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TILLAMOOK
Paddling off into the Sunset Story by Rachel Russell
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hen searching for things to do in the winter in Tillamook, the obvious choice was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. However, I wanted something a bit more challenging, a chance to get outside and try something different. I found Kayak Tillamook. They have year-round guided tours some of the best flat water within a one hundred mile service area. Any type of waterway in the Tillamook area is fair game, and there are several tours to choose from. Kayak Tillamook is a unique guide service that was founded and still owned by Tillamook county locals who were interested in sharing their beloved area, while keeping to their environmental ethics. Not only do they provide a great workout, each guide has their own ability to enchant their group either by area history, wildlife sighting or photography, they even supply hot apple cider on their winter tours!
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The hardest decision I had to make was about which tour I should go on. While the Tillamook River tour meanders through the rich agricultural area, the Hoquarton Forest tour glides past oldgrowth Sitka Spruce, I was torn between the Sand Lake and Cape Meares Lake tours. The Sand Lake tour is a great winter option as the higher tides make paddling around Whalen Island with its crystal clear waters, a special treat. I however was drawn to the Cape Meares Lake sunset tour. There is just something magical in this location. The lake is nestled in the middle of a Tillamook Spit and is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the Tillamook Bay. It is sheltered by Cape Meares, which offers a great windbreak and a smoother surface to the lake. The east border of the lake is the Bayocean Dike Road. The most intriguing aspect of
Photo by Brent McWhirter
the lake is that it is the site of the historic town of Bayocean. Bayocean was built as a resort town in 1909 on the beach of the spit, which lent to beautiful views of both the Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean, hence its name. This settlement boasted a population of 2000 citizens by 1914, had paved roads, and a heated natatorium with a wave generator for when Bayocean’s citizens did not want to swim in the ocean. Bayocean even had water, and a telephone system, before they had a road connecting them to the outside world. Visitors and residents alike would travel on a steamship from Portland to reach the resort town. But as it often happens, Mother Nature got the best of this glitzy resort and overtook the beach, flooding out the town. Our guide, Captain Paul Peterson met us at the boat launch of Cape Meares Lake and had all the equipment ready to go. Captain Paul, as we called him, was a fantastic guide. He is a local, growing up just south of Tillamook in the Netarts Bay area. His name is Captain Paul due to his 15 years as a commercial fishing boat captain all up and down the Oregon coast, plus he has fished all the way up to Alaska. He also
has experience as a logger in the coastal forests, from which he draws a great knowledge of coastal creatures, both big and small. After an onshore safety and instructional demonstration, grabbing our water bottles, hats and anything else we thought we would need, we were fitting into our kayaks. Once we were seated and comfortable, Captain Paul pushed us off and into the water. I have to say, I was a bit nervous as the kayak rocked back and forth after the initial push off, but once I put the paddle in the water, I stabilized myself and felt incredible. After all of us were in the water, Captain Paul struck out along the southern edge towards a small cove dotted with lily pads. The light danced across the bright green pads as the delicate purple flowers bobbed up and down as we wove our way through them. As we turned north again we glided next to the dune separating us from the Pacific Ocean. The roar of the waves and the sight of the huge drift wood trees up on the dune was the perfect back drop for Captain Paul to enlighten us about the resort town we were then floating over. His tale of the rise and fall of Bayocean was enchanting as we paddled over to get a closer www.oregoncoastpassport.com 7
look at a Great Blue Heron. It was remarkable how close the Great remember your sunscreen! Now that you have everything you need, Blue Heron let us get to him. It was as if we were transformed while go to www.kayaktillamook.com, and peruse through all the wonderful being in the kayaks and that we belonged on the water with him. We choices they offer or call (503) 866-4808 for a winter treat you wont also flushed a group of geese and got to see them fly overhead honking soon forget. to each other as they gained their iconic v-formation. When searching for things to do in the winter in Tillamook, the obThere is just an absolutely amazing feeling as you paddle your own vious choice was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. However, I wanted kayak; one stroke on the right and then an equal stroke on the left, both something a bit more challenging, a chance to get outside and try working together to propel you across the sunlit wasomething different. I found Kayak Tillamook. ter. As we rounded the north shore we came across a They have year-round guided tours some of the best large beaver lodge and were fascinated with the conflat water within a one hundred mile service area. struction phases visible. What amazing creatures! Any type of waterway in the Tillamook area is fair Further up along the Bayocean Dike Captain Paul game, and there are several tours to choose from. reminds us to keep a look out for a chance to see Kayak Tillamook is a unique guide service that was an elk as dusk was approaching. It was the perfect founded and still owned by Tillamook county locals habitat for elk, trees in the distance and tall grasses who were interested in sharing their beloved area, on the shore for cover, and clear, fresh drinking wawhile keeping to their environmental ethics. Not ter. This evening they eluded us, but there is always only do they provide a great workout, each guide has another chance to see them around the next bend. their own ability to enchant their group either by As the sun set we struck out for the boat launch, area history, wildlife sighting or photography, they now all the way across the lake. It was just incredible even supply hot apple cider on their winter tours! how fast we all moved now that we had gotten into The hardest decision I had to make was about the rhythm of paddling. Upon reaching the end of which tour I should go on. While the Tillamook our tour, Captain Paul got out first and pulled us up River tour meanders through the rich agricultural onto the shore so that we did not have to get wet. It area, the Hoquarton Forest tour glides past oldwas one of the best excursions that I have had on the growth Sitka Spruce, I was torn between the Sand Oregon Coast yet! Lake and Cape Meares Lake tours. The Sand Lake You may still be a bit leery about kayaking in the tour is a great winter option as the higher tides make winter, but it may be the best time of the year to paddling around Whalen Island with its crystal clear kayak flat water. As the winter rains fall, they swell waters, a special treat. I however was drawn to the the waterways making it easier to access some of the Cape Meares Lake sunset tour. There is just somebest-kept secrets of Tillamook County. As for the thing magical in this location. The lake is nestled guides, whomever you go with will be great. They in the middle of a Tillamook Spit and is bordered each have to go through rigorous trainings in safety, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by water rescue and technique, as well they each are A Great Blue Heron wades among the the Tillamook Bay. It is sheltered by Cape Meares, First Aid and CPR certified. While the tours are grasses along the shore of Cape Meares which offers a great windbreak and a smoother surbuilt around guest satisfaction, Kayak Tillamook Lake - Photo by Brent McWhirter face to the lake. The east border of the lake is the also strives to be as Eco-conscious as possible. A Bayocean Dike Road. The most intriguing aspect of few of the steps they have taken are distributing almost all information the lake is that it is the site of the historic town of Bayocean. electronically and planning their tour schedules to not only match the Bayocean was built as a resort town in 1909 on the beach of the spit, tide cycles, but to limit the miles driven. They also have saved a red- which lent to beautiful views of both the Tillamook Bay and the Patailed hawk that had a hook in its wing and was hanging from a tree cific Ocean, hence its name. This settlement boasted a population of by fishing line. 2000 citizens by 1914, had paved roads, and a heated natatorium with A few things to keep in mind as you plan your next winter adventure a wave generator for when Bayocean’s citizens did not want to swim in on a kayak tour is to dress in layers, preferably synthetic materials with the ocean. Bayocean even had water, and a telephone system, before the outer layer being waterproof, old tennis shoes, a warm hat and pair they had a road connecting them to the outside world. Visitors and of gloves, and any snacks or drinking water. Even in the winter, please residents alike would travel on a steamship from Portland to reach the
