Oregon Coast Travel

Oregon Coast Highway

2011-07-01T10:37:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast, a photo by JoeDuck on Flickr.

The Pacific Coast National Scenic Byway offers incomparable coastal scenery as it winds along the Pacific up and down the coast of Oregon. From Astoria in the north to Brookings in the south, highway 101 often hugs the rocky cliffs although there are also stretches of highway without views. Allow more time for this route than you'd think with a casual look at a map. For example it only takes about 4-5 hours to travel from Southern Oregon to Portland via Interstate 5, but it can take as log as twelve hours to travel from Astoria to Brookings along the coast, depending on traffic and conditions and your driving tendencies. But this drive is not to be missed - in my opinion the Oregon Coast from Yachats to Brookings offers the world's best coastal scenery - largely unspoiled and appearing much as it has for the past millennia. Spruce and Fir forests to one side and crashing surf to the other make this an unforgettable journey. Be sure to take some of the amazing short hikes at Oregon State Parks or highway 101 scenic waysides. Devil Churn at Cape Perpetua and Indian Sands near Brookings are both short but spectacular coast hikes.

Oregon Coast, Stones on the beach in Brookings Oregon

2011-03-24T11:49:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast, Brookings Oregon, a photo by JoeDuck on Flickr.

Along the Oregon Coast (this is at Brookings. Oregon) Beachcombing is a great activity, especially in winter when the waves mix up the rocks on the shore. Semiprecious stones called "agates" are a prize here even though they have very little actual money value. Agates are a form of chalcedony. The agates are polished by the waves and sand into a great collection piece. Unfortunately, they are VERY hard to find. www.OregonCoastTravel.net

Oregon Coast - Brookings, Oregon 068

2011-03-21T23:22:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast - Brookings, Oregon 068 a photo by JoeDuck on Flickr.

Lone Ranch Beach on the Oregon Coast. This fairly secluded beach is located about 4 miles north of Brookings Oregon just off Highway 101, the Oregon Coast National Scenic Byway.

Oregon Coast Tsunami

2011-03-11T11:44:00.001-08:00

Despite Tsunami warnings up and down the Oregon Coast as well as an evacuation alert for the entire coast, the Japan earthquake did not lead to a catastrophic wave along Oregon, let alone pretty much anything except perhaps a few more higher waves than otherwise.

Although many will suggest it's better to be safe than sorry, this is probably more an example of how media hype gets in the way of clear thinking than anything else. CNN and local networks were breathlessly predicting trouble on the coast ever since the news of the tragedy in Japan hit, yet as the dust settles we're finding that only in the center of activity was this a catastrophic event.

This matters because people are already somewhat desensitized to warnings of impending danger in terms of nature and terrorism. Perhaps we need a system that more rationally defines what we can expect in terms of trouble?

OHWY.mobi - Travel the coast with your phone

2010-12-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

Online Highways Mobi at OHWY.mobi is our new Oregon Coast Mobile application that helps travelers find their way along the Oregon Coast, especially along Highway 101 - the Pacific

Coast Scenic Byway. We're also starting to feature location information for California and Washington.

Although Online Highways MOBI is not very impressive on a big computer screen (for information from a computer or larger screen go to our Oregon Coast Travel website), OHWY.mobi will help travelers use their phone to find all kinds of helpful information as they travel along the magnificent Oregon Coast from the "Wild Rivers Coast" in the South to the mouth of the Columbia River in the north. Hotels, restaurants, and attractions are all featured in a simple phone friendly format, easily accessible from your car or while hiking.

Online Highways Mobi is at this link: OHWY.mobi .

For more about the Oregon Coast - go to our Oregon Coast Travel website

For more about the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway go HERE

Oregon Coast Mobile

2010-11-19T00:08:00.001-08:00

Stay tuned for our upcoming mobile application for Oregon Coast Travel. It'll be via OHWY.mobi and will feature some of the information we now have at our Oregon Coast Travel website - www.OregonCoastTravel.net, plus weather and other interactive features.

History of the Oregon Coast

2010-10-11T11:51:00.001-07:00

We've got a good feature on the History of the Oregon Coast over at Oregon Coast Travel. Here, I've added some links to relevant information about some of the Native American history and famous European explorers in the remarkable past of the state of Oregon:

Oregon Coast History from Oregon Coast Travel:

Homo Sapiens first arrived on the Oregon coast approximately 400 generations ago, to subsist in the coast’s generous waters and forests. They fashioned canoes to paddle along the coastline, estuaries, and rivers, where they pursued salmon, seals, and ducks. They also gathered such seafood as clams. Inland, they hunted for game and gathered such foods as roots. On the whole, it was successful subsistence living. That was their lifeway for thousands of years, and as generations came and went, bands coalesced into tribes. The Oregon coast’s principal tribes were the Siletz and Tillamook on the north coast, Alsea and Siuslaw, central coast, and Coquille and Coos on the south coast, among others. The cultures of those tribes were similar.

European exploration of the Oregon coast emerged in the 18th century when Spanish mariners sailed north from Mexico to explore and eventually stake claims to the region. The British soon followed, and the years 1774-1795 in particular became a period of sharp contention between the Spanish and the British for claims to the northwest coast. However, neither side was able to successfully gain hegemony over the region.

In the meantime, Captain Robert Gray, an American, visited the Oregon coast by sea in 1788 and 1792, and returned with fur pelts. Following the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark reached the Oregon Coast in 1804 and laid claim to the territory for the U.S. They also returned with furs, and that prompted one John Jacob Astor to establish the first permanent white trading post in Oregon. The post, Astoria, lay at the mouth of the Columbia River. However, the venture did not prove as successful as Astor had hoped, and the British North West Company bought out Astoria. Both Britain and the United States continued to claim the territory.

On a voyage commissioned by the U.S. Congress, Charles Wilkes landed on the coast in 1838 and planted the American flag. Later, a flood of Americans arriving on the Oregon Trail established de facto the United States’ claim to the land.

From: History of the Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast at Cape Perpetua

2010-08-14T13:40:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The Oregon Coast is known for some of the most beautiful scenery on earth, and you'll find some of the Oregon Coast's best scenery at Cape Perpetua.

The Visitor Center Here gives an excellent introduction to the Oregon Coast with films and interpretive exhibits as well as guided hikes in the forest and tidepools. This is a wonderful area to get out of your car and explore on foot after getting an orientation at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center just up the hill off of highway 101 north of Florence, South of Yachats.

Devils Churn - one of my very favorite places on earth - is a short hike from Cape Perpetua or a brief stroll off the highway 101 turnout that is near Devil's Churn under a mile from the Cape Perpetua road up to the visitor center. Don't miss this spectacular feature where waves rush and crash into the narrowing chasm.

2010-07-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

British PM David Cameron has commented on the role of Pakistan in exporting terror. The government of Pakistan has responded that he is ignoring the role that Pakistan has played in the war on terror.

