I’ve checked around on Google but really didn’t find anything which is why I’m pestering you fine folks.
Do Oregon and Washington state have boardwalks? You know, midways, arcades, rides and haunted houses? Do the beaches in either state require badges or is it one of those YMMV situations?
I was just playing with color too, hope it didn’t annoy anyone. 
Can’t speak for Oregon, but to my knowledge the closest thing to a “boardwalk” as you describe it in the Seattle area is the Fun Forest at the Seattle Center. Also, traveling concessions set up periodically during the summer in mall parking lots and at fairs.
There’s also the Seattle Waterfront, but that’s probably closer in spirit to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
I have no idea how one would enforce badges at the beach (I assume you’re talking about access). Other than building one humungous fence—over 170 miles—the best alternative would be to station a guard every ten feet or so. Which ain’t gonna happen.
Badges!? We don’ need no stinkin’ badges!
Sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself.
The town of Seaside OR has arcades and such, but not to a huge extent. I haven’t seen anything to the scale of an East Coast style boardwalk in either OR or WA.
Perhaps just the occasional day use pass:
If you’re looking for something along the lines of Atlantic City where there are boardwalks along the beach itself, you may be out of luck. I’m not sure about Oregon, but much of the coastal beaches along Washington are technically Washington State highways, and therefore are public land. Just this weekend my roommate and I went out to Ocean Shores to do some skimboarding and we were able to drive right out on the beach and park several yards away from the shore.
I don’t know this for a fact, but I bet the public land status of Washington’s beaches prevents any commercial development along the beach itself (ie. boardwalks). Like Hunter Hawk, the closest I’ve seen were tourist hotspots (candy and ice cream shops, antique stores, arcades) lining the “main strip” of a particular seaside town with raised wooden sidewalks to offer the illusion of a boardwalk.
Agree w/MetroGnome. Oregon coast is pretty much the opposite of the Jersey shore. I believe the entire coast of Oregon might be public land (or at least most of the beaches are) and while there are some fee areas, some are not. I visited the coast around Florence / Heceda Head (lived in Eugene for 3 years) many times and had lots of fun w/o paying a fee anywhere.
Oregon beaches are public as far as I know. There are some parks that may have a token entry fee but you won’t find private residences with fences down to the waters edge or anything like that.
As far a arcades, Seaside is about it although places like Cannon Beach and Depoe Bay have touristy bits too.
Oregon law provides for free and uninterrupted public access to all of its beaches from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border. The town of Seaside, on the Northern Oregon coast, has something they call the 'Prom" (promenade), but it’s a far cry from the amusement park type boardwalks found on the East Coast. Oregon is extremely protective of its shoreline, and the State is quick to prohibit anything that might detract from its natural beauty.
While there may be some parks that charge “day-use” fees, the proceeds are for use of park amenities, and not a fee to use the beach.
It’s also kinda of odd that there are relatively few “amusement parks” in OR or WA. There are several small local places with water slides, haunted houses, arcades, etc, but no big ones. And none are near the coastline… Now, if you want a Casino, there is one right on the beach!
A lot more people will drive farther to go to a casino than to an amusement park. Amusement parks seem dull and expensive to the majority of the population (no cite) and I don’t think anybody is going to drive accross Oregon to get to one. In fact, one of the major considerations about flying vs. driving to Seattle or Vancouver from here (SF Bay Area) is that you have to drive through Oregon, and while it’s gorgeous to visit as a destination, driving accross it is always a nice combination of boredom and speeding tickets.
That is the funniest thing I’ve read on these boards in a long time!
(Washington resident here, grew up in Vancouver.
Er, Vancouver, Washington, that is. Not sure if you were referring to that or Vancouver, BC.
Not really anything massive. Though at Longbeach, WA about 45minutes away from Longview they have a arcade about the size of 2-3 stores and a small amusement ride place.
Well it’s roughly the same driving distance from here… relatively speaking.
Don’t forget not being able to pump your own gas, and thus not being able to buy gas at night in a lot of places.
Oddly enough, that’s one thing Oregon shares exclusively with New Jersey.