Once you meet Liz Vessey, you’ll understand why everyone adores her. The LOGE Westport General Manager has been here since 2021, and she’s just the kind of person you want as a friend. Someone who wears her heart on her sleeve and who is an all-around easy-going, chill person– whether she’s juggling 20 jobs at once or giving a guest a hot tip on where to score the best seafood in town, which is why we decided to interview her for this piece. We knew she’d have some insider intel on everything Westport, LOGE expansion news, and what to do in the spring. As per usual, she did not disappoint.

Hey Liz. We’re all wondering, how did you end up at LOGE and what have you’ve noticed about working here so far?

I was looking for my new home. I had worked for a larger hotel company before and was searching for something special, and I was lucky to have found LOGE. The way LOGE is positioned, we’re able to allow people to choose how much contact they want, while still giving folks the opportunity to continue doing what they love–all while feeling safe. Providing a safe space where everyone can be unapologetically themselves in the world we’re in right now, it’s tough, right? Especially in smaller towns like Westport. So, making sure we have something that’s like a beacon of light for guests, where they can come and chill and make sure people feel absolutely comfortable. That’s what I really love about LOGE. Here, you can come as you are and just be yourself.

We all know that LOGE was created through a community funded Kickstarter way back in 2017. Is the original Westport vibe still there?

Absolutely. What I’ve noticed is that we have an awesome base of repeat guests. They’ll meet and connect with another family, become close friends, and be like, okay, let’s make this our annual thing. I mean, they’re coming here to be on vacation, but they’re really here to make connections. It’s pretty cool to see.

And we take our customer feedback seriously. Whether it’s with programming events, the café, public spaces, if you fill out a survey or talk to us, we’re always looking at how we can do better. For instance, our breakfast is a huge thing that we’ve modified. We want to know what will make it for you, something that you can't wait to eat after your surf session.

As for the Kickstarter, all the rooms here have these plaques with names. Those names are some of the folks who helped fund LOGE through the Kickstarter. Guests ask us about that all the time and it’s a cool conversation starter because all those people actually come back every year, wanting to stay in “their” room. 😉

Nice! How about the LOGE Westport expansion? What’s in the works? 

Ooh, ok so the expansion will include a total of FIVE acres and there’s a decent amount of green space, which is really exciting because having wide-open spaces means there’s a good chance deer will cruise through, plus more trees! And of course, we’ll have additional rooms, modern cabins, and permanent Airstreams that guests can book. But something I’m most excited about is the cold plunge, hot tub, and infrared sauna. It’s going to be a game-changer.

And what’s the deal with the empty buckets at LOGE Westport? What are they for?

The buckets are provided by Free Beach Cleanup Bucket and it’s just this couple who does it for the love of cleaning the ocean and beach clean. They provide the buckets and we leave them around LOGE so guests can help do their part. If they bring back a full bucket, we’ll give them a free coffee of their choosing.

Cool, so now that we know what makes LOGE so awesome, what can you tell us about Westport?

What I love about our town is that it’s a little gritty. It’s not shiny or new. It’s a living, breathing, working commercial fishing town that produces amazing seafood for the world and epic surfing (note- feels like an awkward combo of thought). It’s a wonderful unique blend of hardworking people. Really, the people here make it special.

What’s unique to Westport? Something that would be Insta-worthy?

Driving on Grayland Beach is amazing. Not many places let you do that. And it’s so expansive with unobstructed views. You’ll see people in their big trucks, but you can also take your smaller Prius-type cars out there! Just make sure the tide is out and that you’re driving on hard sand.

The Jetty Cats, for sure. There are these cats who don’t have any shelter, so you’ll find these little huts near the beach and a community member takes care of them and makes sure that they’re doing ok.

Johns River Cemetery. It’s deserted now so it has old headstones and it’s in the area right near Ocean Spray, where you can pull off the road, park, and walk right to it. That’s definitely a hidden gem that’s kind of historical...and a little spooky, but great nonetheless.

How about things to do in Westport, WA specifically in the springtime?

So, I always like to say we don’t let a little rain get in our way around here.

Obviously, being in the water is a year-round sport here, and if you want to test out a new board or if you don’t have one, we have plenty of wetsuits, surfboards, paddle boards, SUPs, kayaks, the works–all for rent at our gear shop.

Westport South Beach Historical Society hides these beautiful Japanese glass floats around the beaches through Memorial Day. If you find one, you get to keep it!

This April, Westport is bringing back the crab races, which is always a good time.

Whale watching is big here, too. That starts in March and goes through June.

Charter boats for all your fishing fun.

If the levels continue to go down, visitors should definitely try clam digging. Just find out the legal limit, ensure the beach is open for digging, and rent one of our kits for a good time. When the fog is out and you see all these people digging in the sand, it’s just the coolest. Then, guests will come back and grill them on our Traeger grill. The process couldn’t be easier. Very much worth trying if you haven’t yet.

I’m so glad you mentioned surfing. Let’s dive deeper into that.

The cold-water surfers around here are hardcore people who are passionate about the sport and the adventure. It’s really neat to see them come back after a session. They’re just glowing. And they’re very community-oriented. The regulars really seem to take care of each other, and anyone else out there. We’ve had guests who jump at the chance to surf our King Tides with 44 mph winds and 20ft high waves, and those who have never been on a board. If you are a noob, Bigfoot Surf School is who we recommend. The owners are amazing surf instructors and just really rad humans to boot. I love their philosophy. They’ve done a lot of work with veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project, and they really feel that surfing can fill your soul.

Since we’re talking about awesome recommendations, who should guests go to for their fishing adventures?

Englund Marine and Industrial Supply is our go-to spot that has everything under the sun for your fishing needs. They happen to be in the same place where all the commercial fishing folks purchase things as well, so if you have questions or just need to buy tackle, that’s definitely where you want to be.

If you rather go straight to grilling fish on our Traeger grills and focus on other adventures, Merino’s Seafoods, Seafood Connection, and Brady’s Oysters are the top three places where you can buy the best fish ever (and we even make our tuna sandwiches from Merino’s canned tuna, so you know it’s got to be delicious). You can also literally go to the docks in Westport, where there’s a beautiful pictorial infographic that talks about when fish is in, what type of fish is here, and what floats to go to. You can buy a fresh catch right off one of the boats there, which is super cool.  

We are so honored to have amazing general managers like Liz helping us do all the things. We can’t thank her enough for taking the time to do this interview. Are you planning a trip to Westport this spring? Follow us on social, tag us in your pics (#logewesport), or let us know how we can make your next adventure the best one yet.