On the contrary, he seems to be painfully aware of its role, as do his present hosts in India. The quasi-governmental or simply governmental support for nefarious activities in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Mumbai, and the part they played in exporting nuclear weapon technology to rogue states like North Korea is well known.

What they probably mean is that Cameron is not taking seriously their pretend role in the war on terrorism, the role for which the United States pays them billions of dollars.

Oregon Coast Spouting Horn near Cape Perpetua

2010-07-26T16:21:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Spouting Horn on the Oregon Coast is a really neat feature, but you need to be there at the right tidal time to see it spout. This is near Cape Perpetua on the Central Coast along with some of the best scenery you will find in America.

Oregon Coast Acupuncture treatment ... free on May 1!

2010-04-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Erica will be offering FREE acupuncture treatments at Central Coast Community Acupuncture on Saturday May 1^st from 10am to 2pm. Please contact the clinic online or call them for more details:

Central Coast Community Acupuncture
130 NW 19^th Street, Suite C, Newport
541.265.8455

info@cccacupuncture.com

This is the 7^th Annual May Day Celebration by Community Acupuncture (CA) clinics. CA clinics are social businesses dedicated to affordable healthcare. With over 150 CA clinics in North America, thousands of individuals are expected to receive free services on May 1st. A list of participating clinics in the US and Canada can be found at www.CommunityAcupunctureNetwork.org

Oregon Coast

2009-11-03T13:42:00.001-08:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Cape Perpetua, north of Florence Oregon and near Yachats, offers some of the best views of the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. You can drive to the top and take a very short walk or hike the (very approximately) 2 mile round trip forested trail from the Cape Perpetua Visitors Center via the Campground and up to this fantastic Oregon Coast View.

Don't miss Devils Churn which has it's own parking or is only about a mile round trip walk from the Visitors Center at Cape Perpetua. At Devils Churn the sea rushes into a confined space created by an old volcanic lava flow and the wave action can be spectacular, especially in the winter and during storms.

Oregon Coast

2009-10-06T01:55:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Oregon Sea Anemones and Mussels at Florence Seashore

Global Warming not coming soon to the Oregon Coast

2008-12-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

As I watch Wunderground for their predictions on the upcoming Storm of the Millenium (OK, it hasn't been a long millenium yet), I'm putting this into the perspective of someone who has been in Florence for almost 21 years.

We had a big snowstorm the first year, which was the most in more than two decades. Then it went boring for about a decade, but I'm pretty sure we've seen more snow in our second decade in Florence than in the first. Last spring we had some extremely late snow (April) and we kept burning wood in the livingroom stove until almost the Fourth of July. Getting snow almost two weeks before Christmas is another astonishing prospect.

All this puts me in the global warming skeptic camp. This is not the same as being a denier. I really don't know whether there's an underlying trend and I'm seeing an anomaly on the cool side that will be overwhelmed by warming next year or the year after. But twenty years after the first alarms were sounded, there is precious little evidence.

The Oregon Coast "way of life" does face challenges. There's too much litter. People are losing their homes. Gorse and scotch broom are too prevalent. I feel the need to pick my battles and frankly, worrying about the still imperceptible rise in sea level isn't in my top 10 list.

Tragic Death on Oregon Coast. Fiance washed to sea at Proposal Rock near Neskowin, Oregon.

2008-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Coast was the scene of a very tragic death this week when a bride to be from the Phillippines, only 3 days into a trip where she was to marry an Oregon man, was swept out to see literally minutes before the man was to propose to her at Proposal Rock near Neskowin along the Oregon Coast.

Her fiance, an Oregonian from the area, wanted to propose at Neskowin's "Proposal Rock", a popular place to pop the question along the Oregon Coast. The tide had receded enough for the couple to make their way out but a large wave about 3 feet knocked the small woman down and swept her out to sea. Rescuers were on the scene in minutes thanks to a call from a local on the beach but the woman has not yet been found and is presumed dead.

The Full Story

Oregon Coast City Guide

Oregon Coast Highway Souvenir Folder

2008-11-30T13:07:00.001-08:00

Oregon Coast Highway Souvenir Folder
Originally uploaded by Jasperdo

Thanks to Flickr user Jasperdo we have a great set of historic postcards up at Flickr showcasing the Oregon Coast.

Click on the picture for more of this neat set which appears to be from 1951 after the completion of the Oregon Coast Highway, still one of the world's most scenic drives.

Bridges along the coast remain one of the state's attractions as they span the many rivers and streams as they spill into the Pacific all along the Oregon Coastline.

The cards list the cost of the Gold Beach Bridge, a beautiful concrete structure over the Rogue River, as $600,000 - millions shy of the budget just a few years ago to paint and restore this beautiful, massive span at the mouth of the Rogue River.

Heceta light House Bed & Breakfast on central Oregon Coast

2008-11-21T10:14:00.001-08:00

Heceta light House Bed & Breakfast
Originally uploaded by d70focus

One of the things I love about Oregon is how many "Once in a lifetime" experiences you can have here - even on a short trip.

Here at Heceta Head lighthouse near Florence Oregon you can spend the night in the keeper's quarters which are just a short walk from the lighthouse itself.

Some other great lodging experiences in Oregon are the lodge at Crater Lake, Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, The Oregon Caves Chateau at Oregon Caves National Monument, McMenamin's Estate south of Portland, the Benson Hotel in Portland, the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Weasku Inn in near Grants Pass on the Rogue River, and more. All of these offer you an historic attraction and adventure as well as fine accommodations.

Winter on the Oregon coast

2008-11-20T13:43:00.001-08:00

Sequence of waves along Oregon coast
Originally uploaded by anneh632

My favorite time to visit the Oregon Coast *by far* is the late fall and winter, when the wave action is nothing short of spectacular, especially at places like Devil's Churn, Cape Arago, and the many other rocky shoreline areas.

The surf in winter along much of the Oregon Coast has waves topping 20 feet pounding into the rocks, shooting spray up 100 feet and more. Storms add to the excitement but even on relatively calm days you can find great spots to sit and wonder at the sheer power of tons of water crashing into the rocks every few seconds.

For Beachcombers the Oregon Coast winter brings a wealth of fascinating biology and treasure, especially in areas where tidepools fill with sea anemones, starfish, and other creatures while you're much more likely to find great shells and agates - the variegated semiprecious stones that form in cavities of other rocks and then drop out as stone masses are broken down by the sea.

Oregon Coast Aquarium

2008-10-30T00:01:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast Aquarium
Originally uploaded by anneh632

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is one of the top aquatic showcases in the USA. Although the Oregon Coast Aquarium is not as large as the West's other major aquarium at Monterey Bay, Oregon offers several fantastic exhibits such as outdoor wildlife habitats, gorgeous huge water tubes filled with extraordinarily beautiful Jellyfish. - for me one of the most spectacular sea life exhibits at the aquarium.

