Don’t be fooled into thinking I think this is a bad thing.
Have you ever thought to yourself “I wish that I could visit Stepford,” or “I wonder what being in the Truman Show would be like”? No? Just me? Ah, well. If you’re like me and you have mused these musings, good news! There is a town on the Washington coast where you can experience glimmers of both of these universes, as well as a dash of Blazing Saddles (you know, the part where they build facades of a whole town overnight) and, ok, also some idyllic and relaxing small-town charm.
Seabrook is located just about a mile south of Pacific Beach and 15 miles north of Ocean Shores. You can read all about the town’s offerings and history on their website, but my Cliff’s Notes version is that the town was established in 2004 and is a highly-planned community. There are “neighborhoods” within the larger town itself, and it is designed to be self-contained and walkable, with restaurants, a market, etc. – I will admit that it is hard to want to leave once you’re up on the hill, ensconced in the environment.
While some of the homes are owned by full-time residents, most are available for rent through Seabrook Cottage Rentals, which provides a consistent and well-managed experience. We have visited both in the summer and in the winter, and each season has its own benefits. During the summer, walking and exploring are much more enticing, and there is a lot more going on in the town. To be fair, our summer visit was in 2019, so there was a farmer’s market, outdoor music, and no social distancing requirements. We were there for my sister-in-law’s wedding, and we got to embrace the community aspect of the town, particularly since we stayed in a rental very close to the Town Hall. We put lawn games out in front of our house, and it was amusing to see passers-by stopping to help themselves to a game of giant jenga or (regular-sized) cornhole. This is just the way that the place is set up – there are community bocce ball courts and fire pits, so seeing lawn games out is another invitation to play. We walked from our rental to the Friday night concert (a Heart cover band) with drinks in hand, stepping away to the cliffside to watch the sun set. It was lovely.
Our winter visit had a decidedly more “cozy” vibe – it stormed and rained all three days we were visiting, with brief respites of blue sky punctuated by sudden hail storms. Still, we bundled up and walked around the town, enjoying watching the ocean froth and churn. Back at the rental, we snuggled by the fire, played cards, and made the very cold (but blissfully short!) hustle between the house and the private hot tub. We had talked about making trips to Ocean Shores or Pacific Beach to do some light exploring, but it was hard to want to venture out when we were so comfortable. Next time!
You may be thinking, “This all sounds pretty nice – why the weird comparisons at the beginning?” Well, because, it’s kind of weird. Nice, but odd. Seabrook is very well planned: all the houses are similar, but not exactly the same; the neighborhoods have cute names, as do the homes – things like “Sea You at The Beach” and “Waves of Love”*; there’s a pasture with horses and ducks, and a promise of a country inn – you get the idea. Everything is lovely and charming and then, all of a sudden, you get to the end. There’s a point at which the houses stop and the construction starts, and it’s just very jarring. It feels like you’ve reached the edge of the world and someone is going to appear and tell you you have to turn around and go back, or a sudden wind is going to blow you away or something. I totally get that this is unavoidable with the way that the town is being built, I just find it an amusing facet of the whole experience.
All said, I have thoroughly enjoyed all three of my visits to Seabrook, and fully intend on going back. It’s fun to get to see different areas of town, and to pick which home to stay in (even if it has a saccharine name). I think the experience is best shared with family or friends – it’s nice to have a group to do things with, as there are some limitations to the activities directly available (especially since the pool and gym are closed due to COVID). With a little imagination, though, you can always have a chuckle – Rick told me he kept expecting to hear a hidden loudspeaker indicating the simulation was about to restart. Perhaps we, like Seabrook, are nice, but odd.
*These aren’t actual house names, but you get the idea. Ocean-related wordplay abounds.
Hickmans at Home 