If you are coming from the Roman Road we call I-5, take the exit at Oly to Aberdeen/Ocean Beaches and you'll find yourself on US 101 heading west. After crossing Mud Bay you'll be given a choice of continuing on 101 to Shelton, or staying on the main road, which magically turns into SR 8 heading for the Coast. Stay the course and head for the Coast on SR 8. You'll find 9 out of 10 vehicles turn off to continue on 101. Only the few, the proud, keep climbing the mountains on to SR 8. You will now be entering a world outside of the Seattle media. You will be visiting the old, original Washington. And romantic as it may sound, it isn't always pretty or politically correct. But it is harshly real.
From the start of SR 8 it takes about 20 minutes to climb to McCleary, the highest point on the road between Oly and the Coast. After you take the McC exit, turn right, left, descend down the hill into the town at exactly 25 m.p.h., and at our stop sign with the flashing red light on top turn left. Now you are on Simpson Ave. heading west, otherwise known as the old Highway 410. Go about 8 blocks and on your right you'll see the McCleary Community Center, happily located next to the town cemetery.
As you fall into McCleary you'll see as you come down the hill the McCleary Methodist Church on your right. This building was designed by Joseph Wohleb, an architect responsible for many buildings in Oly, including the Capitol campus.
After you turn on to Simpson, you'll see diesel pumps at a gas station on your left. When I was a kid there was a big house there. I believe that is where McCleary's only movie actor, Major Mite, lived.
This ground-down corner of the state can use some good, positive creative energy. I hope you crazy cartoonists out there are willing to make the trek up here to the woods and produce some comix. We are going to have fun and celebrate the comic art form!
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