Sunset bathes Cape Meares Lake in rich colors. - Photo by Brent McWhirter 8- www.oregoncoastpassport.com
Paddling through lily pads with Captain Paul Peterson on Cape Meares Lake - Photo by Brent McWhirter
resort town. But as it often happens, Mother Nature got the best of this the north shore we came across a large beaver lodge and were fascinated glitzy resort and overtook the beach, flooding out the town. with the construction phases visible. What amazing creatures! Further Our guide, Captain Paul Peterson met us at the boat launch of Cape up along the Bayocean Dike Captain Paul reminds us to keep a look Meares Lake and had all the equipment ready to go. Captain Paul, out for a chance to see an elk as dusk was approaching. It was the peras we called him, was a fantastic guide. He is a local, growing up just fect habitat for elk, trees in the distance and tall grasses on the shore for south of Tillamook in the Netarts Bay area. His name is Captain Paul cover, and clear, fresh drinking water. This evening they eluded us, but due to his 15 years as a commerthere is always another chance to cial fishing boat captain all up see them around the next bend. and down the Oregon coast, plus As the sun set we struck out for he has fished all the way up to the boat launch, now all the way Alaska. He also has experience across the lake. It was just inas a logger in the coastal forests, credible how fast we all moved from which he draws a great now that we had gotten into the knowledge of coastal creatures, rhythm of paddling. Upon reachboth big and small. ing the end of our tour, Captain After an onshore safety and inPaul got out first and pulled us up structional demonstration, grabonto the shore so that we did not bing our water bottles, hats and have to get wet. It was one of the anything else we thought we best excursions that I have had on would need, we were fitting into the Oregon Coast yet! our kayaks. Once we were seated You may still be a bit leery about and comfortable, Captain Paul kayaking in the winter, but it may pushed us off and into the water. be the best time of the year to I have to say, I was a bit nervous kayak flat water. As the winter as the kayak rocked back and rains fall, they swell the waterforth after the initial push off, ways making it easier to access but once I put the paddle in the A goose takes flight from its hiding place along the lake. some of the best-kept secrets of water, I stabilized myself and felt Photo by Brent McWhirter Tillamook County. As for the incredible. After all of us were in guides, whomever you go with the water, Captain Paul struck out along the southern edge towards a will be great. They each have to go through rigorous trainings in safety, small cove dotted with lily pads. The light danced across the bright water rescue and technique, as well they each are First Aid and CPR green pads as the delicate purple flowers bobbed up and down as we certified. While the tours are built around guest satisfaction, Kayak wove our way through them. As we turned north again we glided next Tillamook also strives to be as Eco-conscious as possible. A few of to the dune separating us from the Pacific Ocean. The roar of the waves the steps they have taken are distributing almost all information elecand the sight of the huge drift wood trees up on the dune was the per- tronically and planning their tour schedules to not only match the tide fect back drop for Captain Paul to enlighten us about the resort town cycles, but to limit the miles driven. They also have saved a red-tailed we were then floating over. His tale of the rise and fall of Bayocean hawk that had a hook in its wing and was hanging from a tree by fishwas enchanting as we paddled over to get a closer look at a Great Blue ing line. Heron. It was remarkable how close the Great Blue Heron let us get A few things to keep in mind as you plan your next winter adventure to him. It was as if we were transformed while being in the kayaks and on a kayak tour is to dress in layers, preferably synthetic materials with that we belonged on the water with him. We also flushed a group of the outer layer being waterproof, old tennis shoes, a warm hat and pair geese and got to see them fly overhead honking to each other as they of gloves, and any snacks or drinking water. Even in the winter, please gained their iconic v-formation. remember your sunscreen! Now that you have everything you need, There is just an absolutely amazing feeling as you paddle your own go to www.kayaktillamook.com, and peruse through all the wonderful kayak; one stroke on the right and then an equal stroke on the left, both choices they offer or call (503) 866-4808 for a winter treat you wont working together to propel you across the sunlit water. As we rounded soon forget. www.oregoncoastpassport.com 9
PACIFIC CITY
Treasure Hunting in the Sand
Story by Rachel Russell
View of “Chief Kiawanda Rock,” now called Haystack Rock with Cape Kiwanda reflected upon the sand - Photo by Rachel Russell 10- www.oregoncoastpassport.com
Pacific City
View from Bob Straub State Park looking north toward Cape Kiwanda – Photo by Rachel Russell
hile strolling along the vast beaches of Pacific City I find myself with my head down eyeing the rocks and shell fragments for that one perfect treasure. The waves roar in the background and I pull my jacket a little tighter, but through the cold and noise, my stress starts to melt away as I methodically search the edge of the surf. I glance up and take in the horizon and notice how today, the sea is actually behaving as its name suggests, Pacific Ocean. One of the best stretches of beach to stroll along and find treasures is in Pacific City on the central coast of Oregon. This small town along the banks of the Nestucca River is a great starting point for a family outing, or a romantic walk on the beach. Stretch-
ing from Bob Straub State Park to Cape Kiwanda State Park, this pristine beach is the perfect beach for winter beachcombing. The winter storms bring in some great treasures along the beach, and this winter especially, locals are intrigued to see what washes in from the Japanese Tsunami. One of the best parts of beachcombing is that everyone in the family can join in! Anything that entices your interest, whether you are looking for bright colored shells and rocks or even sand dollars for a collection or jewelry making, or that perfect piece of driftwood to whittle away on, you have a seemingly limitless supply on the beach. The best time to find the coveted treasures is early in the morning after a storm, but the tides are always
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The Pacific City’s famed “Doryman Wall” a tribute to doryman and women both past and present - Photo by Rachel Russell
One of the best stretches of beach to stro changing so whenever you make it to the beach, you will find something. A few places to start looking are the less frequented, and farther to walk to areas of beach as these have a better chance of not being picked over yet. Bob Straub State Park is located on the southern end of Pacific City beach and is a remarkable starting point for your adventure. Located on a spit which was created by the Big Nestucca River, and stretching southward along the Nestucca Bay, Bob Straub State Park is a great place to get out of town and enjoy the scenery. There is a small paved road ending in a parking lot with picnic tables, a public restroom, and several hiking trail trailheads. With over two miles of beach laid out ahead of you, and a chance to see harbor seals, tie up your shoes, grab some water and a bag for beach finds and head south towards the tip. To gain beach access, climb the dune to the west and start to stroll. For a round trip hiking option, the almost 5 mile Nestucca trail follows the beach to the end of the spit, then circles up the back bay beach, over dunes, and through shore pine, then back