Pictured is the walk through shark tank where the fish swim all around you.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is open year-round.

More information is at the official OCA website: www.aquarium.org

More about Newport from Oregon Coast Online Guide

Oregon Coast Highway

2008-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Coast Highway 101, the longest of the US National Scenic Byways, was recently awarded one of the best road trips in the USA by a European travel magazine. It's no wonder because the Oregon Coast Highway offers a spectacular 363 mile journey through oceanscapes, landscapes, and US History. Beautiful lighthouses and bridges punctuate a coast characterized by sea stacks, pounding surf, and a lush carpet of spruce and fir forest. Dozens of small towns grace the highway that stretches all the way from Astoria in the north to Brookings on the south Coast, also known as the "Wild Rivers Coast".

More information:

Oregon Coast
Wild Rivers Coast
Oregon Coast Visitors Association

Oregon Harbor

2008-10-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

harbor
Originally uploaded by TooFarNorth

Commercial Fishing is still a major industry in Oregon although restrictions on salmon and crabbing mean that seasonal issues are very important in terms of the availability of the two most prized fruits of the fertile Oregon Coast - Dungeness Crab and Wild Salmon.

Dungeness crabs, with succulent white meat in the body and legs, was common food for native Americans but is not prized as a modest priced delicacy. The Dungeness Crab season generally begins about December 1 and although it goes on for several months the prices tend to get high later in the season. Also I've heard that the earliest crabs tend to be meatier though that may just be a fishing story.

Wild Salmon is generally preferred to the cheaper and far more easily available farmed version. Wild has a darker red color and is richer in taste and texture. At native American BBQs you can sometimes enjoy fresh salmon smoked in pits the ancestral fashion, skewered on sticks that are stuck into the ground next to the pits with the fish located above the flame.

Oregon Coast: Cape Foulweather

2008-10-02T15:12:00.001-07:00

Ocean beauty
Originally uploaded by DavidK-Oregon

Looking north at Cape Foulweather this beautiful shot seems inconsistent with the name of this famous Oregon landmark.

Cape Foulweather was discoverd and named in 1778 by the famous British navigator Captain James Cook. It was at this Point that Captain Cook first sighted the mainland of North America on the Pacific Coast, and one of the sudden storms which greeted his arrival almost put an end to his historical expedition. The fierceness of the storm is reflected by the name he gave this rugged landmark - Cape Foulweather. Oregon's magnificent coast is as dangerous as it is beautiful, and during bad weather in the winter the Oregon Coast is hazardous to small and large craft alike. Many lighthouses guard the Oregon Coast but shipwrecks, especially small fishing craft, are still common along the coast especially during winter.

The Cape Foulweather Lookout is perched atop the promontory from which this picture was taken, which rises 500 feet above sea level.

From here you see the crashing surf along the shore, sea birds nesting on the rocks, sea lions basking in the sun, fleets of fishing boats in search of salmon, ocean liners whose wisps of smoke string out along the far horizon. Whale Watching, unbelievable sunsets, and in winter visitors enjoy the peaceful calm which follows the violence of a sudden storm.

US History Source: www.U-S-History.com

Kites along the Oregon Coast

2008-10-02T09:46:00.001-07:00

IMG_1508
Originally uploaded by katrinket

Kites are very popular along the Oregon coast, and some cities sponsor annual kite festivals where the kites can get quite extraordinary. Winds at many beaches are great for kite flying so when you plan your trip bring one along, or plan to buy one when you get to the Oregon Coast.

Oregon Coast Lighthouses

2008-10-01T13:33:00.001-07:00

IMG_0139
Originally uploaded by Brian9000

The Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast offer an almost magical intersection of beauty, history, form and function. Lighthouses are perched atop many of the most precarious and dangerous Oregon Coast cliffsides of Oregon to warn mariners away from the undersea perils or rocks below.

I think this is the North Umpqua Light but it was not tagged. North Umpqua is also an Oregon State Park that offers camping in lush spruce forest below the lighthouse.

As we've noted before you can even stay in the keepers quarters of Heceta Head light. If you are lucky you may even catch a glimpse of the ghost reported to live there.

Oregon Coast Website - Official Mile by Mile Guide

Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon Coast

2008-09-25T14:14:00.001-07:00

Lighthouse
Originally uploaded by jeffk

This beautiful Oregon Coast Lighthouse is one of the state's most recognized coastal landmarks. Guarding the Oregon Coast for over 100 years, the Heceta Head light is a great short walk and tours of the light are available seasonally.

For overnight visits you'll want to consider staying in the keepers house, just down from the lighthouse, which has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast. Details are here: http://www.hecetalighthouse.com/

Oregon Coast near Gold Beach, Oregon

2008-09-20T19:06:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast near Gold Beach
Originally uploaded by Photomike07

Photmike at Flickr took this great picture of the Oregon Coast near Gold Beach which captures both the subtle drama and beauty of the splendid coastline. In summer the surf is usually gentle, while winter on the Oregon Coast brings huge waves, spectacular crashing surf, and amazing beachcombing along the hundreds of miles of beach that make up the Oregon Coast.

Oregon Coast Road Info at TripCheck.com

2008-09-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

A superb source of Oregon Coast and Oregon road information is to be had at TripCheck.com, the website of the Oregon Department of Transportation where you'll find road cams, road reports, and links to many other Oregon Coast travel resources:

This is an updating photo of McCullough Bridge on the coast near North Bend, but you'll also find this information here.

Birding the Oregon Coast

2008-09-08T12:50:00.001-07:00

Birding along the Oregon Coast can be a casual affair or a lifelong passion, as there are hundreds of species showing the remarkable evolutionary diversity created as ecosystems collide along Oregon's complex Coastline.

This website from the Federal Wildlife Administration showcases Oregon Coast bird santuaries where the Oregon Coast Birding Trail website will gives you a guide to species you'll find along the Southern, Central, and Northern parts of the Oregon Coast.

Personally, I'm a fan of the Puffin - stout sea birds that nest in cliffs and have a large, strong orange beek used to crush shellfish for dinner. Also the Osprey which tends to live atop large tree snags (dead trees) in huge nests.

Birding enthusiasts will also want to consider a trip to the Klamath Basin Birding Trail.

Beautiful blue curves along the Oregon Coast

2008-09-07T15:40:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by ArtBrom

This beautiful shot is along the North Oregon Coast I think but not sure. I'm less familiar with the areas north of Lincoln City than points south of Lincoln City, one of the coast's larger cities and a very popular vacation destination for folks heading to the coast from the Portland area.

Unlike California where many of the coastal cities are major metropolitan areas (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego), Oregon has no large cities along its 363 miles of coastal highway 101, the asphalt thread that winds all the way from Astoria to Brookings. Instead, you'll find more than a dozen cities of moderate to small size, many with tourism as the mainstay of the economy although larger cities like Brookings, Gold Beach, Florence, Lincoln City, Newport, and Astoria all have identities that go far beyond their roots in tourism.

