Articles written by Mark Woytowich
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Ocean Shores: Witness to a whale's last journey
Last month was my first time driving on the beach. Formerly I was totally against the idea of cars rolling down the Washington coast, based on the principle that rubber tires don't belong on sand....
Rising from the rubble: Impressions of Raymond
Some of my best days are days when I travel. And the best of my traveling days always seem to be those times when I talk to locals and ask them something about the place where they live. I've noticed...
When trees fall in the forest, plenty land upon the roads
Here comes the seasonal thaw: when winter unlocks and pours into spring. For some of us house dwellers, spring is reduced to words in poems you once read as a kid; "Flower, bloom, warmth, sun," all...
Two different versions of 'covering the spread'
This week, no matter the weather, you need to visit Lake Cushman while the lake water is low. At the far end of the lake, just before the Staircase entrance gate to Olympic National Park, is a small...
Aging: Climbing a mountain, chasing a high
In the early 1990s, when I lived in an apartment on Olympia's west side, I loved looking west to the southern peaks of the Olympics. You had a great view of them from Budd Inlet over the marina when w...
Embrace an old place to make it new and lovely again
What a pleasant surprise to arrive at Lake Isabella State Park the other day and see that the main trail system was 99% litter-free. I also noted several cars at the trailhead parking lot - I was expe...
Looking for signs of spring - and a park's location
If you've lived in Mason County most of your life, and most of your life constitutes 60 or 70 years, then get ready to hear the following statement and have it clash with what you know to be true....
Embrace change, or limited to the sum of your parts?
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Start fresh. Follow through on your dreams." That message greets me at the front door. The words are printed on a thin strip of white paper taped...
How far is too far to drive to a dive bar?
I heard about the Brooklyn Tavern 10 years ago from a guy who grew up in Raymond. He was never much for description, and he didn't let me down this time, either; he just managed to convey that it was...
Mother Nature needs a 'clean and polish' now and then
Snow level will determine if this Saturday's TrashMash adventure leads us to the trailheads on Mount Ellinor. My gut says we'll not make it that far, but if we do, we'll be visiting two impressive...
