One Of America's Longest-Running Kite Festivals Is A Famous Pacific Coast Spectacle On An Incredible Beach

If you're looking into unique things to do in Washington, you could plan an itinerary along Washington's "shellfish trail," where you can harvest your own seafood. Or, stick to Washington's heart in Seattle to find one of America's most diverse Chinatowns. But if it's the ocean you're looking for in this corner of the Pacific Northwest, there's not a more spectacular sight than the hundreds of kites that fly over Long Beach, Washington, every year. You'll have to time your visit during the third week of August to catch the long-running Washington State International Kite Festival, though Long Beach is a wonderful destination year-round.

If its name didn't give it away, Long Beach, located on a Pacific peninsula in the southwest of Washington, brands itself as America's longest beach (the claim may not be totally accurate, but at 28 miles, it is very long, nonetheless). This beach is where Lewis and Clark ended their famous expedition across the United States, and you'll see lots of public art commemorating their exploration. The beach is flanked by basalt cliffs and coastal forest, and it provides easy access to multiple state parks, filled with activities like hiking, biking, and whale watching. Plus, when the time comes for a meal, the peninsula spawns excellent seafood options.

Long Beach is sometimes referred to as America's "kite flying capital," with its annual Washington State International Kite Festival being a local staple since 1981 (making it one of the longest-running in North America). On top of that, the festival draws in crowds of roughly 150,000 people. If you come for the festival, held the third week of August from Monday through Sunday, the beach will appear nearly unrecognizable under the sprawl of colorful tents, flags, and kiters. Every day of the festival week has different events around a theme, which include kite making workshops, races, and kite ballets. There are also multiple stages on the beach with different musicians hosted throughout the week.

All of this kite-centric bonanza is made possible by Long Beach's World Kite Museum, which sponsors the festival. The museum is an incredible destination in itself, home to over 1,000 kites organized around themes like war kites, miniature kites, and kite stamps. During a visit, you'll learn about the first instances of kite flying — over 1,000 years ago in China. You'll see kites as small as a penny or as large as 40 feet long. While the kite festival is free to attend, the museum has a small admission fee, but, just a 10-minute walk from the oceanfront, it's a convenient and interesting stop while you're in Long Beach. If you aren't able to make the Washington State International Kite Festival in August, the museum also sponsors other kite festivals throughout the year: the International Kite Fly for Peace in October, the Windless Kite Festival in January, and the Asian New Year Kite Festival in February.

Long Beach occupies a section of the Long Beach Peninsula, which you could spend a whole week exploring. Lewis and Clark certainly did, and there's the 8.5-mile Lewis and Clark Discovery Trail located along the coastline to immortalize their trek, so you can walk in their footsteps. The trail covers some of the peninsula's most stunning sites, starting from Cape Disappointment State Park, one of the best destinations to explore the Pacific Northwest coast. All along Long Beach, you can traverse grassy dunes and wetlands while getting gorgeous views out over the ocean.

There's a lovely boardwalk that stretches along a portion of Long Beach, right outside of downtown. It's a quieter boardwalk, known more for picnic tables with ocean views than vendors and sideshows. It's a great place to look for whales and shorebirds, or stroll with an ice cream cone from Scooper's, a Long Beach dessert spot. If you want a taste of the peninsula's seafood, though, come in April for the Annual Long Beach Razor Clam and Shellfish Festival. With markets and entertainment spread across two days, you'll get to sample everything from clam chowder to Dungeness crab plates.

Those flying in can reach Long Beach from Oregon's Portland International Airport in a bit over a two-hour drive. If you're coming from Seattle, it's about a three-hour drive away.