Devil's Churn on the Oregon Coast near Cape Perpetua

2008-09-06T22:35:00.001-07:00

IMG_1362
Originally uploaded by djtansey

As I noted in the earler post, Devil's Churn offers some amazing surf action as the waves pour into a narrow volcanic canyon. There's a trail down to Devil's Churn where the views can be awesome if conditions are right. As always along our Oregon Coast be *very* careful whenever you are at the shoreline, especially at places on the Coast like Devil's Churn where a simple fall could lead to great injury in the craggy rocks and choppy surf right below.

Oregon Coast Viewpoint along Highway 101

2008-09-06T22:26:00.001-07:00

Oregon Coast
Originally uploaded by Darin Barry

The Oregon Coast offers those who drive the byway hundreds of turnoffs like this one with views that vary as much as the wonderful natural features of Oregon. Spruce and fir forests, towering cliffs and sea stacks, and wide sandy beaches are all here.

My personal favorite spot on the coast - though there are many superb places - is Devil's Churn just across from the Cape Perpetual lookout. A short hike down from Highway 101 also known as the Pacific Coast National Scenic Byway, takes you down to the shorline where volcanism has created a long narrow passage of hundreds of feet. If the tide is right and the surf is big the waves crash into this area like a freight train - gushing in and out of the Devils Churn in spectacular fashion. I'll try to find a photo of the Churn for the next post.

The Oregon Coast

2008-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Oregon Coast Travel blog, where we'll be posting a lot more regularly in the coming months about travelling along the magnificent Oregon Coast from Brookings to Astoria.

A companion website to this blog and to the Oregon Coast region's travel guide is 101MileByMile where you will fine information about every mile of the Oregon Coast Highway 101, a splendid 363 mile ribbon of road that winds along the coast from Brookings-Harbor near the California Border to Astoria on the Columbia River which separates Oregon from Washington State. Highway 101 also serves most of California and all of Washington, ending at the Canadian border where it becomes a Canadian road.

The Worst English in History

2007-11-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from an email sent by Travel Oregon (the official state tourism agency) promoting the annual Governor's Conference on Tourism next April:

"Today in Oregon is like no other.
Today in Oregon is like Oregon itself – unique, wide open and full of
possibility.

How did we get to this moment in time, as colleagues, partners,
leaders and friends? Through our shared vision of endless potential,
through our love of expanding human sympathies through travel, through
our hope that building a stronger tourism industry one destination,
one attraction, one fishing guide, one beach, one bed and breakfast
and one mountain at a time, will lead to a greater whole and the
greater good, and to an unfathomably bright future for our children.
Our job is to channel this, focus it, and join all those singular
passions together to sustain our already vibrant industry.

It's our job to build those bonds as bridges to the future,
to Sustain the Dream in Oregon, every minute of every day, 365 days a year."

It is my personal opinion that this is the worst piece of writing in the history of the English language. I can't personally think of anything close, although I haven't read everything.

The bureaucrats at Travel Oregon have decided that they are the arbiters of taste, marketing skill, and "compelling" writing. I offer this as Defense Exhibit A that this is not so.

The Coming Week on the Oregon Coast

2007-02-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

February 9-19 – HGTV's Former "Collector Inspector" Harry Rinker – Lincoln City – During Antique Week Mr. Rinker, nationally known for his expertise in antiques, will make a variety of special appearances, hold workshops, in-home appraisals, and appraise-a-thons. FMI 541-996-1273

February 10 - Pistol River Friendship Hall - Just South of Gold Beach - Jim Malcolm -

Traditional Scottish Folk Music, 8 PM. FMI 541-247-2848

February 10 – 22nd Annual Charleston Crab Feed – Charleston – 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at the "Old" Charleston School, 64065 Seven Devils Road. Fresh Dungeness Crab Dinners, Whole or Half Crab at Market Price, includes beans, salad, bread & beverage. FMI 800 824-8486.

February 10 – Triple Creek – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – Our favorite guitar trio… Crosby, Stills & Nash, look out! Every time we hear these guys, they get better!They rock! Get in here and give ‘em a listen! FMI 541-994-6200.

February 14 – St. Valentine's Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony – A Celebration of Renewal and Commitment. Little Log Church, Yachats. FMI 541-547-3976.

February 14 – 2nd Annual Sweethearts Day Crab Crack - Event Center on the Beach, Gold Beach - 6pm to 10 pm - Dungeness Crab, live music, dancing, auction and fun! FMI Gold Beach Chamber 541-247-0923.

February 16 – Rita Coolidge in concert at the Mill Casino Hotel – North Bend – Two shows, 7 and 9 pm. Tickets $13-$18. FMI 800-953-4800.

February 16-17 – Beth Willis – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – She’s a sweetheart and it’s kinda like Valentine’s day, well, weekend , sorta… Beth’s great with a crowd, so get in and give her a listen, you’ll be glad you did! Psssst! She’ll play songs you know, and some you don’t… but you’re gonna love it, no matter what! FMI 541-994-6200

February 17-18 – Chinook Winds Arts & Crafts Fair – Chinook Winds Convention Center – Lincoln City – This event is open to all ages and there is no charge for admission. This is your chance to purchase hand crafted items direct from the skilled individuals who create them. There will also be a Tribal history display as part of Antique Week. This event will be held in conjunction with the Harry Rinker Appraisathon. FMI 1-800-CHINOOK.

Highway 38 and Elkton

2007-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Highway 38 is being considered for recognition as an Oregon scenic byway. The state has more scenic routes than any other, for reasons that are apparent to anyone who drives much here. Highway 38 leads from Interstate 5 through Drain, westward to Elkton, where it joins the spur from Sutherlin and continues along the Umpqua River until it reaches Highway 101 in Reedsport.

Elkton has begun to grow. The city has a built a butterfly pavilion and there is an associated art space. Four wineries now operate in the area. Two of them have tasting rooms on the Highway 38 -- Brandborg in "downtown" and Rivers Edge Winery at the western edge. There is also a new subdivision on the hillside above the downtown area. It also has a couple of interesting cafes and an RV park down by the river. I expect Elkton to remain a unique little community even as it grows.

Naples Beach in Waldport Getting Attention

2007-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Our local newspaper in Eugene has noticed the onset of Naples Beach in Waldport on the Oregon Coast. They forecast that it will double the size of this seaside town. Those of you who follow my blogs will have learned this before.

Mark Campbell, who owns Crestview Hills Golf Course and is involved in Naples Beach, told me that the number of housing units for which they are getting permits may be more than they end up with. That's the same thing I heard from the developer of Villages at Cascade head in Lincoln City. I don't know much about land use planning, but it seems that people go through the process for the largest conceivable number of units and then actually develop less.