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to the parking lot. To access Bob Straub State Park, turn west at the flashing light in Pacific City and then turn south after the bridge onto Sunset Drive. The Pacific City beach extends from the tip of the Nestucca Spit all the way up to Cape Kiwanda State Park. Cape Kiwanda is the most easily accessible beach for both pedestrians and 4X4 vehicles. The north end of the beach is the cape itself with orange sandstone that is the perfect backdrop for any photo. As the tides wash in, capes tend to be great places to scour for the treasures of the sea due to changes in tidal currents. For the adventurous member of the family, you can climb the large dune, and even hang glide off the top. Cape Kiwanda also offers great tide pooling in the Kiwanda Marine Gardens at the base of the cape. One of the most famous activities on Cape Kiwanda beach is the launching of dory boats. At the top of the launch ramp is the “Dory Wall,” a tribute to current dorymen and women as well as past dorymen. But wait you ask, what is a dory, and why is this the place for them. A dory is a small boat
Family beachcombing at Kiwanda Beach in Pacific City - Photo by Rachel Russell
roll and find treasures is in Pacific City usually only 16 to 23 feet long with a flat bottom and high sides. These boats have been used for centuries for fishing in the ocean, as well as bays, lakes and rivers. The dories of today have changed little in the basic sense, they still are small flat-bottomed boats, but now we have outboard motors to help with the rowing effort. Even with this motorized help, you can still watch the dorymen row through the surf in the traditional way. With the Nestucca Bay close by, why not have a harbor like the rest of the coastal towns you ask? The Nestucca river system is one of the best salmon fisheries along the coast. In 1886 a cannery opened and the salmon fishing became big business for those with the best means to catch the fish. In 1927 a new state law was passed that ceased fishing in the Nestucca Bay and its tributaries due to overfishing. While this law still remains in effect today, this turn of events for the local fishing community spearheaded the development of the famous Dory Fleet to fish the open ocean. The dorymen choose to launch from the protected Cape Kiwanda beach,
and are still launching from this very beach when the ocean conditions are right. While larger commercial fishing boats have evolved and are responsible for most of the commercial catch, many doryman today are recreational fisherman. While the dory seems a bit small to tackle the surf, there have only been 6 known deaths in over 100 years. Many times the dorymen have been the first to respond to a distress calls. In 1996 the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association was founded as a non-profit organization with the goal to preserve and protect the historic traditions of the dorymen. Whether you are treasure hunting, or just taking a relaxing walk along the beach, keep your eyes open for what the waves may bring you. Good luck in your search and as you continue to meander your way along the beach and be careful if you hear the big horn of an off shore dory boat. This signals their return, and they race up the beach riding the waves that they fought so hard to crash through only earlier in the day.
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LINCOLN CITY
Pin Your Family Fun to Bowling! Story by Rick Beasley
Photo by Rick Beasley
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incoln City is home to what many 10-pin aficionados consider the best all-wooden bowling alley in the state, Delake Bowl. Open Tue.-Sun. well into the night, Delake Bowl features the “three B’s,” a trio of essential elements for family fun: bowling, billiards and a burger bar. Okay, skip the burger if you must. The iconic sport of the 50s is being rediscovered as a great form of anaerobic physical exercise that is similar to walking with free weights. Even though it seems like too much fun to be good for you, bowling burns calories and works muscle groups that you may have been ignoring. While many sports are not for elderly people, bowling is a pastime that can be pursued at almost any age. In ten pin bowling, matches consist of each player bowling a “game.” Each game is divided into ten “frames.” A frame allows a bowler two chances to knock down all ten pins. The number of pins knocked over in each frame is recorded, a running total is made as each frame progresses, and the player with the highest score in the game wins the match. Scoring is straightforward. Scores can be greater than the actual number of pins knocked over if strikes or spares are bowled. A “strike” is scored when a player knocks down all pins on the first roll in the frame. Rather than a score of 10 for the frame, the player’s score will be 10 plus the total pins knocked down on the next two rolls in the next frame. A “spare” is scored when all pins are knocked down using both rolls in the frame. The player’s score for that frame will be 10 plus the number of pins knocked down on the first roll in the next frame. A player who rolls a spare or strike in the last frame is given one or two more rolls to score additional points, respectively. The friendly staff at Delake Bowl will answer your questions about scoring and rules, and provide you with pro-level advice that can improve your delivery. Delake also hosts family and group parties. For more information, call 541-994-9595 or drop in for a game at 316 S.E. Hwy. 101.
ome Run Derby he term “Fun for all ages!” fits like a used baseball glove at All American Putt’n Bat in Lincoln City, where it’s easy to find the kid in anyone. While arcades are as much a part of Lincoln City’s DNA as beaches and glass floats, the mix of slot games and America’s pastimes — baseball and golf — has produced a place where the clientele runs from six to sixty, and beyond. Located in the Nelscott neighborhood at 1255 NW Hwy. 101, it’s the kind of destination where dad can showcase his skills, and the kids can put him in his place. Stepping to the plate in one of the arcade’s batting cages was the wily veteran of the feed company softball picnics in Gooding, Idaho, Joe Arkoosh, 64. Stuffing tokens in the slot for a round of 20 m.p.h. slow pitches, he quickly found his groove on the lobbing mushballs. Next door in another chain-link cage, Jerry Sneed, 11, an up-and-coming player for K&K of the Lincoln City Youth League, pushed the selecting lever to 80 m.p.h. Facing a respectable majors-level speed even, he set his Louisville Slugger for the regulation 60-ft. hardball. The slap of the streaking ball against the padded backstop sounded like
Photo by Rick Beasley
Step into the swing of things at All-American Putt ’n Bat! By Rick Beasley
a catcher’s mitt on fire — “Whap!” — strike one! “Whap!” — strike two! Jerry refreshed his stance and — “Crack!” — drilled the ball with a swing that would take the stitches out of a surgical patient. Your money travels like a Cal Ripken homer here: a buck-fifty buys 20 swings, barely a dent for Little Leaguers but more than most older bodies can take without liniment. On the other hand, the 17-hole miniature golf course — the only one at the central coast — is less about lightning reflexes than a decisive but deft putt. Most people, even avid mini-golfers, are surprised at the fun and challenge of the greens. “We mini-golf at some of the nicest courses around,” said San Francisco’s Jennifer DiAngelo as she emerged from a hole with pinball pegs as the hazard, putter in hand. “I’d say the course is simple and in fairly good condition. You have to give kudos to a place that has a Plinko-style hole, and one that runs down a huge 20-foot tube towards the hole.” Summer hours are Mon.-Fri. 12-8, Sat. 11-8 and Sunday 12-7. In winter, Putt ‘n Bat is open Mon.-Fri. 2-7, Sat. 12-8 and Sun. 12-6. Batter up! www.oregoncoastpassport.com 15
Story by Rachel Russell
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Photo by Ray Lusson
