Oregon Coast Passport 2015

SERVING THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST FROM TILLAMOOK TO FLORENCE

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

Table of Contents Tillamook

Air Museum Pacific City

Lift Off Lincoln City Beaches Depoe Bay Dining Newport

SCUBA diving Toledo

Olalla Lake Waldport

Paddle Power Yachats Cape Perpetua Adobe Inn Florence Sandrail

4-7 5 8-11 9 12-16 13 17-21 19 22-28 25 29-31 30 32-37 34 39-43 41 43 45-47 46

A Publication of the Publisher

James Rand

Advertising Contacts Barbara Moore Teresa Barnes John Anderson Krisstina Borton Kathy Wyatt

Editor

Nancy Stienberg

Contributors

Jo-Hanna Wienert Nancy Steinberg Jim Burke Rachel Russell Luke Whittaker

Cover

Jo-Hanna Wienert

Design

| eongdi.com Central Oregon Coast Passport is published once a year by the NewsTimes. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. Central Oregon Coast Passport makes every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in the magazine, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions.

Contact Us

831 NE Avery St. Newport, OR 97365 • 541.265.8571 newportnewstimes.com

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

oregon coast passport 3

TILLAMOOK

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

The Tillamook Air Museum Where History Takes Flight

By Nancy Steinberg

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

I

t’s hard to miss the Tillamook Air Museum as you drive along Highway 101. First you’ll see the U.S. Navy Douglas A-4 Skyhawk pointed skyward right on the highway. A peek to the east will reveal the massive hangar – known as Hangar B – built in 1943 to house WWII airships that is now the museum’s home. Turning east off of the highway to approach the museum, Hangar B looms larger and larger … and larger. It’s hard to describe just how cavernous the building is until you pull up next to it, and then it somehow seems even bigger on the inside.

The Tillamook Air Museum preserves a fascinating slice of central coast history while satisfying fans of newer aircraft, and engines in general, as well.

The building itself is an incredible artifact, the only WWII-era blimp hangar in the U.S. now open to the public. Hangar B (there was also a Hangar A, which burned down in the early 1990s) was one of 17 constructed along the nation’s coasts during WWII to house the airships, colloquially known as blimps, that patrolled our oceans in search of enemy

subs. Built hastily but sturdily, the two hangars at Naval Air Station Tillamook housed eight K-class airships, each over 250 feet long and filled with 425,000 cubic feet of helium. Hangar B is over 15 stories tall, with a footprint of more than seven acres.

Its walls arch gracefully up to the high ceiling, where, according to interpretive materials at the museum, barn owls frequently nest in the crosshatching of the supporting scaffolding. One note for visitors: if the weather is cool, bring a jacket – the hangar is unheated!

The museum contains a range of aircraft, from antique to brand-spanking-new. In fact, because many of the planes and ‘copters are flyable, on loan from local aviators, visitors are asked not to touch them. The exciting exceptions, especially for the two energetic ten-year-old boys I brought along on my latest visit, are the range of flight simulator cockpits that are open for climbing, sitting, button-pushing, and fantasizing. The cockpits include those from a Museum continued on page 7

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While enjoying the relaxing sounds and sensations of the Oregon coast.

Visit us at Sapphire Center, we offer: Local Artwork

Children’s Corner

Jewelry • Crystals

Dance Fitness-Zumba

Collectables

Reiki

Candles • Incense

Energy & Crystal Healing

Books • Greeting Cards

Empowering you to live the life you desire.

4844 SE Hwy 101 • Lincoln City • 541-992-2226 www.sapphirecenter.net Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sapphirecenterlc

Play safe... ... but when you need us, visit the Samaritan Walk-In Clinic nearest you for urgent care.

Depoe Bay

Samaritan Depoe Bay Clinic a department of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital 531 NW Hwy. 101, Suite A 541-765-3265

Open weekdays

Newport

Samaritan Pacific Walk-In Clinic a department of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital 930 SW Abbey St., Suite F 541-574-4860

Open weekdays and Saturdays

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

Museum continued from page 5 C-46 transport plane, an A-4 Skyhawk like the one on the highway that points the way to the museum, and a teeny, tiny helicopter. In fact, my reaction to all of the flight simulators was claustrophobia and respect for those that can tolerate it. The boys, on the other hand, were excited just to push buttons and pretend to steer every plane out of control. Fun is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

The other aircraft in the museum range from military jets to twin-engine pleasure craft to helicopters.

There is even one dirigible left in the hangar, with a scene of space aliens painted on the side – not from WWII, I’m guessing. It was fascinating to get up close to these planes and examine them without the hassles of airport security or stowing bags in overhead compartments.

For real gear-heads, there is the engine room, really a section of the hangar floor, with engines dating from the 1920s to the 1950s stripped of their containers, in all their valve-y glory. Visitors can examine every piston and cog in minute detail. The Helium Room perfectly preserves the machinery used to deliver helium to the airships (the boys were a little disappointed that the Helium Room has no actual helium in it any more – they were picturing a transformation into Alvin and the Chipmunks).

