents that get me moving, seeking, learning, growing or relaxing. The memories of those experiences WILL fit on the boat.

Here is a short but fun list of experiences (with gift certificates available) in Southwest Washington (of course!) that you can give this holiday season, or year round, to friends, family or to yourself:

Pacific County
Give a gift certificate to one of my favorite places, Shakti Cove Cottages. These cute little cabins are within walking distance of the beach at Ocean Park, include kitchens and are near some of the best areas of the Long Beach Peninsula including Oysterville and Nahcotta.

Entrance to Shakti Cove Cottages

Consider including a gift certificate to Nanci and Jimella’s Klipsan Market Café just down the road. Remember the famous and fabulous Ark restaurant? That was Nancy and Jimella’s before they sold it. Their tradition of wonderful food continues in Klipsan Beach. Call 360.665.4847 for details.

Clark County
The beautifully restored Camas Hotel offers a relaxing getaway that is surrounded by shops and restaurants including Oliver’s at the hotel. Call for details and reservations.

The charming Camas Hotel

How about a gift certificate to Magenta Theater? Their 2011 plays include classics Life with Father and You Can’t Take it With You. It’s a sweet deal to have dinner in one of the many restaurants in downtown Vancouver and then stroll down to Magenta’s space on Main Street, near 6th.

Cowlitz County
Speaking of theater, do not overlook the recently restored Columbia Theatre in downtown Longview. Upcoming events include ‘S Wonderful, The Fab Four, 39 Steps (4 actors doing 150 characters!) and more including performances for children. Call for a gift certificate!

The Columbia Theatre

What about a pre-show dinner? Consider a gift certificate to JT’s Steak & Fish House, which comes highly recommended. Call 360-577-0717 for a gift certificate.

Skamania County
A night or two in the beautiful Skamania Lodge would make anyone happy. You could include a gift certificate dinner or brunch at the lodge or Big River Grill in downtown Stevenson.

The view from Skamania Lodge

Dinner at the Big River Grill

Klickitat County
Maryhill Winery offers a beautiful tasting room overlooking the Columbia River. A gift certificate to the winery can be used on their wines and items in the retail store. It’s a wonderful drive out to the winery and can easily include the remarkable Maryhill Museum.

The stunning terrace at Maryhill Winery

One more suggestion
Okay, after purchasing “experiences” for your loved ones, you may still feel the need a gift in hand to fill a stocking or to wrap for under the tree. Stop by or shop online at the Fort Vancouver Bookstore for the 2010 ornament – Fort Vancouver Village by Paul Lanquist. You’ll find lots of other gift ideas related to Southwest Washington, too.

The Fort Vancouver Village 2010 Ornament

And please HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

The lovely Camas Hotel

Friday Night 7 p.m. K’Syrah Catering Wine and Bistro 212 NE 4th Avenue. K’Syrah is offering a tasting of Thanksgiving wines – perfect for the Friday night before the all the holiday gluttony begins. For $10 per person, we taste five excellent wines – Mercer Pinot Gris 2008, Primarius Pinot Noir 2007, La Quercia Montepulciano 2008, Ridge Three Valleys 2007 and Terre Gaie Sparkling white wine. We like them all but, darn, have to make a choice. We select the sparkling wine to offer with the dessert course on Thanksgiving. K’Syrah also offers three-course fixed price dinners on Friday nights. Menus are posted in the Web site.

Saturday Morning 10 a.m. There are a LOT of shops to explore so we start with a hearty breakfast at Natalia’s Cafe, 437 NE 4th Avenue. My veggie scramble with home potatoes is very good but Gary’s strawberry blintzes with whipped cream wins the best breakfast prizes for taste and presentation. Don’t miss the photo.

11 a.m. Amply fed, Gary excuses himself to do his own errands (versus shopping) while I start my exploration of the downtown stores. First stop is The Uncommon Gift 407 NE 4th Avenue is well-named. It is full of unusual jewelry, cards, candles, and other décor.

Chateau Lauren 339 NE 4th Avenue has wall-to-wall decorating ideas, beautifully set tables, home accessories and adorable children’s clothing. It’s an interior design store that must be one of the most photogenic shops in the area.

Fore! Golf 426 NE Cedar Street. Who says that downtown Camas only has boutiques for women? Fore! offers new and used golf clubs plus apparel, balls, sunglasses and other golf accessories.

