This past weekend, this Midwestern girl touched the Pacific Ocean for the first time from US soil. Ok, I may have touched the Pacific Ocean while in Mexico a few years ago, but nonetheless, finally driving out to the coast and touching the ocean here in Washington was thrilling for me.

We drove out to Seabrook, Washington, a small new urbanism development which not coincidentally looks like it could be the set of the movie The Truman Show.

I say not coincidentally because Seabrook used the same development playbook (even the same attorneys!) as Seaside, Florida – the town which served as the set of the movie “The Truman Show”.  

New urbanism revolves around the concept of a 5-minute walk to anywhere in the development, where house lots are small and close together, usually surrounding shared gardens or parks to better promote a sense of community.

The houses in Seabrook are charming mostly cedar-shingled cape cod “cottages” (although some are quite large!). There are quaint shops including a bakery, a high-end dog boutique, a market, a wine and cheese shop, and a sports-rental shop.

There are two restaurants – a pub, Mill 109, and a brick-oven pizza restaurant, Frontagers.

An adorable Town Hall serves mostly as a wedding/event venue.

Bicycles abound here, and a basketball court, tennis and pickle-ball courts, shuffleboard, and an indoor pool round out the activities in this coastal town.

We came out to Seabrook for their annual Savor Seabrook Seafood & Wine Festival. The festival was small, but just as charming as the town itself.

For a $20 entrance fee, we got twenty tasting tickets and an adorable souvenir wine tasting cup.

Wine vendors pouring that day included Maryhill Winery, Brian Carter Cellars, Novelty Hill-Januik Winery, Otis Kenyon Wine, and Reininger & Helix Wines. Seafood was served by Gourmando (serving Grand Marnier shrimp and Mesquite-smoked Salmon Skewers),

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar serving freshly shucked oysters, Frontagers serving seafood pizzas, and Mill 109 serving seafood salad with shrimp, scallops, and crab.

Additionally Sassy Seafood was there selling fresh live crab

and their cans of responsibly sourced, sustainable tuna. We spoke with the ladies from Sassy Seafood, Libie Cain and Teresa Reeves for sometime and were quite impressed with their ethical fishing that truly brings fish “from boat to belly” as they coined the phrase.

We ate our delicacies at one of the picnic tables in the park, listening to local bands (including Ericka Corban who appeared on The Voice and who happens to live in nearby Aberdeen). 

A man was creating an impressive sand-sculpture to look like an octopus and a crab fighting over a bottle of wine.

After getting our fill of wine and seafood, we walked 5 minutes (of course!) to the ocean.

Seabrook is perched on a rocky bluff above the most expansive beach of soft sand I’ve ever seen.

It was low tide when we were there, making the beach even more expansive. It went on for miles.

I ran towards the ocean slowing slightly as I gauged the speed of the returning waves. Touching the water, I smiled, exhilarated by the sun and the blue skies after our dark, stormy winter. The day, and the town of Seabrook, could not have been more idyllic.

Important Travel Notes:

Directions to Seabrook:  From Seattle, drive south on I-5 towards Olympia. Near Olympia, take exit 104 towards US-101 North. Continue on WA-8 W and follow signs for Montessano/Aberdeen. Continue on US-12 W through Aberdeen. Then get on US-101 N again. Turn left on Ocean Beach Road and after 20 miles you will turn left on WA-109 S. In 0.9 miles turn left onto Front Street and follow your way into Seabrook.