Tokeland: A Chance To Savor Yesteryear

It was one of those weekends that comes along when it seems winter will never end. The sun reappears, the temperature rises - a preview of spring.

On such weekends, my impulse is to head toward saltwater.

This year's compulsion led me to recruit three friends, pack bird book and duck shoes and head for the coast.

Our destination was Tokeland, a community on Willapa Bay, and the Tokeland Hotel, a charming inn that bills itself as "the oldest resort hotel in Washington."

There's history to spare in Tokeland. You can start with the area's discovery by Capt. John Meares in 1788. Or skip to the 1850s when enterprising settlers harvested Willapa Bay oysters and shipped them to San Francisco. Gold-rich epicures there would pay a silver dollar for a Willapa oyster that wasn't even as large as the dollar. Or so says Willard Espy in his newly reissued "Oysterville," the story of early days on Willapa Bay.

You can also read James Swan, the pioneer historian and journalist who wrote about his three years (1852-55) on Shoalwater (now Willapa) Bay. In "The Northwest Coast," Swan wrote about his friendship with Chief Toke of the Shoalwater tribe for whom Tokeland was named.

The Tokeland Hotel, which dates from the 1880s, figures in that history. Originally, the hotel (now a national historic landmark) was the home of William S. Kindred and his wife, Elizabeth Brown Kindred, daughter of early day settlers George and Charlotte Brown.

In 1889, the Kindreds expanded their farmhouse and opened the Kindred Inn. Eventually, the hostel drew guests from as far away as Idaho and California. They arrived by the steamerload from South Bend (farther south on Willapa Bay) and were met at the landing by a horse-drawn "tally ho."

At one time, the resort included a golf course. But, alas, the Pacific Ocean has a way of rearranging real estate in the Tokeland area. The sea nibbled away at lands along the coast, carving the area into a narrow, but scenic peninsula. The old hotel with its peaceful grounds and summer house remains.

In its 100-year history, the hotel has seen fat times and lean. When I first encountered the old frame building five years ago, it was shuttered and deteriorating. The only clue to its past was the landmark sign by the front entrance.

Today, things are different. The derelict building was purchased in 1989 by Scott and Katherine White, a Seattle couple. The Whites, attracted to the old building during family vacations on the coast, spent spare moments over the next seven months scrubbing, cleaning, painting and repairing.

They reopened the hotel on Mother's Day, 1990. The trim gray and white exterior has the look of a large, old seacoast inn. Its spare, clean lines and orderly windows remind you of coastal New England. You half expect Captain Ahab to step out through the entry way onto the dormered stoop, where two lazy cats are sunning themselves. Or to find bonneted ladies in sweeping dresses taking tea in the gazebo overlooking the bay.

When the Whites reopened the old hotel, only three of the upstairs guestrooms were habitable. Now the second floor boasts 15 rooms, furnished with turn-of-the-century antiques: Hall trees with vintage hats and beaded purses; button-top boots, cream carriers and lace curtains. It's cute, but not too cute.

The White's main floor restoration has been done with the same sensitivity. The front door opens onto a large lobby with comfortable seating and a pleasant dining area that overlooks Willapa Bay.

The hotel serves three meals a day, attracting more than hotel guests to its home-cooking. Scott White, who runs Seattle-based Convention Services Northwest during the week, doubles as weekend breakfast cook. Katherine, a public-affairs coordinator for a Seattle newspaper, takes credit for home-made pies and cobblers.

Menus are seasonal, with fresh clams, oysters and crab, when they're available. One treat I've yet to sample is the Sundays-only special: Cranberry pot roast.

Home cooking is but one Tokeland attraction. Others include beachcombing on Wash Away Beach north of town, birdwatching in the nearby salt marshes, clam digging, crabbing, kite flying and whale watching.

But don't plan on returning from a trek to nearby North Cove to cocoon with the TV. The hotel has nary a tube in sight. Nor are there private baths. It's strictly a down-the-hall and wait-your-turn proposition.

On the other hand, guests share a cozy communal fireplace room off the lobby. They can curl up by the fire, read books from the hotel's extensive collection, play board games and do jigsaw puzzles. Several shelves are stocked with children's books and games. And proprietors say that pets - if they're very well behaved - are welcome.

Obviously, this is the place to go when you want to savor the pace of yesteryear.

One final bit of Tokeland lore concerns the fireplace room. The Scotts say Chinese immigrants once were smuggled into the area to work on the railroads. One favorite hiding place was in a large space concealed behind the fireplace.

If you ask, they'll be glad to show you the historic hideaway. Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Northwest section of The Times. Her phone number is 464-8300. --------------------------------------------------------------- IF YOU GO TO TOKELAND

Here are some tips and contacts if you've a mind to head to the shores of Willapa Bay:

-- Getting there: From Seattle, go south on Interstate 5 and take Exit 104 near Olympia to Highway 101 and head toward Aberdeen. Once you enter Aberdeen, follow signs to the Westport/105 exit. At the Westport junction, follow signs to Tokeland. Take the Tokeland exit.

-- Accommodations: Lodgings in Tokeland are limited. However, Grayland, six miles to the north, has several motels. Along with the Tokeland Hotel here are some suggestions:

- Tokeland Hotel, 100 Hotel Road, 1-206-267-7006. The hotel is two miles south of the Tokeland exit. Summer rates are $65 double; $55 single. Breakfast is included. Winter rates are $48.50 double and $42.50 single through March 15. Reservations advised. In summer, figure on two weeks or more in advance.

- Tradewinds "On the Bay" Motel, 1-206-267-7500. Summer rates are $55 for two for the first night, $25 for the second night. Children over are $5 extra; dogs are $5. Winter rates are $45 for two.

- Walsh Motel, 1-206-267-2191, Grayland. Jacuzzi tubs, ocean view, walk to beach. Summer rates for doubles are $32-96. Winter rates are $30-85.

- Surf Motel, 1-206-267-2244, Grayland. Walk to beach, restaurant. Rates $30-$45.

- Ocean Spray Motel, 1-206-267-2205, Grayland. Gift shop, walk to beach. Rates $40-55 for doubles, winter and summer.

-- Food: The Tokeland Hotel dining room, 1-206-267-7006, is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Menu features fresh seafood in season, large helpings and resasonable prices. Rolls and desserts are homemade.

- Golden Cove Restaurant, 1-206-267-2211, in Grayland has a standard menu and reasonable prices. View from the restaurant is terrific. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends.

- Dunes Restaurant, 1-206-267-1441, in Grayland is worth a special trip. It's a funky, unpretentious place, decorated with shells, ship models and stained glass. The food - especially the fresh seafood - is very good and the view of the ocean is spectacular. Open daily in summer. Winter hours vary.