T3Sixty and Clothes Time 321 NE 4th Avenue provide a unique combination of skate boarding equipment and apparel in the front of the store plus a resale shop of name brand and designer clothing.

Camas Antiques 305 NE 4th Avenue. This is a store that could take a day to explore. Fifty+ booths with beautifully displayed antiques and other collectibles are features. Just when you have seen all the treasures, you will find the stairs to the lower level which is equally filled with collectibles. I could spend the day in here with the camera. Allow plenty of time for this shopful of shops.

Lily Atelier 237 NE 4th Avenue. Clothing shoppers won’t want to miss Lily Atelier and the adjacent Luxe shoe boutique. Both offer beautiful, high end apparel.

Around the corner from Lily Atelier, Lizzabeth A 415 NE Birch Streetis charming home décor store with linens (one of my weaknesses), jewelry, Marie Osmond bags and many other unique items. Owner Beth has chosen some fine signs like “Well-behaved women rarely make history.”

Camas Bike and Sport 240 NE 3rd Avenue.  Katina and Ed Fischer opened this great, full-service bike shop in July. They carry road, mountain, street and other bikes and offer bike repairs and rentals.

Afternoon –After all this exploring (and more to come), I’m ready to check into the Camas Hotel 405 NE 4th Avenue. Karen and Tom Hall have transformed this former residential hotel, built in 1911, into a charming European-style inn with luxurious beds and linens. They have done a marvelous job of renovating the hotel. Vintage photos of Camas throughout the building artfully tell the story of the community. It’s a wonderfully relaxing place. A new restaurant and martini bar,  Harwood’s, will soon open on the first floor of the building. (Update: Harwood’s closed. The restaurant is now Oliver’s Restaurant at the Camas Hotel.)

2 p.m. You can only shop so long without coffee. I am grateful for Caffe Piccolo Paradiso, 309 NE Birch Street, which is playing Van Morrison and serving high quality caffeine, Caffe Umbria.  All ages stop by to re-energize.

Next door, Painless Ric’s Tattoo Studio 315 NE Birch Street is busy. I want to chat but DO NOT want to distract the artist. I settle for reading all the awards Ric has posted in the front window. I’ll come back later.

3 p.m. I have always admired the comfortable Camas Library 625 NE 4th Avenue. I wander in to see what’s happening and hit pay dirt. The Friends of the Library are holding a book sale!  Even though it’s the last two hours of a two-day sale, there are lots of good reads left and the prices have just dropped to $8 per grocery bag. I quickly fill my sack.

4 p.m. I think I have found the busiest place in town. Shoppers are zipping in and out of Camas Produce 2940 NE Everett Street, which is just about 10 minute drive north of downtown Camas. Considering the market’s variety, displays and prices, I’m not surprised.  I pick up some beets, rutabagas and a large turnip to roast for Sunday night dinner.

4:30 p.m. Back downtown at Safeway, a brass ensemble of Camas High school students are playing Christmas carols and gathering canned goods for a food drive called “Stuff the Bus.” Proud parents are taping the event. Across the street from Safeway in a bungalow, Déjà vu 726 NE 2nd Avenue is taking advantage of my passion for consignment shops. Owner Sherrill Traviss offers an upscale selection of women’s fashions including bridal gowns and formal wear. My find is a knit Weekender outfit.

Back on 4th Avenue, Accentuate , 500 NE 4th Avenue, has an excellent selection of scarves, jewelry, handbags plus clothing.

6 p.m. With all this exploring, I’ve forgotten to eat lunch and Gary, always ready to skip the shopping but enjoy dinner, has joined me. We walk a short two blocks to Around the Table 316 NE Dallas for a delightful dinner of small plates – warm cabbage salad and dumplings, a rich gnocchi gorgonzola (my favorite), a farmhouse salad and fig-stuffed turkey breast with port sauce. Glasses of Riesling and Pinot Grigio complete the feast. Is “delightfully stuffed” an oxymoron?

10 p.m. We are very well-fed, warm and comfortable in our room but I coax Gary out of the hotel one more time, into the pouring rain, to see what is happening. Down the street, the paper mill is steaming along. Nearly all the restaurants are closed but, aha!, Painless Ric’s is open until midnight. Millworkers stop by after their shift, the tattoo artist explains. We are impressed with the thousands of available designs ranging from delicate flowers and Chinese characters to voluptuous women. I ask Gary if he wants a tattoo. He declines, quickly.