nown for its wale watching, Depoe Bay is a quaint town on the central Oregon coast. But what do you do here in the winter? While there are some great art galleries, candy shops, and restaurants, one of the most recommended winter activities is to watch the amazing costal storms roll in from the mighty Pacific. Now due to more accurate weather predictions, visitors can plan to make a trip to the coast for a chance to witness these powerful storms. Winter is also the perfect time to experience the coast without the crowds and the prices of the summer. When the next storm rolls through, we will be there, rain suits and all! These winter storms are mesmerizing as you watch the waves crash upon the rocks. You can feel the furry figuratively and literally if you are in the right place at the right time. Some of the best locations to watch the storms are right around Depoe Bay. Just to the north of town is Boiler Bay State Wayside located on Highway 101. There is not much shelter here, but the view is amazing! Cape Foulweather to the south towers 500 feet above the surf and was rightly named by Captain James Cook in 1778. However locals tell me that the best place to watch these storms is from the sea wall in the heart of Depoe Bay. As the waves come thundering in from the open ocean, the energy behind them forces them up onto the rocks and sometimes they spray out through the Spouting Horn. Most of the rocky coastline is made up of basalt, a hard volcanic rock that flowed toward the ocean as lava over 15 to 17 million years ago. As the molten lava reached the cool waters of the Pacific, it hardened quickly, trapping in air and other debris that it collected along its journey. Over time these air bubbles and softer mineral fragments that were trapped inside the harder basalt stone have eroded away creating cracks, crevices and holes. As the waves collide with the shore, some of the water is pushed into these crevices and sprays out through openings in the top. These sudden
explosions of seawater out of the basalt rock are called blowholes, or spouting horns. Only in Depoe Bay will you find multiple blowholes. Most of these are very small with the exception of the famous downtown Spouting Horn. Located along the seawall the Spouting Horn has attracted many visitors over the years. Watch out though, with this large Spouting Horn right off the seawall, many unsuspecting visitors have been surprised as this is also a popular place to try to catch a glimpse of the migrating gray whales. While the rush of water, sometimes up to 40 feet high, has awed many who walk the seawall they then forget that all that water has to come down somewhere, and the spray can cover the entire street and onto the restau-
rants and shops on the east side. While the kids may love to be out on the seawall and get splashed, if you prefer to watch from indoors, just park your car on the west side of Highway 101, and enjoy the storm with your heaters running and the windshield wipers doing all the work. For an indoor activity in Depoe Bay try the new Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum. Not only do you stay warm and dry inside, the museum has some wonderful exhibits including a shark room, sea lion, otter and seal room, and a theater room. Not only does the museum house a great collection, but if you contact them ahead of time, the museum director, Morris Grover will arrange a private one hour program for your group entitled “Whales, Fact or Fic-
Mural depicting the abundant sealife as well as portraits of a few of the Grey whales Carrie Newell studies and names inside the Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum in Depoe Bay – Photo by Rachel Russell
View of the seawall looking south in downtown Depoe Bay . Photo by Rachel Russell
tion.” The Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum is the brain child of Carrie Newell and contains her life’s collection. Carrie’s main focus for the museum is to share in her research about identifying and studying individual grey whales in the Depoe Bay area. Carrie Newell is a Professor of Marine Biology and a Gray Whale Researcher, known as the grey whale expert, she has been teaching others for more than 20 years. Through her extensive research Carrie has developed many inspiring and unique teaching materials that explain the world of the grey whale to those of us novices in a practical and understandable format. In 2004 Jean Michael Cousteau included Carrie’s ground-breaking research in his Ocean Futures Society PBS special, “A Gray Whale Obstacle Course.” Once you have visited the museum and have gotten hooked on her amazing collection and grey whale pictures along with personal encounter stories, you can sign up to see these magnificent animals from close range with a
tour at the Whale Research EcoExcursions counter located in the Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum. Carrie in not only a great marine biologist, but she can also be your guide on a safe and exciting trip aboard a Zodiac in the midst of her whales. The Zodiac is a very safe sea vessel and there is little chance of seasickness as the trip is just offshore, but the weather has to be good so last minute bookings may be needed for this time of year. Winter hours for the Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum are 10:00 am until 4:00 pm and it is located at 234 South Highway 101, or find us on the southeast side of the Depoe Bay Bridge, overlooking the “Worlds Smallest Harbor.” For questions or to book a private program, please call (541) 765-2219, or log on to http://oregonwhales.com/Museum/whales.html. If you would like to sign up for on of Carrie’s Whale Research Ecoexcursions, please call (541) 912-6734 and ask if the weather is cooperating. Enjoy your time in Depoe Bay!
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NEWPORT
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Photo by Jo Wienert
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TOLEDO Bird Watchers Paradise Story by Rachel Russell
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Photo by Jo Wienert
oledo is a sleepy little town The Yaquina Bay Road is a bird up the Yaquina River from watchers paradise. Not only do Newport and is a great getaway you get a chance to see specimens during the winter. Either by boat, from all four of the major bird bike or car, Toledo has some of categories of Oregon, but also the best nature viewing oppor- photographing them could not be tunities along the Central Coast. easier. One of the most prevalent Whether you are into birding, or species of the Seabird is the corphotography, morant. Their you have the dark plumage chance to see and long, thin some extraorbills help to dinary views identify them. within a short Look atop the loop drive old pilings and around Toledo. channel markThis drive folers in the river lows the Yato see them quina River sunning themupstream from selves and the mouth waiting for at the Pacific their next meal Ocean past Toto swim by. ledo, through Another can’t Elk City onto miss Seabird Highway 20 Sassafras Sue’s a charming café in Toledo, is the Westand then back Oregon – Photo by Rachel Russell ern Gull with to Toledo. The their notorious best time to call; you know see wildlife is around dawn and you are close to the ocean. dusk when the animals are the Beginning from the Pacific most active. Ocean at Newport, take the YaBefore heading out, stop in to quina Bay road east towards ToSassafras Sue’s for a masterful ledo. This 13-mile stretch of road cup of coffee and delicious pas- is fairly flat as it winds around tries. Owned and operated by a Yaquina Bay and up the Yaquina mother/daughter team, this small River towards Toledo, perfect for a café on Main Street in the heart quiet cycle or a nice Sunday drive. of Toledo, is an excellent choice The shallows of the bay have the for either breakfast or lunch. Go most birding activity, and with the ahead, check Urbanspoon if you’re morning light, looking back to the a skeptic, but you won’t be disap- west is fantastic. Here the Wadpointed with Sassafras Sue’s. ers or Shorebirds are busy find-
A Hooded Merganser duck found year-round along the Oregon Coast interior waterways. – Photo by Brent McWhirter
ing food and are ever mindful of rieties of ducks and geese. These predators. The Great Blue Heron members of the Waterfowl catresides in these shallows. Look egory like the fresh water best, for then to be several feet from as opposed to their look alike the waters edge as they fish. You cousin the cormorant. While can identify them by their large most waterfowl migrate, the size, usually 36-54 inches tall, Hooded Merganser stays in this and grayish area for the blue coloring. winter. These They have a small ducks long neck and are very quiet a thin orange and are usually bill. They like seen alone or about a foot of in very small water to wade groups. in, and you can Occasionally watch them as you gaze stalking about. out across the Another great Yaquina River, find on the a Bald Eagle Yaquina Bay can be seen Road is the perched high Great Egret. over the water. While also Even though a heron, the their numbers Great Egret’s on the rise, it The majestic Bald Eagle surveys the Yaquina Bay while soaking up some white plumage is still breathsunlight. – Photo by Brent McWhirter is easy to spot taking to see from a disthese magnifitance, but good luck getting close cent birds soaring along the river. to them, as they are very skittish. This is one of the few birds of prey Both of these beautiful birds are that call this waterway home year fun to watch while they fish. They round. carefully place each foot down, Once you reach Toledo, turn watching so intently in the water right on Main Street. If you have for the slightest movement of a packed a picnic lunch, the Port small fish. Once a fish is caught, of Toledo’s Waterfront Park and the Great Egret flips it around Pavilion is the best place to relax, so that the head is first, and then and enjoy the scenery along with swallows it whole. your lunch. This park is located Further inland towards Toledo at the south end of Main Street, is the best area to find several va- along the Yaquina River. Not only