Exhibit rooms ring the main floor of the hangar, depicting a WWII-era radio room and describing early aerial photography.

The museum’s exhibit hall is a treasure trove of information about WWII and local involvement in it. Rare artifacts include WWII medals, gear, and uniforms. Abundant photos and interpretive material provide information about what life was like on the air base here, and on topics ranging from the Tuskegee Airmen to women in aviation to the

Coast Guard Beach Patrol. I was fascinated to read about the use of homing pigeons to communicate between the aircraft and the base, for example. A small theater shows a 16-minute introductory film about the museum and air base.

Don’t miss the Air Base Café in the museum’s lobby, where hungry visitors can chow down on burgers, salads, sandwiches, and other hearty grub, including homemade daily specials. And the gift shop is terrific – make sure to check out their wide selection of sweatshirts, mugs, model airplanes, books, videos, and other aviation-themed items.

To learn even more, the air museum offers a behind the scenes tour of Hangar B on the second and fourth Saturday of the month at 11 am for an extra fee. Reservations are required for these special tours – call the museum for more information.

When You Go Tillamook Air Museum 6030 Hangar Road, Tillamook (503) 842-1130 www.tillamookair.com Open daily 10 am to 5 pm Admission: General: $9.00 Seniors: $8.00 (65+) Military: $7.00 (Active or Retired) Family of 4 (2 Adults/ 2 Youth): $25.00 Group Adults: $7.00 Annual Pass: $50.00 oregon coast passport 7

PACIFIC CITY

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

LIFTOFF! It’s easy to defy gravity. Just take a hang gliding lesson in Pacific City

By Nancy Steinberg

Photos Jo-Hanna Wienert

H

aven’t you had that dream, the one where you can fly, where you take one leap and simply cut the tethers of gravity, rise, and soar over the world below? Are you disappointed when you wake up?

Solution: fly while you’re awake. Experiencing this dream in reality, I discovered, is eminently possible, by taking a hang gliding lesson in Pacific City with John Matylonek of Oregon Hang Gliding. “What does it feel like?” a bystander watching the flight portion of my lesson asked me. “It feels exactly like dreams of flying,” I told him.

For my husband and me, our day with John started with ground school at the Corvallis Municipal Airport; during summer months his ground school is usually conducted in Pacific City very close to where students’ flights will be. We began with a slide show, learning a little of the history of hang gliding, the physics of flight, and then the theoretical underpinnings of how a hang glider works. We learned about pitch, roll, and yaw; about the tradeoffs between lift and control; about takeoff and landing; the importance of wind speed and direction; and how to shift the shape of the wings of the glider by shifting our own weight. As we learned about how to hold the glider frame during takeoff and landing, we practiced on metal bars simulating the pieces of the glider we’d use later. John’s instruction was patient and clear, and always enthusiastic.

Throughout, John emphasized safety. To put your, and my mother’s, mind at ease: hang gliding is very, very safe. “There’s a weird perception of risk in this sport, based on old ways of doing things,” John explained, “but the accident rate is very low.” John’s full instructional curriculum, which he designed himself, relies on incremental learning. He likes his students to be challenged but never dangerously so.

“You’ll learn one new thing, one skill, how to deal with one environmental challenge, at a time,” he said, of his full certification program.

We tried out two flight simulators next: one electronic, and one mechanical facsimile of the glider frame (we wouldn’t “earn our wings” until we reached Pacific City later in the day). Although the electronic flight simulator focuses on mid-flight skills, and we really needed to learn takeoffs and landings first, John let me try it out. I was suspended in a harness, watching a large screen depicting the landscape below. I shifted my weight to keep the landing site in view, performing figure-eights until I could come in for a landing. Virtual success!

We also worked in the mechanical simulator,

practicing switching our grip appropriately at different phases of the launch and shifting our weight by pulling the frame left and right to keep on a straight and even path. John explained that for students undertaking the full hang gliding flight school, the first skill to master is simply running down the beach toward a target, keeping the wings level the entire time.

Our next step was to drive to Pacific City, where we parked near the Pelican Pub at Cape Kiwanda and began to unpack the glider. It wasn’t until we stretched out the glider’s gorgeous green and blue wings and began setting it up that I got a little nervous. It was quite windy, blowing perhaps 15 knots from the southwest -- great conditions, actually, but still a little scary for a newbie. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as we undertook John Matylonek

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the complete pre-flight check of the assembled glider. Then there was no turning back. We kited the glider halfway down the gentle dune that rolls up to the pub (not, as many friends had imagined, to the top of the huge dune on the cape!). John showed me how to take control of the glider and clip my harness to the frame.

While he shouted encouragement and instructions, I then put into practice what I had learned on the ground. I ran, shifted my grip on the frame, pulled back to go “faster than trim” to maintain control, and … Flew!

John and my husband held onto the side wires of the glider the entire time. I was not totally solo, but it didn’t matter. The feeling of elation and freedom was so overwhelmingly astonishing that I laughed and shouted. I think John was delighted to see me so delighted, so he laughed too. I came to a gentle landing on the beach, and we turned around and did it again. And again.