Around the corner, the taverns will be busy until 2 a.m. Down the block, Chateau Lauren’s illuminated display window is shimmering in silver and white for the holidays. For the most part, Camas is tucked in for the night, a good thing on a very rainy evening.

Sunday Morning 9 a.m. Camas Hotel We enjoy a substantial continental breakfast of muffins, bagels, fruit and coffee in the 2nd floor breakfast room. In warmer weather, a roof top terrace outside the room is available. Other downtown options for breakfast include Natalia’s (with the fabulous strawberry blintzes) and a new weekend brunch, which is getting good reviews, at Twilight Pizza Bistro across the street. We’re happy to stay in, read the Sunday paper and enjoy the coffee.

11 a.m. Check out time. We hate to leave this very cozy hotel. Many of the downtown shops are open on Sunday but it’s time to head home, blessedly only a short drive away. It’s great to enjoy a getaway so close to home.

Camas is a welcoming community and obviously a first-class destination for serious shoppers and diners. More than the great shops and restaurants, Camas is also a gateway to the Columbia Gorge and recreation opportunities like hiking, birding and kayaking. But that’s another trip, when the rain stops…

UPDATE: Harwoods, a martini bar and restaurant opened next to the Camas Hotel in early January 2010. Check out Harwoods Facebook page for more information.

I thought this area could be easily explored in one trip. I was wrong. There is a LOT happening in this part of the state. This is Part I.

Thursday Afternoon and Evening
We leave Vancouver on a one of those frying, triple-digit July days. As we pull out of Chehalis on SR6, after our ritual stop at the Dairy Barn for milkshakes, the Wachovia clock reads 100 degrees. By the time we get to Raymond in Pacific County, less than an hour from I-5, we are down to a cool, marine 67 degrees. The Cranberry Coast is looking good already.

The Elegant Russell House

4 p.m. An Elegant Bed and Breakfast in “The Oyster Capital of the World” Our host Beverley warmly welcomes us at the historic Russell House Bed and Breakfast in South Bend. Russell House is a stunning 1891 Victorian home, built by John Russell as a 25th anniversary gift for his wife, overlooking South Bend and the Willapa River. Beverley has graciously agreed to store our tent camper and kayaks in the backyard while we are exploring the area. We settle in to the Bay Room with its turret window seat and spectacular view of the river.

6:30 p.m. Well-worn tavern, good beer, succulent oysters. Beverley recommends two diners in town for great oysters. We start with dinner at Chester Club and Oyster Bar, which more than one person points out has been written about in The New York Times. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us. A few older guys are hanging out at the bar, occasionally wandering out to smoke and greet a very popular dog in a pickup. When I taste my first oyster, I slap the table. It’s that good. Lightly battered and fried but not greasy. And it’s matched perfectly with Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale. I hope The New York Times was very, very kind to this bar. They deserve it.

Friday
11 a.m. The first of three fun museums. After a hearty breakfast of quiche, mango smoothies and pastries at Russell House, we are ready to explore the local sites. I love local museums. The Pacific County Museum provides interesting displays of local history and a fine bookstore. I purchase a copy of naturalist Robert Michael Pyle’s Wintergreen about the Willapa Hills. We don’t know it but this book will serve us in a surprising event near the end of our trip.

Dome of the Historic South Bend Courthouse

1 p.m. A stolen courthouse Up the hill we visit the massive Pacific County Courthouse, which received its initial records via steamer in a reported theft from Oysterville in 1893. Called “The Gilded Palace of Extravagance,” the courthouse was completed in 1911. The spectacular stained art glass dome alone is worth the trip up the hill. The local citizens are very kind to not step on me when I lie on the floor to photograph their fabulous ceiling.

2 p.m. Cranberries again. Knot Just Another Baking Company in South Bend is offering warm, pumpkin cranberry muffins. The river pier behind the bakery is the perfect place to consume them. This cozy bakery would be a great place to buy sandwiches for a kayaking trip on the Willapa.

3 p.m. Karaoke in the Park – Just up the river in Raymond, the Willapa Harbor Festival is offering karaoke in the park. We sneak into the Dennis Company, one of those rare, delightful stores that carries everything from plumbing supplies to pajamas. Their formula must work because they have been in business for more than 100 years. We admire the mural illustrating Raymond’s logging history and 250 or so metal sculptures throughout the town.

