Guide to a Couple's Weekend Trip to Aberdeen, Washington

Aberdeen is a city in the state of Washington, a region known as the Pacific Northwest. A couple from another state planning to visit Aberdeen provides them the opportunity to experience a distinctly new atmosphere set near spectacular mountain backdrops. It is called the "Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula" because of its proximity to the Olympic National Park, Mt. Olympus, and the Olympic Peninsula, a home to many temperate rain forests in the northwestern part of the United States.

Geography

Aberdeen is the largest city in Grays Harbor County. It borders the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis. It lies at the junction of the two rivers Chehalis and Wishkah, which is inside Grays Harbor on the southwest coast of the state. The word Aberdeen is believed to be a namesake coming from another city in Scotland, which is also at the confluence of two rivers. Aberdeen originates from a Gaelic word that means "the meeting of two rivers."

Transportation

The best way to reach Aberdeen is to take a flight going to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the nearest major airport about 80 miles away from Aberdeen. There are some bus routes that you can try, but a road trip can be a good idea for a couple, especially at this time when GPS makes it easier to travel around even in new places. By renting a car from the airport, the couple can conveniently make stopovers in places they find interesting. If preferring to take bus service, the Grays Harbor Transit offers services in and around the city and other nearby areas outside the city.

Accommodation

Accommodation options around Aberdeen generally have that small-town or quaint-downtown sensibility, while also offering standard modern accommodation amenities. A Harbor View Bed and Breakfast sits at the top of a hill that overlooks Grays Harbor and the Chehalis and Wishkah Rivers. It is filled with many turn-of-the-century antiques and guests can enjoy sunporch overlooking the harbor and other parts of the city.

Americas Best Value Inn is located on the main highway when going further north. It provides easy access to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport. The Aberdeen Olympic Inn Motel in downtown Aberdeen is a practical choice with for both its rates and proximity to beaches and other downtown attractions. Guesthouse Inn and Suites is just adjacent to the Chehalis River and is a walking distance to some shopping and dining establishments.

Activities and Attractions

Couples visiting Aberdeen can find a variety of recreation activities and natural attractions found in the many state parks that overlook the Pacific Ocean. They can enjoy the waters by fishing, boating, canoeing, rafting, sailing and kayaking. They can also go bird watching, hiking and horseback riding.

Some nearby attractions include Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, Morrison Riverfront Park and Ocean City State Park . The city is home to the replica tall ships "Lady Washington" and "Hawaiian Chieftain" and they are open to tours and demonstrations when docked at the seaport. There are also walking tours for tourists to visit the Broadway Hill historic homes and the paved path along the Chehalis River.

Aberdeen is the hometown of rock legend Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and the band's bassist Krist Novoselic. Visitors of the city often visit Cobain's statue in a downtown muffler shop and they also take walking tours of his former residences and places with significance to his life. The city's welcome sign also pays tribute to the Nirvana with the line "Come as You Are," a Nirvana song that is now considered the slogan of the city as well.

Known as a gritty town on the West Coast way back the early 1900s, Aberdeen used to house a number of saloons, whorehouses and gambling establishments during the turn of the century. This side of the older Aberdeen can be seen from the Aberdeen Museum of History, which showcases exhibits of many artifacts from the 19th to the 20th century.