As usual, there was the local resistance. One gentleman was quoted as saying that his property taxes had gone up 83% in 12 years and if it got to bad, he'd just move on. Well, 83% in 12 years is mostly accounted for by inflation, but if he wants too go, then "Sayonara." I hope he isn't planning to move somewhere else in Oregon with low property taxes and no sales tax.

Yahots

2007-02-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Yachats is pronounced "YA-hots" and at one time had the slogan "When Yachats, Yachats," with the stress on the second syllable. It may have been unofficial. It was at one time a place where a number of gay men lived. This may still be true, but there doesn't seem to be much sign of an active gay lifestyle anymore. Yachats seems to be gradually growing upwards along the hillsides. Twenty years ago, there weren't a lot of homes on the inland side of Highway 101, but as Oregon Coast real estate has become more in demand, ocean view lots have been developed a little higher and more inland. As I look at some of the driveways, I try to imagine getting up or down during one of the Oregon Coast's infrequent snowstorms. Not a pleasant prospect.

Another Mile by Mile Guide in the Works

2007-02-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

I'll be on the road later this morning, taking a truck up to Newport with the last copies of last year's Oregon Coast Magazine guide to Highway 101. OCVA needs them to mail out.

We could have distributed more. The print order is going to 341,000 for the next run, which will be available in a month. That's up by 50,000 from the previous run and 111,000 from two years ago. People just can't get enough of them, it seems.

It's all due to my wife and not me. I occasionally help out with some writing and I try to sell a few ads. I drive up and down the Oregon Coast looking for new things on Highway 101 to mention. But she does the real work. I don't think people on the coast appreciate how much she does on their behalf. Good job, Alicia!

We think this is cold

2007-02-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

It's been cold here. OK, cold by the standards of the Oregon Coast, if not the Pacific Northwest. Let alone Fairbanks. But we're not used to a lot of frosty mornings. I made an effort to time my firewood gathering so I would run out of dry, conveniently placed wood around May 15, when it stops making sense even to take the chill off the morning. I was probably a little enthusiastic, but there are always people who want a few extra bundles late in the winter, so it should work out. I have a lot more down, mostly bucked up, some of it split. It's out in the woods and I should get it into the warm sunshine so that by the middle of September, I can shelter it and it will be well seasoned for next winter.

People buy Oregon Coast real estate in order to have experiences like this.

Wine, Beer, Seafood, and Music Festival Festival

2007-01-31T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Reedsport Chamber is hard at work, making Reedsport one of the hottest spots on the Oregon Coast for a good time. Now they are putting together the first annual Wine, Beer, Seafood, & Musical Festival in Gardiner. Gardiner is this little old town just downriver and across the water from Reedsport, once known as the White City because there were so many houses painted white. It was later known for the International Paper mill, which added a distinctive aroma for people driving down Highway 101. The mill is now gone and the town is undergoing a bit of a renaissance. Come join them on February 17 and 18 for a good time at the old Jewett School on the hillside. Can't miss it. Check Theresa Hart for more updates.

Surveying the Tourists

2007-01-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

At yesterday's SOVA symposium, I listened to a presentation regarding research. I responded with the following email:

I enjoyed learning about the Dennett Group's visitor research for Southern Oregon. I want to follow up on the brief conversation we had about potential problems.

First consider the following simple model. Cities A and B each have 1,000 population. Everyone in A visits Southern Oregon once a year. 100 people in B visit Southern Oregon 10 times a year and no one else. If you sample the populations of A and B at home, you will decide that 10X as many SO visitors are from A as B. If you conduct intercepts in SO, you will get the same number of A and B. Longwoods is based on the former, and you on the latter. You won't get the same results.

You remarked that the only problems to worry about would be systematic sources of error. Here are five.

1) Assume that there is a decreasing likelihood on any particular trip of someone going to a Visitor Center. Your method will understate the number of trips to SO that a particular visitor takes.

2) However, since the cumulative likelihood of being at a visitor center at least once increases with more trips, you will paradoxically overweight the demographics of people who visit SO repeatedly.

3) You will underweight low incomes, because such people are less likely to base decisions on reading matter, which is what they get in visitor centers.

4) You will underweight "visiting friends and relatives" because such people have a built-in source of visitor information that is not available to FIT folks. They are consequently less likely to enter a visitor center.

5) You will underweight people who get their information from the Internet. Someone who has printed a local map from Mapquest doesn't need to get one from the visitor center.

You have a very accurate survey underway of exactly what it appears to be -- the profile of the average person who walks into a visitor center, or to a small degree an attraction. You also have useful information for the lodging, shopping, and dining folks, but it certainly won't be definitive.

I have devised a strategy for doing an online survey for the Oregon Coast. It will have errors, as does yours, but it will give useful information. It will say less about visitors to visitor centers but more about occupants of hotel rooms. I will be curious to see what differences appear between your results, my results, and Longwoods.

Rob Spooner, Publisher
Oregon Coast Magazine

Reedsport Annual Dinner Report

2007-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

We attended the annual banquet at the Reedsport Chamber last night. Reedsport has an exceptional number of festivals. They said it was the largest number of any city in Oregon, even Portland, which may be true. They had the list on the wall and it was impressive. Coming up soon is a wine, beer, seafood, and music festival in Gardiner. I think they should just say, "Oregon Coast Bounty," or something and keep it short. Anyway, it's going to be a rip snorting event and we're planning to be there.

Our very own Theresa Hart took over as the 2007 chamber president. She is a very polished speaker, which was evident during the evening. Reedsport is lucky that she agreed to take the job.

Growing Brookings

2007-01-27T13:08:00.001-08:00

People keep moving to Brookings-Harbor on the Oregon Coast. Southern Oregon is popular with retirees and they love the climate in Brookings. The population of Brookings exceeds 6000, up about 10% since the last census. Harbor is probably the largest unincorporated community in Oregon, making the total local population around 14,000. There is a thriving campus of Southwestern Oregon Community College and this is also a hot spot for Oregon Coast real estate. Blue Pacific Realty can help you find the house you need.

The Reedsport Chamber Dinner

2007-01-26T10:28:00.001-08:00

We're heading down to Reedsport on Saturday for the annual chamber of commerce banquet. It's extra important for Oregon Coast Magazine to be represented because Theresa Hart, who works in our Internet side, will be taking on the job of president of the chamber for the coming year. She's quite an asset to Reedsport as well as our business. Reedsport is a great place. Unlike some spots on the Oregon Coast, it has kept a very working-class atmosphere. I've sometimes thought, though, that they could attract a lot more tourists with better use of their waterfront on the Umpqua River. They do have the Umpqua Discovery Center there, but it isn't nearly as much as in Florence.

