Located between Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, the Port of Longview offers a rural life and opportunities for recreation all year long. Visitors can enjoy beautiful Lake Sacajawea, explore Longview's historic downtown, see a performance at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, or play a round of golf at the local Mint Valley Championship Golf Course.
Located in a small gorge, the Port of Longview has a different climate from nearby Portland, being about seven degrees cooler. The Pacific Coast marine layer brings frequent clouds, and wind speeds can be up to 40 miles per hour, with significantly greater gusts at higher elevations. Spring brings rain and thunderstorms. Fall brings cool temperatures and fog that sometimes lingers all day. Winter brings chilly rain with occasional thunderstorms or spikes of warm weather created by the Pineapple Express. Temperatures in the Port of Longview range from an average high of 18°C (65°F) in July and August to an average low of 0°C (32°F) in December and January. Precipitation is sparse in the summer (2.5 centimeters or one inch in July) and plentiful in the winter (peaking at 20 centimeters or eight inches) in late November. Humidity levels are fairly constant in the Port of Longview, ranging from a high of 90% in October to a low of about 88% in December and January. Snow comes to the Port of Longview from late October through early April, peaking in January at eight centimeters (3.2 inches).
Located within the city limits of the Port of Longview, Lake Sacajawea is an urban paradise for residents and visitors alike. The park contains 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles) of trails for biking, jogging, and walking past many species of flowers and trees, through rhododendron gardens, past two beautiful fountains, and under landscaped bridges. The lake offers fishing, canoeing, and kayaking or family picnics. The Port of Longview's Lake Sacajawea has two playgrounds and offers summer Concerts on the Lake. Lake Sacajawea supports many species of fish where anyone over 14 years old with a valid fishing license can try to catch rainbow or brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, warmouth, catfish, or sunfish.
In 1987, the Lower Columbia Council of Camp Fire Girls labeled trees around the lake with tags giving their common names, and the park superintendent expanded this in 1995 by adding their scientific and common names, country of origin, and mapping to create the Frank Willis Arboretum. Dedicated in 2002, the arboretum has 119 species of trees surrounding the park trail that circle the lake.
Lake Sacajawea also features the 2.6-kilometer (1.64-mile) Solar System Walk, a model of the solar system that lies along the pathway. Nine granite markers with statistical information on the planets and a scale model of the sun and planets are located at the beginning of the walk.
Lake Sacajawea's Japanese Garden was originally landscaped in about 1924, but over time the island reverted to its natural state. In the early 1990s, the Japanese Garden was reborn when the island was cleared of natural blackberries, ivy, and noxious plants. In 2003, a Weyerhaeuser-funded bridge was installed for the community's anniversary celebration which was officiated by the Governor.
The Port of Longview is home to a most unusual bridge, the Nutty Narrows Bridge, dedicated to squirrels. Known as the "World's Narrowest Animal Crossing" and the "World's Narrowest Bridge," the Nutty Narrows bridge was original built by Amos Peters in 1963 when he witnessed many squirrels meeting an inglorious end in speeding traffic. Looking like a tiny suspension bridge, the 18-meter (60-foot) overpass was made of aluminum piping and a used fire hose. When the bridge was repaired in 1983, special guests from Disneyland, Mickey Mouse and Chip 'n Dale, attended the rededication ceremony with 300 children and local officials. When Peters passed away in 1984, the town added a three-meter (ten-foot) wooden sculpture of a squired nearby in his memory. In 2007, the bridge was moved 91 meters (100 yards) to the east between the Port of Longview Civic Center and the Longview Public Library.
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