can you access this park by car, you may have the chance to see. Once can also moor your boat in one of past Elk City, the road turns to the new slips at the marina and gravel as it makes its way towards enjoy the charm of this cute town, Highway 20, then you can loop which has a delightful walkable back to Toledo. Main Street. The Waterfront At this point dinner is high on Park and Pavilion includes a pub- your priority list, so look no furlic restroom ther than Pig facility as well Feathers BBQ. as a small This bar-bkitchen inside que joint may the pavilion. look small, From the but it packs a Wa t e r f r o n t huge punch Park, turn left with its great on SE Butler tasting sauces Bridge Road, and spice rubs. cross the YaNamed as “the quina River best barbeand enjoy the cue restaurant drive up Elk in the Pacific City Road. Northwest” by This is a 10 Fodor’s 2011 mile paved travel guide, road through the Chief the beauti- A Great Egret getting ready to enjoy his Cook Stu ful Yaquina morning meal of a sculpin. – Photo by Miller is a forRiver valley as Brent McWhirter mer Oregon it snakes back State Grand and fourth up into the Coastal Champion of barbecue, so you Mountain Range to Elk City. For are in good hands. Ask anyone in the best light along this road, late Toledo and they will recommend afternoon or evening travel is rec- either the ribs or the wings. ommended. Several old photogenic barns are dotted along the way, For more information on Toledo, as well as beautiful river views. As or if you are interested in renting you get closer to Elk City, keep a out the pavilion, please contact the keen eye out for some of the more Toledo Chamber of Commerce at shy woodland creatures. There are 311 Northeast 1st Street, Toledo, both Mule and Black Tail deer, OR 97391, by phone at (541) river otters, coyotes, elk, and rab- 336-3183, or online at http:// bits plus many others that you www.visittoledooregon.com/. www.oregoncoastpassport.com 23
WALDPORT
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Story by Rachel Russell
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t is strange how we drive across them every day sian design style later known as Art Deco. Not only and not realize what life was like without them. did McCullough’s bridges look great, but they were I am talking about bridges, and I know I have taken also crafted with cutting edge technology and statethem for granted, only enjoying the view from the of-the-art designs. While several of these amazing top as I race over on my way to this or that. But bridges are still traveled upon today, some have sucthese amazing structures have changed travel as we cumbed to the extra large loads, and environmental know it. Today there are more than 200 bridges and factors that were well beyond McCullough’s imagiviaducts along Oregon Coast’s Highway 101, but nation, and design. He could never have envisioned this was not the case a few decades ago. loaded Semi tractor-trailers with multiple axels In 1914 the coastal highway was beginning to take weighing well over 80,000 to 150,00 pounds driving shape, though only one small piece at a time. Most across his bridge! I can’t even imagine that kind of of the work had started around Astoria and weight and stress put on a structure built in the Colombia River, with the southern the 1930s. part of the state still very difficult to One of these bridges was the Alsea reach. With the end of World War Bay Bridge in Waldport, on the One, the United States Military Oregon central coast. Waldport was concerned about the safety is one of the best-kept secrets and defense of the Oregon along this stretch of highway as coast, and lack of accessibilit has some of the best fishing, ity. In the 1920s with the clamming, and it is rich in hisboom of automobile poputory. A great starting point for larity, and the push from the any visitor to Waldport is the Military, most of the highway Alsea Bay Historic Interprehad been constructed. While tive Center. It not only is the travel across the bays was still Visitor Center and the Chamby ferries, you could now travel ber of Commerce, it houses an the length of the coast in three incredible, yet unassuming, museto four days. This highway was um. During the 1980s, the State of g u n Oregon decided to replace the Alsea named the Roosevelt Coast Military h . P o C h ot l n Bay Bridge as it had extensive damage o Co Highway. In 1932 the only spans still u r te s y L i n c o requiring the use of ferries were the five main beyond repair. In 1988 construction began channels in southern Oregon including Alsea Bay. on the new Alsea Bay Bridge and it was constructed President Franklin D. Roosevelt, under the Public alongside McCullough’s 1936 bridge. As part of the Works Administration commissioned five bridges to bridge replacement project, The Oregon Departbe built over these spans, not only to connect the rest ment of Transportation built the Alsea Bay Historic of the highway, but also to provide jobs for Ameri- Interpretive Center to illustrate the history of transcans during the Great Depression. portation starting in 1800 and working all the way The engineer for this enormous task was Conde up until the new bridge was completed in 1991. ExB. McCullough. McCullough came to Oregon to hibits include Conde B. McCulloughs importance teach engineering at Oregon Agricultural College, to transportation advancement, and his many works which is now Oregon State University in 1916. He around Oregon, as well as some pictures of the hiswas blazing a new trail of thought about creating torical bridges he drew inspiration from. There is bridges that were not only efficient and economical, also a short film describing the process of replacing but also were aesthetically pleasing. This foresight the Alsea Bay Bridge, which was very informative. came from a new variety of college-educated engi- The museum is set up to be very kid friendly and has neers. By 1919 he became the State Engineer for a nice flow of information, with interactive activities Oregon and soon after custom designed hundreds for the whole family. The staff is wonderfully helpful of bridge across the state. He drew his inspiration and I was warmly welcomed by Jo, an amazing lady from the great builders of the past, Roman arches, who will lend a hand to you any way she can. gothic pillars, Egyptian obelisks and the new Pari- A great time to get up and personal with the Alsea
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Photo by Rachel Russell
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Bay Bridge is the Lighted Bridge Walk during the an Oregon State Park Ranger will lead a group annual Christmas in Waldport & Lighted of folks on a walk over the Alsea Bay Bridge Walk community celebration. Bridge. This will be the 8th year On Saturday, December 8, 2012, for the Christmas in Waldport the festivities kick off with & Lighted Bridge Walk and Santa arriving by fire truck will be held at the Alsea around 5:00pm and he will Bay Historic Interprestay until all the kids have tive Center. It is sure to given him their lists be a great evening full of wants for the year. of fun, laughter, and Starting at 5:30 the great friends both Coastal Wind Ennew and old. semble will perform The Alsea Bay Hisholiday music while toric Interpretive members of the comCenter is located at munity serve cookies 620 NW Spring St, and hot chocolate. in Waldport, OrFollowing Santa and egon. As you pass the enchanted notes through Waldport, it of the Coastal Wind is located on the west Ensemble, the Christside of the southern mas Dog contest comramp for the Alsea Bay mences. This contest is Bridge. For more infornot taken lightly by locals mation, or if you have any who dress up, light up, or questions, please contact r the helpful staff at the Alsea otherwise decorate their “man’s an s p p er n t Bay Historic Interpretive Center best friend” to win assorted prizes o rta cI tio i r n in to for the best Christmas Dog in difby phone at (541) 563-2002, or visit His si d e t h e A lsea B a y ferent categories. After all the fun and their website at www.oregonstateparks. laughter of the Best Christmas Dog is awarded, org/park_202.php. so
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Photo by Jo Wienert
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YACHATS
View of Yachats looking north at daybreak.