One of 24 Carriages in the Northwest Carriage Museum

3:30 p.m. Two more fine museums. One block away, Raymond’s Seaport Museum and the Northwest Carriage Museum provide plenty to investigate. The Willapa Seaport Museum features maritime artifacts and varied collections from logging to lighthouses, documenting life on Willapa Bay and in the Northwest.

Next door, at the Northwest Carriage Museum , we find a world-class collection of 24 elegant carriages – beautifully preserved coaches used for various occasions including a movie star, a Landau carriage used in Gone with the Wind and Jezebel and a “surrey with the fringe on the top.” Donated to the City of Raymond by two generous local collectors, the carriages are displayed in a handsome museum built in 2002. Next door, the farmer’s market has luscious peaches and blueberries in stock.

7 p.m. What, no oysters?! Tonight we are ready to try the grilled oysters of the River Side Dining. The barbeque is still smoking out front but they have just sold the last grilled oysters. We are ridiculously disappointed. We buck up and continue to celebrate the mollusks (and Rogue beer) back at Chester Club where Rolf Olsen and Bruce Hughes are starting a set of jazz in the back overlooking the bay. We can’t complain.

Saturday morning
9 a.m. A good morning for a hike. We walk off the Russell House breakfast down on the Willapa River Trail, a rails-to-trails project, and with a hike of perhaps six miles to Raymond and back. At its peak, Raymond had 20 factories and mills on the waterfront, according to a visitor’s guide. The river is quiet these days.

Noon One more try for oysters. It’s time for us to head for Willapa Bay for the camping part of our trip. But wait. The grill is smoking at the River View Dining. We decide to chance it one more time. Ordered by the dozen, the oysters won’t be ready for 45 minutes so we shop for groceries and come back to wait with all the other vulture-like diners. Manuel, the owner, carries in platters of steaming oysters and somehow figures out who is next in line for his barbequed fare. He won’t divulge what is in his special barbeque sauce. I can taste lime, cilantro and possibly molasses. It is really, really worth the wait. They are sweet, smokey and remarkable.

The BEST BBQ Oysters in the World

3 p.m. From B & B luxury to the camper. The local state parks were full when we made reservations so we check into the family-packed, Bay Center/Willapa Bay KOA and set up our camper. Like most people our age, we have progressed from backpacking to car camping to a 1978 VW bus to our aging but very comfortable Jayco tent camper. Despite still being satiated with oysters, we fix our traditional first night camping dinner – spaghetti with salad, good bread and red wine.

Our Traditional Camping Dinner -- With Steaming Spaghetti

The friendly KOA staff provides root beer floats for dessert. Gary partakes. I’m stuffed.

Root beer floats for dessert

Sunday
11 a.m. It’s a fine day to go kayaking. We put the boats in at the south end of the US 101 bridge over the Palix River. At this point the river is quite wide with grassy banks and many forks. We keep taking new offshoots, threatening to get totally lost, and eventually end up in a narrow, clear creek. We manage to find our way back seeing only one lone jet skier with a hunting dog perched on the noisy watercraft. As we pull out the boats, two bald eagles are tearing apart a fish across the river.

Kayaking the Palix River

Monday
10 a.m. A stop in Ilwaco It’s time to head home – south on Hwy 101, with a brief detour into Ilwaco for a browse at the well-stocked Time Enough Books on the waterfront and coffee and scones in Chinook.

Noon Is that who I think it is? Driving east on SR4, we take a scenic side road. Slightly lost, we ask directions from a white-bearded gentleman who is walking down the road. His face is vaguely familiar. His binoculars are a clue. It’s Robert Michael Pyle, the naturalist writer. Miraculously, his book that I purchased in South Bend is handy. He graciously signs it as we linger in the middle of the road. He tells us about the nearby forest species and chats about local butterflies, his specialty, and invites us to come back someday. We are profoundly impressed and grateful as he shares with us, perfect strangers in an old, green Subaru hauling kayaks and a vintage tent camper, a bit of wisdom about the Willapa Hills.

It’s back to the heat of Vancouver, but we have another trip to The Cranberry Coast coming up. Think sea lions and sand dollars, surfers, wine tastings and, yes, more oysters. Watch for Part II.