The Coos Wagon Road

2007-01-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

Most of the pioneer trails have either been aBandoned or are now completely developed that they don't conjure up any images of early settlers. The Coos Bay Wagon Road is an exception. Running 78 miles today, the road was opened in 1872 as a link between Roseburg and Coos Bay. Even though it has been upgraded, it still runs through some very scenic back country. If you drive it today, there will be eleven miles of unpaved road if you follow the complete route. The new natural gas pipeline to Coos Bay follows the right of way of the old Wagon Road.

If you follow the route to the coast in order to get married, ask Wren Smart for her assistance. She's experienced at it, having helped many people get married and having done it three times herself.

Connie and Jennifer in Lincoln City

2007-01-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

Connie Hansen came to Lincoln City in 1973 and decided to develop the acree of land around her home on 33rd Street into a garden. She did a spectacular job of it, and since her death in 1993, it has been open to the public as the Connie Hansen Garden. You'll enjoy the azaleas, primroses, irises, geraniums, and more than 300 species of rare rhododendrons. Another highlight of Lincoln City is the Jennifer Sears glass art Studio, where you can blow your own glass float. Jennifer was a well known figure in the tourism industry who died much too young, and this is a way that she can be remembered.

Visiting Astoria

2007-01-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

One of the things you notice about old City Halls is that they have a much grander notion of what city government represents than the modern ones. Here in Florence, we have a modes, utilitarian building that you will leave town and never remember. In Astoria, the citizens built a Big One in 1904. It's still in existence today, looking out grandly over Astoria at the corner of 16th and Exchange, but the city offices have moved on. Now it houses the Heritage museum, which displays the region's heritage from the days when it was populated only by Indians through the explorers and later the pioneer farmers, loggers, and fishermen.

There are some interesting bed and breakfasts around Astoria. One of them is the Uppertown Bed and Breakfast. Another is the Rosebriar Inn. There are a number of nice hotels in Astoria as well, but you can try one of these for an even cozier experience.

Our Open Coast

2007-01-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

The entire length of the Oregon Coast is open to the public. That's some 350 miles. In California, only about 90 miles out of more than a thousand miles of coastline are owned by the public. Governor Oswald West persuaded the Oregon Legislature in 1913 to make the beaches public property. Governor Tom McCall brought about legislation in 1967 that guaranteed that the beaches would remain forever accessible to anyone. You can't climb across private property to get there if the owner doesn't want to let you, but once you're on the beach, you can wander anywhere you like.

Beach Cleanup

2007-01-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

The Great Oregon Beach Cleanup, organized by SOLV, is designed to give the beaches of the Oregon Coast a sprucing up twice a year. Volunteers comb the beaches for litter and bring it to collection stations in garbage bags. Some of the stuff is too large to handle this way, and every year the list of unusual items is pretty impressive. During the Fall 2006 cleanup, items retrieved included a refrigerator, the roof of an outhouse, a magic wand, a box of Cuban cigars, a harmonica, and a sailboat.

In an era when we ask ourselves sometimes whether there are enough public spirited people in Oregon to make a difference, the beach cleanups routinely gather more than 3000 volunteers for this day of work. It will be even more impressive if we ever see Wren Smart out on the beach doing a good deed for someone else.

Oregon Dune Mushers Mail Run

2007-01-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Maybe you thought mushing was just something people did in Alaska and Yukon on snow. But there's another version that goes over sand and every year, the big event is the Dune Mushers Mail Run. This year, it's going to be on the weekend of March 10 and 11, starting in North Bend and heading north to Florence.

It's a non-competitive endurance race where each musher carries commemorative envelopes signed by that musher and carried over the trail on the dunes. The stamp on each envelope is "cancelled" at North Bend, Lakeside, and again in Florence as part of the organizers' fund raising. Teams range from 4 to 10 dogs and cover the 70 miles over the space of two days.

You can get a good look at the dogs while they are running by stopping at the Oregon Dunes "Day Use Area," formerly and more intuitively entitled the Dunes Overlook. But some bureaucrat felt this wasn't sufficient, so your federal tax money was spent changing the name and all the signs.

Astoria is older than the rest of us

2007-01-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

The Astoria chamber of commerce has invited us to attend their annual dinner later this month. It was quite an affair last time we attended, which was a few years back, and I'd like to do it again. It's important for Oregon Coast Magazine to be part of affairs like this.

One of the things about Astoria is that you're reminded of how much older Astoria is than anywhere else on the Oregon Coast. I don't remember exactly, but I think the last dinner we attended was something like the 125th annual. We're down here in Florence and there hasn't even been a city here for that long. Florence has something it calls Old Town Florence, which consists mostly of building designed to look old and a couple that are from the first decade of the 20th century.

Actually, Astoria doesn't have that much really old stuff in its downtown, most of which burned down 80 years ago. The Liberty Theater looks really old, but it's really just a late Vaudeville theater that was converted to movies.

Largest Spruce: New Candidate for Disaster Tourism

2007-01-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

It seems that Oregon's largest Sitka spruce, located at Klootchy Creek just inland along Highway 26 from the Oregon Coast, is in dire straits. It was hit by lightning and damaged some years ago and a recent storm revealed serious rot. Experts think it's only a matter of time before this giant falls.

When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. We will hate to see it fall, but there may as well be a silver lining. Disasters are big draws. Rubberneckers slow down traffic to pass accidents. Idiots hear tsunami warnings and rush to the beach for a better view.

We should do something like that for the Klootchy Creek spruce. Sell tickets to watch it. The Oregon Lottery could start a game; winner guesses when it falls. If it starts to go, it'll be even more of an attraction. Nobody would watch the Tower of Pisa if it weren't leaning, would they?

All this levity masks my deep dismay. I'm a tree-hugger at heart. I love the big ones. It will be a shame to see this one go.

Siletz Bay

2007-01-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Siletz Bay is a very interesting place. It's cut off from the Pacific by the Salishan Spit, which extends all the way from Gleneden Beach almost to the Inn at Spanish Head. Over the years, many huge stumps have floated down the river and become stuck in the mud. It's a wonderful place for birds. In fact, a lot of marsh land is included in Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge, some of the most scenic estuarine habitat along the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. When you finish viewing wildlife, you can have a super dinner at the Bay House Restaurant. This is definitely one of Lincoln City's best.