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Secrets Amongst the Rocks Story & Photos by Rachel Russell achats is known on the Oregon coast for its breathtaking views of the crashing waves, and for tide pooling. As the tides wash over the rock ledges surrounding this unique coastal town, new tide pools are created or rearranged. To be technical, tide pools are found in the intertidal zone. The intertidal zone is the section of the shore that is covered in seawater at high tide, and exposed at low tide. While nega-
Sea stars in the surf.
tive tides are best, I have found that if you begin your explorations a couple hours before low tide, you can spend more time out on the rocks. So where is the best place to go tide pooling in Yachats you ask. As most of the coastline is rocky throughout Yachats, the answer for that is simple; anywhere you can safely climb down onto the rock bed will be a good starting point. I have found a few areas that I like to begin my descent out onto the rock. On the southern end of Yachats, just past the Yachats River bridge is the Yachats Ocean Road, which turns west. This road has several parking areas, and I like to park at the first parking area, and then take the beach access to start my scramble down to the tide pools. This route is longer, but I like to gradually work my way towards the big pools near the southern end of the road. Due to mist sprayed onto the rocks from the waves, be sure to wear a good fitting, closed toe shoes with solid tread. On the north side of the Yachats River, along Ocean View Drive is Yachats State Park. This is a great area for families to enjoy tide pooling in Yachats. Not only do the kids have access to the tide pools and beach, but also mom and dad can either join them, or watch from a bench with an amazing view. Yachats State Park also has picnic tables for everyone to enjoy lunch or a snack as climbing over
the rocks can work up quite an appetite. As you climb over the different rock formations, be aware of the waves at all times. There is a saying on the coast to “never turn your back to the ocean� and once you see the breakers churning and thrashing against the shore, you will understand why you do not want to be swept in. Sneaker waves are larger waves that appear without warning, there is no build-up, and they just surge high up on the rocks with more force than the rest of the surf. They are sporadic and not part of the normal wave sequence. Now for the fun part, trying to figure our what it is that you are looking at in the tide pools. The first thing I notice is the gradual appearance of limpets, small snails, and barnacles that cling to the dark basalt rock. First you notice them only in cracks, then they start to appear almost in curtain effect, getting more and more dense the farther into the sure the rock goes. While these are living creatures, their shells are very hard, and do help to give you some traction, just try not to scrape them off the rocks. Next I view the mussels, as with the limpets and barnacles, the mussels start out small and sporadic, and then become very dense with individual mussels growing quite large. Once I reach a low place in the rock where the seawater has collected, a variety of colors and textures show themselves. A few of my favorites due to their bright colors are the sea stars, urchins and the sea anemones. I always try to bring a camera anytime I am by the ocean,
Sea urchin found in one of the many tide pools. located in the Yachats area.
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and these three have provided me with some great picture opportunities. The bright orange or dark purple of an Ochre sea star upon a background of dark mussels is a fun sight. Look for the sea stars to be on the side of a rock, climbing over the beds of mussels. If you are lucky, you may even see a sunflower star. These sea stars can have 16 to 24 “arms” and can be up to three feet long! I have only seen one, but it was marvelous. The sea anemone, while looking like a green flower, is actually an animal related to jellyfish and corals. If you do touch them, do so around the outside of the tentacles and not into the middle of the “flower” as this is the mouth. Lastly is the sea urchin, the pincushion of the tide pools. This little spiny guy has a very important place in the balance of the ocean ecosystem. The Oregon Coast was once a play area and main habitat for sea otters. These cute critters would live along the kelp forests that grew just off the shore, eating sea urchins. A main food for the sea urchin is algae, and for the Pacific coast, kelp was a favorite. This delicate balance was broken in the 1800’s when the sea otters were hunted to extinction along the Oregon coast due to their dense, soft fur. Once the sea otter populations plummeted, so did the kelp forest, as the urchin population multiplied. The last sea otter in Oregon was killed over 100 years ago, which has given the sea urchins ample time to decimate the kelp forests, in turn further ending the chance to sustain sea otters today. A few other creatures that you may find are small crabs, fish and even palm trees? Could that be right, did I just see a palm tree get pulverized by that wave? There it is again, holding onto the rock while its “leaves” are blown about. These plants are
Magnificent view off Ocean View Drive looking south towards Cape Perpetua. 30- www.oregoncoastpassport.com
Incoming tide at Yachats State Park.
sea palms, and they like to live where the waves are stronger and swirl more nutrients around the roots, while moving the leaves, or blades, around for more chances for sunlight. Back in the calmer tide pools, look for movement along the bottom for smaller animals. The hermit crabs are the most disguised as they make their home inside shells of other species. If you think that snail is moving too fast, it probably is a crab under that shell and not a snail. The small fish are very hard to see as most are the same color as the sand in tide pool. While there may seem like an over abundance of creatures in the tide pools, please do not try to take any away from its home. The animals and plants will not live in your fish tank, or bathtub, and removing, or harming the inhabitants of tide pools is illegal. If you move a rock, please put it back in the same place, and if you do want to touch something, wet your hands first, then gently touch without disturbing the individual. Tide pools are ever changing, so anytime you go to the Oregon coast to explore you are bound to see something you have never seen before.
