For those that have visited Pacific Beach and been entertained at the Ocean Crest Restaurant and Resort at Moclips, you will need to hold off on any plans to revisit. A possible electrical fire started in the restaurant, spread thru the bar and was discovered with flames coming thru the roof at 4:30 AM today. The fire is out except for a few hot spots. Concern now is they have used so much water to kill the fire that the cliff is in jeopardy of giving way and sliding onto the beach. The owners have had the restaurant in their family since 1953. Thank goodness there were no injuries.
What a shame! While stationed at PacBeach, I moonlighted at the Ocean Crest as the maitre'd, and my wife at the time worked in the bar. My EMO, Jim Ogle, married the Ocean Crest's owners' daughter, Barbie, so I worked for him during the day and her at night. BEAUTIFUL ocean views, we fed the raccoons every night on the walkway outside the windows. Best waitress ever, Marliss Yates worked there. She could take up to 18 orders without a pad and never got one wrong. The local Indian tribe's senior member, Burdeen Underwood used to party with us on a regular basis and it was always my job to drive her back to the res. I remember having to escort folks out of the hottub when we closed up at night. And we had a couple customers who used to fly their private planes up from the Bay Area and land on the beach just for dinner. I hope no one was hurt and that they can rebuild.
That was such a beautiful place. On the ORI team, we stayed there one year and I would live there if I could afford it. it was absolutely breathtaking. I hope it gets rebuilt.
The last news account I caught the brother and sister owners were planning to rebuild. The loss was estimated at $1M. I have not heard any new info about the cliff as to whether it has stayed in place or fell on to the beach.