Entertainment for January

2007-01-09T18:50:00.001-08:00

January 6 – Belinda Underwood – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – Willowy Belinda weaves her vocal spell while dancing with her bass. An enchanting evening with a delightful pair of musicians as Belinda is joined by her talented keyboard partner. Very classy, elegant entertainment! FMI 541-994-6200

January 10 – Rick Bartow Group – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – Great music and a lot of fun, they’re becoming an institution here! You oughta check ‘em out! 7-10 PM. FMI 541-994-6200

January 12 – 14 – World Poker Satellite Tournaments – The Mill Casino Hotel – North Bend – The final round winner wins a seat at the WPT in Las Vegas. FMI 800-953-4800

January 13 – Triple Creek – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – Our friends from the valley return to our stage. A wonderfully versatile trio of guitarists that’ll bend your ears and minds! FMI 541-994-6200

January 17 – Joe Dobroe & Evans Longshore – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City - Again, a delightful evening of music in store for you when these fellas start swingin’ their axes on the bandstand! They’ve got the chops and the chips will fall! 7–10 PM. FMI 541-994-6200

January 19 – Jimmy Bivens – Kernville Steakhouse – Lincoln City – Jimmy’s cool, he’s tall, sings fun songs, has a nice voice, wears a baseball cap, plays the tambourine with his feet… looks like he just got off the beach and you’re gonna love him! Heck, we do! FMI 541-994-6200

January 19 – 20 – Comedy on the Coast – Chinook Winds Casino – Willie Tyler & Lester, Michael Pace, with host Jeff Capri. FMI 888-MAIN-ACT (624-6228)

Information courtesy of Oregon Coast Visitors Association

Weddings on the Oregon Coast

2007-01-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

If you want to get hitched on the Oregon Coast, you should engage the services of Wren Smart. From her offices in Mapleton on the Siuslaw River, she does all the arrangements. Pick a place. She'll marry you in the Oregon Dunes, on the beach, beside a babbling brook, whatever you like. She's been doing this for several years and people seem to be really pleased.

Fun and Games in Reedsport

2007-01-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

There are a remarkable number of festivals that take place each year in Reedsport on the Oregon Coast. Reedsport is a very civic minded community and they put on a good show every time they run one of these things. They range from wild parties in the dunes like Dunesfest to classic car shows. Many of the festivals are found in the Calendar section of Oregon Coast Magazine.

Snowy Plovers

2007-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Throughout Oregon, people are locating the best places to watch birds and combining them into "trails," which are actually just a series of disconnected locations. The first trail was in the Cascades. The Oregon Coast Birding Trail has now been officially launched. There is a brochure and a Web site.

However, one bird that won't be seen much along the trail is the Snowy Plover. To begin with, there hardly are any. Secondly, they tend to congregate in areas where people don't ordinarily go. Thirdly, the government is trying very hard to keep those few people who might bump into a plover away from those few places where they could be found.

This raises an interesting question. The government has cordoned off the areas where the plover breeds, at least during the breeding season. Nobody except the government actually sees them in action. They go to a lot of trouble and expense protecting the plovers from their natural enemies.

But would it make any difference if they shut down these areas and then didn't actually do anything? The plover is so rare that they can actually count nearly every one. It is too rare to have any impact on the environment. I have no idea what it eats, but the handful of predators that eat plovers and their eggs would starve if they had nothing else. They probably wouldn't lose weight if they had no plovers at all.

And it's not as though there aren't plovers. This species is found all around the world. There is another population in Eastern Oregon that is doing just fine. We don't actually need snowy plovers on the Oregon Coast in order to save the planet, so why don't we just "declare victory." Set aside some areas of the dunes and announce that there are now plenty of plovers there, but nobody can go look. The government could then stop fretting over them and use the money for something more productive.

Different kinds of Good Weather

2007-01-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

"There's no such thing as bad weather," said John Ruskin, "only different kinds of good weather." That's the sort of positive attitude that carries you through winter on the Oregon Coast. Certainly there are many kinds of weather to enjoy. We just had hail on Thursday that turned everything white for half an hour. Pea-sized puppies. I'm glad I wasn't playing golf or something.

And we're getting some pretty good wind as well. Angelia Moor, one of our ad reps, just moved to a condo on the oceanfront in Rockaway Beach from the safety of her home in Lake Oswego. Just in time for some near-hurricane winds.

One of the great things out here, for sure, is that the weather is always changing. Inland, you can go for long periods with gloomy weather, but on the coast, there's always a sunny patch between storms. Usually even between squalls. It can get seriously wet, of course, but it's always an adventure.

Twenty Five Years

2007-01-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Oregon Coast Magazine is now in its 25th year of publication. It started in 1982, during the worst economic downturn that Oregon has seen since the Great Depression. It has survived longer than any other general interest magazine in the Pacific Northwest. There have been a couple of efforts at Washington Magazine, Oregon Magazine, and sundry city books. But Oregon Coast Magazine just keeps plugging along. There are subscribers who began before the current owners bought it in 1988.

The person who makes it all work is my wife Alicia. I tell people that and they say I'm being modest, but in fact I wouldn't have any idea how to get an issue to the printer. She hunkers down with her Mac and with the help of a lot of others on the staff, it gets down every two months. It's always been an amazing thing to me.

The Mile by Mile Guide to Highway 101

2007-01-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

We're in the process of producing another guide to the Oregon Coast. The guide has been producing by Oregon Coast Magazine for about 15 years now, ever since it was abandoned by the old Oregon Coast Association. It's the most popular guide in the entire state, not just the most popular for the coast, and there will be about 341,000 copies produced in a month or two, most going out for free distribution.

We're very fortunate to have the help of the Oregon Coast Visitor Association in distributing the guide. It's through their support that we've been able to get more than 100,000 additional copies into circulation in the last couple years. The guide is online, but if you want a printed copy, just go to OCVA's Web site and request one. One will be mailed to you.

Enjoying Christmas in Astoria

2007-01-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to visit Astoria for Christmas when I visited daughter Jaci at her house in Knappa. It was a lot less snowy than the last time, when I almost got wiped out on the road.

I think every town should have something like the Astoria Column even if it doesn't do anything useful.

Check this out

2006-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

There's a new Web site for the Oregon Coast. Check it out. It's simple and clean and packed with good information. Just about the best available, IMHO.

Land Use -- More Unintended Consequences

2006-11-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

I just posted a comment about how the opponents of "vice" on the Oregon Coast are having generally the reverse effect of the one they want to achieve. To a degree, the same thing is happening with land use planning. In this case, however, the people who are upset ought to be happy. They just don't seem to understand.

The two biggest residential developments on the Oregon Coast in recent years, perhaps ever, are Lone Ranch near Brookings and Villages at Cascade Head at the north end of Lincoln City. People quote specific numbers of lots, but these are all preliminary plans and who knows how many will actually be built. However, it's safe to say that hundreds and hundreds of dwellings will be built at each one.

Both of these projects drew vocal opposition, some local and some the usual regional protesters. The arguments tend to be the same, and they boil down to "too big." But "big" is where land use regulations lead. Almost every development stirs up opposition and it's easy to take an appeal to LUBA (Land Use Board of Appeals). This takes time and costs the developer a ton of legal fees.

But the cost of going to LUBA is roughly the same for a small project or a large one. The same hearings, answering the same questions, but a large developer can spread those costs over a lot of homes. For a small developer, the delay and expense can be a killer.