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FLORENCE
Florence Winter Folk Festival elcome to Florence Oregon, home of the Sea Lion Caves, Three Rivers Casino, and the Winter Folk Festival. Florence is located at the mouth of the Suislaw River and as legend is told, named after a French ship that ran aground just off the coast here. A plank from the ship washed ashore and was on display at the Safley Hotel, and the town chose this name when they established their first post office. Since then Florence has been an entertainment hub on the Oregon coast, and this year the 11th annual Winter Folk Festival hopes to continue the tradition. This musically driven festival is filled with jam sessions, arts, crafts, a pie contest, and concert performances by some of folk music’s best storytellers. Most of the action will be at the Florence Events Center Saturday and Sunday, January 26 and 27, 2013. Not only is the music wonderful, but also with a pie contest, Kid Koncert, as well as an artisan fair, this year is sure to be the biggest event so far. Some of this year’s talented line-up includes Barry McGuire and John York headlining the Saturday night concert at 7:30pm, and a Hootenanny on Sunday starting at 3:30pm featuring sing-along favorites from the 1960s with The Vintage Singers and the Surrey Three. You may remember Barry McGuire’s hit “Eve of Destruction”, which dethroned the Beatles for the number 1 position in 1965. John York a former Byrd’s member joins McGuire on “Trippin the 60s” with classics including California Dreaming, Blowing in the Wind, Green Green, Mr. Tambourine Man, and many more. On Sunday you can sing
Story by Rachel Russell
along to the songs of Peter, Paul and Mary, along with The Kingston Trio at Let’s Have A Hootenanny! The Vintage Singers are comprised of Laura Benward (Guitar, Vocals), Tim Crosby (Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Fiddle, Vocals), and William Florian (Guitar, Vocals) and will be featuring music by Peter, Paul and Mary. The Surrey Three include Carl Allen, Bill Murlin and Carl Burger, as they will be highlighting the great songs of the Kingston Trio. Be ready to sing along to favorites like Puff the Magic Dragon, The MTA, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Scotch and Soda, plus many more. The Winter Folk Festival kicks off on Thursday, January 24, 2013 with a special performance at the Kid Koncert. This is a private concert for students from local area elementary schools. The students are bussed to the Florence Events Center to experience all there is about this American grassroots style of music. For the past nine years the members of the Winter Folk Festival committee along with teachers have worked together to develop a curriculum and a teacher’s guide on the subject of folk music. These materials are brought into the classrooms where the students are taught about the music, the stories behind the songs, and learn the lyrics and melodies so that they can sing along with the band. This year the Winter Folk Festival will have two Kid Koncerts as there will be more than 900 students from Florence, Mapleton, North Bend, Reedsport, and Siuslaw school districts, in addition to many home-schooled children in the Florence area, in attendance. All of the students will get to join Barry McGuire and John York, the Saturday evening headliners, as they experience a live performance, and sing along to some of the best-known 1960s era folk music. Exclusively for the Kid Koncerts this year, Barry McGuire and Peacehealth have teamed up with the teachers and the Winter Folk Festival committee to create an anti-smoking curriculum for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. The featured song will be “Mr. Hakk N. Koff ” during which the students will participate. In addition to the headliner acts there are 8 additional performances from world-renowned musi-
With all the music and artistry, what could be better than a Pie Contest?
After the Pie Contest at the Winter Folk Festival, slices of the pies are sold starting at 1:00pm on Saturday, January 26, 2013 – Photo courtesy of Larry DeBord www.oregoncoastpassport.com 33
During the Winter Folk Festival, kids are bussed in from all over Florence to enjoy their own private Kids Koncert – Photo courtesy of Jack Donahue
cians on Saturday and Sunday. These performances include, The Sea The Sea, Miche Fambro, Calaveras, Lauren Sheehan, The Flying Balalaika Brothers, Catherine Reed, The New Iberians and Lemuel Sheppard. There are also jam sessions interspersed throughout the Winter Folk Festival schedule. These jam sessions are located at the Pier Point Inn and include visiting as well as local musicians playing acoustically in a more intimate setting. Also throughout the Winter Folk Festival will be a lively Artisan Fair, which encompasses art, crafts, food and nonprofit booths. A few examples of the wide variety of items available are fine art, jewelry, homemade jams and soup mixes, watercolors, woven rugs, home made soaps and much more. With all the music and artistry, what could be better than a Pie Contest? For those of you amateurs who have the best recipe, and I know you are out there, there are several categories to strut your stuff. You can enter your winning pie into the Apple, Berry, or other Fruit or Nut categories. There is also a separate category for the best Youth Pie. Prizes will be awarded for the best pie in each category and then an overall Grand Prize winner will be selected. Once the prizes are announced, the pies will be sold by the slice
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starting at 1:00pm Saturday. To ensure that your pie has the best chance to win, applications will open up on the website starting November 1, 2012. A minimal entry fee is $3.00 for your first entry, and then $2.00 for each additional entry, but to be fair to all, there is a limit of only three pies per person. Pies competing in the youth category are free to enter. Admission to Artisan Fair is free. Festival passes are $45, which includes admissions to all headliner concerts, and all weekend day passes. A single day pass for Saturday is $10, and the Sunday all day Hootenanny is $15, which also includes the Sunday Headliner concert. Individual concert tickets for Barry McGuire and John York are $22. Previous concerts have sold out very quickly, so plan on getting your tickets early. The proceeds from the festival go towards providing a folk music curriculum for our local schools, free Kids Koncerts, and support for the Florence Events Center. For a list of the full schedule for the 2013 Florence Winter Folk Festival as well as more information on the amazing performers, and how to enter the pie contest please visit http://www.winterfolkfestival. org/ or call the Florence Events Center at 541-9971994.
Va l i d a t e y o u r P a s s p o r t :
Visit Florence on the Oregon Coast!
FLORENCE HOLIDAY FESTIVAL Date o f Decem Visit: b Places er, 2012 Visite d: -Chris tmas T Lightin ree -Santa g ’s Visit -Cand y Can Treasu e r -Histo e Hunt Old Toric wn
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106TH ANNUAL RHODOENDRON FESTIVAL Date of Visit : May 17, 2013 Places Visited : -Grand Flora l Parade -Queen Pagea nt -Show & Shin e -Antiques Dis trict Photo Courtesy
of Digital Dunes
A FLORENNUAL FESTNICE FALL VAL
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Date of Visit: Septem ber 6–8 , 2013 Places Visited : -Chowd Blues &er B -Rods n rews ' R ho Car Sh ow dies -Antiqu es -Orego District n Dune s
Come See What We See! Florence Area Chamber of Commerce 541-997-3128 www.florencechamber.com
