Tourist Trap

I like our little town. It's not much, but it's home. I don't love everything about it - most notably the schools - but so far, it has maintained an identity. It's not yet just another urban sprawl of strip malls and big box stores.

Yesterday Danny had an assignment for his Washington State History class to create a travel brochure about a town or city in our state. For some reason he chose Marysville. Now, while I like our town, I really can't imagine it as a tourist destination. Here are some of the highlights of what Marysville has to offer.

Beachfront: yes, Marysville did recently build a new waterfront park complete with boat ramp. What waterfront? Ebey Slough. Just a hop, skip and a jump from the sewage treatment plant.

Fishing: there is a fishing pond at Jennings Park (the crown jewel of the Marysville Parks and Recreation Department). Let's just say that anything caught in that will almost certainly taste just like mud - if you're lucky.

Charming Downtown Shopping: we do have a cute little downtown area. It's one block long. One block. For more serious shopping, most people head across the freeway to the outlet mall/WalMart on the Res.

Nightlife: I keep slapping, but the mosquitoes keep coming. Just kidding - but if you're looking for nightlife in Marysville, the pickings are thin. Besides Regal Cinemas 14 plex, you might be able to catch some live theater...if the high school happens to have something going on. That's pretty much it - unless you're a gambler, which, in that case, you'll again be heading across the freeway to the Res.

Of course, the real reason to visit Marysville is to see me. Hint. Hint.