So as long as we have land use regulations, expect to see more rather than fewer big projects. Lone Ranch is on a mining claim that U.S. Borax abandoned a century ago. Borax is now owned by London-based Rio Tinto Mining. These are people with long time horizons and deep pockets. Waiting another five years would be nothing to them.

And frankly, I'm happy about it. Both Lone Ranch and Villages at Cascade Head are well designed, maintaining a lot of green space, putting in plenty of infrastructure before they build. Compare either of them with a lot of subdivisions on the Oregon Coast that have developed every buildable square foot and a rational person ought to be favorably impressed.

Unintended Consequences in the War on Vice

2006-11-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I shouldn't call gambling, or "gaming" as they prefer to call it, vice but I'm old-fashioned and it was one of the vices when I was growing up, along with pornography. There are clearly still people who think that way on the Oregon Coast and they have some big signs telling everyone. Unfortunately, they are probably having the reverse effect.

In Florence, we have a casino and have had for several years. All the legal hoops have been gone through and the tribes are building permanent facilities to replace the temporary ones they first opened. A new hotel is going in. It's a booming affair.

Meanwhile, on Highway 101, the local opponents (People Against a Casino Town, or PACT) have a big sign that reads "No Casino." Evidently, they haven't got the legal message yet and there is still some silly lawsuit working its way through some courts somewhere. The folks at the casino tell me that they have people coming to their front door, commenting that they wouldn't have even known that Florence had a casino except for the big sign on 101.

Up in Lincoln County, some local opponents of pornography have put large signs, again on Highway 101, next to a couple of "adult stores." The one in Newport reads, "Pornography Hurts Everyone." It is much more visible than any signs on the store itself. I'm guessing that many people find the store because of the sign.

It's just a thought, but maybe it's not a great tactic to give a lot of free publicity to activities you just want to go away.

Real Estate in Bandon

2006-11-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

When I wrote an article earlier in the year about the most expensive homes on the Oregon Coast, one of them that stood out was an old (1935), middle-size (2000 sq ft) house in Bandon for $1.8 million. On 75 feet of waterfront. It worked out something like $2000 per inch of waterfront. I thought that was a litle excessive, but I didn't actually call it insane.

In a few months, we're going to do a retrospective on those homes to see how many of them sold and at what price. I get the feeling that there aren't quite as many people now ready to buy property at any price on the theory that someone would take it off their hands the next month. But if this one sold for anything like the asking price, we'll know that the boom is still underway.

Actually, silly those these prices sound, oceanfront real estate now sells for multiples of prices that, a few years ago, people like me thought were silly. There just doesn't seem to be any limit to what people will pay for it and, as people say, they aren't making any more of it.

Champagne Patio at Sea Towne in Newport

2006-11-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Years ago, we ran a restaurant contest in Oregon Coast magazine. We were very serious about it, and signed people up as reviewers. Careful attention to prevent ballot box stuffing (a problem with our first effort) and all that.

And to everyone's surprise, the winner for the "Best Wine List" went to Champagne Patio in Newport, rather than Salishan. Salishan expected to win and they were not amused when I told them they took second. Lots of people put their little plaques on the wall. Salishan definitely didn't.

The deal was that people loved how the wine list worked at Champagne Patio. It's a combination store and restaurant. The wine shop part has one of the better selections of wine on the coast. You can buy a good bottle there at a competitive price, walk over to the resturant side and enjoy it with your meal for a $2 corkage.

That's pretty much unheard of, and I suspect our readers were responding to the wonderful deal rather than the quality of the list. Salishan has thousands of bottles in their cellar and there's no real competition for who's really number one. But Champagne Patio had this great deal, which the new owners are keeping.

They also have a fabulous razor clam chowder. I'm sure it would have gone well with a white wine, but I was busy selling ads and couldn't indulge.

Pacific City, next Cannon Beach?

2006-11-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's a very small town, off the beaten track, but it's starting to get noticed. A lot of this is due to Jeff Schoens and Mary Jones, a husband-wife team that has developed several neighborhoods out towards Cape Kiwanda as well as the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, the premier accommodation on the Three Capes Loop. Downtown Pacific City is starting to develop as well. Most of the lodging tends to be of the budget variety, but some of the restaurants are first class. We really enjoyed the Delicate Palate and the Grateful Bread has been a class act for several years. A great way to start a morning.

Some new art galleries and shops have popped up, too. It's not Cannon Beach yet, but it's moving in that direction.

The Restaurant at Sandpines Golf

2006-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

After bursting on the scene about 10 years ago, scoring "Best New Public Golf Course" from Golf Magazine in its first year, Sandpines has had an up and down history. Its first owners went broke and it second Japanese owner also ran out of cash to finish it. So for years, it was a spectacular course with a "clubhouse" that was basically a manufactured home.

Now it's got the kind of clubhouse it deserves. Unfortunately, it seems that in at least one area, they've cut corners. Several people have told me that the restaurant is overpriced and the food barely adequate. People who spend the kind of money that it costs to play a round at Sandpines aren't generally going to quibble about the cost, but they expect something special at the prices Sandpines is charging. Hopefully, this is something they'll take care of.

Historic Anchor Inn

2006-11-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

I was driving along Highway 101 in Lincoln City, when I noticed a new sign by the road. "Historic Anchor Inn," it said. That seemed odd, since I couldn't remember any lodging there at all in the past, so I turned in to check it out.

Originally built in the 1940's as the Taft Heights Motor Inn, it had been simply the Anchor Inn for many years and, in the words of its present owner Kip Ward, "the worst motel in Lincoln City." Kip has had it for nine months and is completing renovating it.

And it's looking good! He took one wing with sixteen rooms sharing baths and has converted it to eight suites -- bedroom, bath, and sitting room. The place is full of character and old wood, but the bedding, plumbing, and so forth are all new and first class. Yet it's cheap! Also easy to get a reservation, since almost nobody seems to know about it yet. Call him at 800-582-8611.

Interesting Weather

2006-11-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

Weather is never bad. You just need the right attitude to appreciate it. We're having some interesting weather on the coast, especially from where we live (Florence, about midway) to the Columbia. One of our ad reps just moved in to a condo in Rockaway Beach. Right on the ocean, which seemed great when she looked at it during the summer, but suddenly with a wild Pacific storm comine ashore, she's starting to wonder.

Down here, the rainfall hasn't been nearly as much. It's been enough to loosen some of the cliff above Highway 101 around Sea Lion Caves (12 miles north), but the rivers aren't overflowing. Different story up north. Tillamook has a lot of low lying land and it always seems to be flooding. Somebody from the Weather Channel was up there this morning this morning giving it some unwanted publicity. A woman from the Seaside Chamber told me yesterday that Highway 101 was cut between Seaside and Cannon Beach.

But it seems to be calming down now. The Weather Channel is talking about an even bigger storm way out in the Pacific headed our way on Friday. We'll just have to wait and see.