LINCOLN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM The Society focuses on the same goals stablished early by its members: to preserve, publish, and educate. The Society maintains two historic structures, the Burrows House and a site on Newport’s historic Bayfront slated to become the Pacific Maritime & Heritage Center, as well as the Log Cabin Museum. It also maintains the CV Tradewinds Kingfisher, Stan Allyn’s charter boat, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Society preserves the state’s largest collection of artifacts from Oregon’s central coast. For more information viist http:// www.oregoncoast.history.museum/index.html or call 541-265-7509 DEVILS PUNCH BOWL STATE NATURAL AREA Surfers and surf watchers energize this area! During winter storms, water from the restless ocean slams with a thundering roar into a hollow rock formation shaped like a huge punch bowl. The surf churns, foams, and swirls as it mixes a violent brew. The punch bowl was probably created by the collapse of the roof over two sea caves, then shaped by wave action. The park is a popular whale watching site and displays an intriguing geology. This is a scenic picnic spot atop the undulating rocky shoreline. Don’t forget to explore the tidepools. There is no fee to use this park. For information, call 1-800-551-6949. CLIMB THE LIGHTHOUSE YAQUINA HEAD Have you ever climbed the stairs of a lighthouse? Wondered what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper? Viewed a working lens? We invite you to visit Yaquina Head Lighthouse, where these questions and more will be answered, as you tour this historic structure. The 93 foot tower, Oregon’s tallest, is located on a narrow point of land jutting due west into the Pacific Ocean north of Newport, at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Winds and rain have buffeted this lighthouse since its beginning in 1872. It took approximately one year, and over 370,000 bricks to construct Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. The light has been active since Head Keeper Fayette Crosby walked up the 114 steps, to light the wicks on the evening of August 20, 1873. At that time the oil burning fixed white light was displayed from sunset to sunrise. Today, the fully automated first order Fresnel lens runs on commercial power and flashes its unique pattern of 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off, 2 seconds on, 14 seconds off, 24 hours a day. The oil burning wicks have been replaced with a 1000 watt globe. The nightly vigil of watching the light is gone as are the resident keepers and their quarters, but the staff of the Bureau of Land Management, who are now responsible for the tower, guide you through the lighthouse with tales of yesteryear. For more information call 541-574-3100 for Park Hours and Tours. or 541-574-3100 for Interpretive Store. WHALE WATCHING DEPOE BAY Oregon Parks and Recreation Department park rangers are ready at the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay to answer your questions and help you find whales to watch. Located on U.S. 101 along the seawall in scenic Depoe Bay, the center is a perfect spot for visitors to locate and watch whales as they blow, dive, spyhop and breach. Whale watching takes place almost year-round on the Oregon Coast. We watch whales in the winter from mid-December through January. Spring watching begins in March with a peak in numbers the last week and finishes in June with mothers and babies being the last whales traveling north. Summer brings whales that feed along our coast from July to mid-November. Located in Depoe Bay on Highway 101. Summer Season: Memorial Day - Labor Day 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Daily, Discovery Season: October- May 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wednesday - Sunday. For more 36- www.oregoncoastpassport.com
information contact 541-765-3304 SEE THE SPOUTING HORNS DEPOE BAY Depending on tidal conditions, visitors can watch and sometimes be drenched by the famous spouting horns that shoot geysers of salt water into the air, yards away from Highway 101. Depoe Bay is two hours from Portland, Oregon and the Portland International Airport. GO TIDE POOLING Before you go see pages 28-31 about tidepooling in the Yachats. VISIT THE HOME OF A SEA LION Sea Lion Caves is nature’s home for wild sea lions and a variety of sea birds. Sea Lion Caves is located 11 miles North of Florence on the Oregon Coast. The vast cavern with the roar of the great Steller sea lions, the cries of the wailing birds, and the restless surge of the ocean into the cave below, form an unforgettable experience. For more information visit www. sealioncaves.com or call 541-547-3111. LEARN ABOUT MARINE LIFE Located on Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon, the Visitor Center is the public wing of Oregon State University’s Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center and is managed by Oregon Sea Grant. We’re open yearround and admission is by donation. Exhibits feature live marine animals, interactive puzzles and games that demonstrate marine science concepts and other aspects of our amazing ocean planet. Trained volunteers are happy to answer your questions, and our bookstore offers books, videos and games. For more information visit http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor/visit or call VISIT THE OREGON COAST AQUARIUM Passages of the Deep: The Aquarium’s Passages of the Deep exhibit allows the visitor to literally immerse themselves in the ocean realm that exists right off the Oregon coast. A series of underwater walkways leads the visitor from the dark, quiet canyons of the Orford Reef, through the sparkling and teeming waters of Halibut Flats, and finally into the vast blue expanse of the Open Sea. As you pass through these three ecosystems, you symbolically move further into the Pacific Ocean, encountering vastly different animals along the way. Orford Reef: Located just offshore near Point Blanco, Orford Reef is a cluster of submerged haystack rock formations, only the tops of which are visible above water. Beneath the waves, the areas between these rocks form a deep reef of narrow crevasses and swaying forests of bull kelp which can reach lengths up to 100 feet (30 meters.) Far below the kelp forest, the reef provides a natural shelter from the weather and wave action, creating a stable refuge for a variety of species. One of the most predominant fish in the Orford Reef is the Rockfish, of which there are sixty different species in the Pacific Ocean. These predatory fish will often hang suspended in the still waters or hide among the drifting kelp as they stalk their unsuspecting prey. Halibut Flats: The stormy Oregon coast is often known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific” and here is proof. In Halibut Flats, ocean life finds shelter among the sunken skeleton of a long-forgotten ship. There’s more sunlight in Halibut Flats than there was in the narrow canyons or Orford Reef and the animals are more active. In ecosystems like this one, a tremendous number of interconnected species form a vibrant underwater community. Aside from the sturgeon, lingcod, halibut and flounder that constantly patrol the shipwreck, the sandy ocean floor is a resting ground for skates, a disk-shaped species of fish related to sharks and rays. You may have to look carefully, however, as the skates’ mottled coloring is the perfect camouflage for this region of dappled sunlight. Open Sea: The longest tunnel in Passages of the Deep also represents the world’s largest environment – the Open Sea. There are no towering kelp forests or narrow rocky channels here… just water as far as the eye can see. Most of the species represented in this exhibit live in the upper strata of water, commonly referred to as the Sunlit Zone. This area is alive with five species of shark, huge bat rays and great schools of anchovy and mackerel. The sharks are particularly popular with Aquarium visitors and all our species are native to Oregon coastal waters, including our largest specimen, the Broadnose Sevengill Shark.
COME STAY
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OCEAN BEACHES GLASSBLOWING & GALLERY Now at Two Locations: 11175 NW Pacific Coast Hwy (Hwy 101), Seal Rock, OR 97376 541-563-8632 or 888-469-7449
and 861-B NW Beach Drive (Historic Nye Beach District) Newport, OR 97365 541-264-8504 Whether you’re coming on business, pleasure or just to play in the sand, The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is the perfect place to relax. Come & enjoy our complimentary “Express Start” Hot Breakfast Buffet featuring our signature warm cinnamon rolls, free high-speed internet, indoor heated pool & hot tub, business center, fitness center & guest laundry. Included are: • Complimentary full hot breakfast buffet daily • Indoor heated pool & hot tub • Well-equipped fitness center • 24-hour business center
• Free high-speed wireless internet • Coin operated guest laundry • All guest rooms include microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, hair dryer and in-room safe www.OceanBeachesGlass.com • Bob@OceanBeachesGlass.com Blown Glass - Torchwork - Fused Glass - Paintings - Metalwork
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Free Full Hot Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Suites In-Room Coffee Conference Rooms Exercise Room Indoor Heated Pool Spa and Sauna Refrigerator / Microwave HBO Half-mile to Beach Balcony Rooms Available
4430 S.E. HIGHWAY 101 Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
1-800-883-8893 (541) 994-6060
LANDMARK INN
Open 7 days a week
Mon-Sat 9am - 7pm, Sun 10am - 6pm
Your Pet’s Favorite Store - Paws Down ALL PETS WELCOME!
We have a complete selection of food & supplies for your: Dogs • Cats • Birds • Fish • Reptiles • Small Animals • Rodents
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(One block south of Fred Meyer) 1740 N Coast Hwy • Newport • 541-265-8355 • www.minipetmart.net Visit our other great locations: Bend, Eugene, Florence, Grants Pass, Medford, North Bend, Roseburg, and Springfield! – Coming to Lincoln City Soon!