My husband and I took about a dozen flights each.

We kept walking the glider further and further up the dune, and I caught more air each time. As the wind picked up we had to shift out weights more to compensate. John taught us to “flare” to land like many birds do, by pushing the frame out so the wings catch the wind, hovering for a moment, and dropping gently to the ground.

After we tired, we packed up the glider and debriefed over a beer and some dinner at the Pelican Pub. “Success in hang gliding is achieved through integrating the physical, intellectual, and emotional skills you need,” John explained. I could see that we

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had just scratched the surface of the physical part, and the other parts would take much more work.

Full hang gliding certification takes many hours of instruction and mastery of a range of skills.

Fortunately, Oregon is probably the best place to learn, as it has sites to suit every level of learning, from the Pacific City dunes to mountains and cliffs, and every step in between. John uses sites all over the area for training, from Lebanon to Corvallis to Pacific City, and is working on securing access to others as far afield as Vancouver, WA. John’s unique instructional program can be tailored for groups as large as a dozen or so (he was gearing up for a bachelorette party), and there is no real age limit on participation. He can arrange tandem flights as well, for those under about 160 pounds. I plan on accompanying him on a tandem flight soon, which I’m sure will further feed my dreams of flying.

When You Go Oregon Hang Gliding’s various training options are detailed on their web site at www.oregonhanggliding. com, or call John Matylonek at (541) 913-1339. The one-day introductory lesson I took was $130; groups of 4 are $100 per person.

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

LINCOLN CITY

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

Sandy is Dandy!

Come romp, dig, climb, surf, and explore all of Lincoln City’s gorgeous beaches

by Nancy Steinberg Photos, Jo-Hanna Wienert

W

hat is it about that strip of sand and rock between the land and the sea that is so alluring? Everyone loves the beach, especially in Oregon where it is not only stunningly beautiful but easily accessible and always, everywhere, public property. Along the 7.5 miles of Lincoln City coastline there are dozens of free beach access points: some large state parks, some tiny parking areas with room for two cars, and some no more than well-worn paths that only the locals know. Whether you want to surf, explore a tide pool, fly a kite, take a walk, or just stare at the sea, you’ll find a place to do it in Lincoln City. Here’s a guide to some of Lincoln City’s beaches and access points, north to south.

Road’s End State Park

Why not begin at the end – Road’s End, that is. The northernmost beach in Lincoln City proper is part of Road’s End State Park, found by turning west off of Hwy 101 at the light at the Lighthouse Square plaza (watch for signs). Two adjacent parking areas are located on Logan Road, and beach access is a snap (or if you’re content to simply stare at the water over lunch, picnic tables with spectacular views are available in the parking areas as well). Rock hounds will love this beach – it’s hard to know whether to look up at the views of offshore islands or to look down to find the ample agates and other geological delights that dot the sand. If your beach walk takes place at low tide, you can scramble around the rocky headland to the north, Road’s End Point, to a lovely hidden cove – just be sure to watch the tides or you could get

stuck there until the water ebbs again!

NW 26th St./Jetty Ave.

Jetty Avenue runs in fits and starts roughly parallel to Hwy 101, and along its length are a number of beach access points. Of course, they all lead to the same stretch of wide, flat, uncrowded beach. At NW 26th St. is a small parking area, bathrooms, picnic tables, and a long, steep staircase leading down to the beach. There are some great climbing rocks here, accessible at low tide, and a small creek spills onto the beach, perfect for small explorers.

NW 15th St./Harbor Ave.

Following the shoreline south, you’ll either be on Jetty, Harbor, or Inlet Avenue. At NW 15th St. and Harbor is a teeny, tiny parking area, with enough room for perhaps two cars. But fear not: if you can’t get a parking space here, you can drive down the ramp right onto the beach! This is the only spot in the area that allows vehicles on the beach (between the signs only). Do not stray outside of the marked area, as the sand gets soft and getting out can be much harder than getting in.

One reason to access the beach here is the lovely set of tide pools that are exposed at low tide.

D River State Recreation Area

The D River – touted as the world’s shortest – empties from Devils Lake across Hwy 101 onto the sand here at D River Wayside, one of Sandy continued on page 14

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Sandy continued from page 13 the most visited state parks in Oregon. This spot, sometimes referred to as Wecoma Beach, is the quintessential Oregon sandy beach – wide, flat, windy, and with higher surf than nearby spots. It is the site of two annual kite festivals.

Canyon Drive Beach Access

Where SW 11th St. dead-ends at the ocean is Canyon Drive Park and, across the street, a lovely public beach access point. The trick is following 11th St. to this hidden gem, as it twists, turns, and sometimes disappears. But stick with it and head west – it’s worth it! Canyon Drive Park offers a grassy play area and a small, bucolic pond. It has also served as the staging area for the Nelscott Reef surf competition (see below).

Nelscott Area/SW 35th St. Access

Some of the world’s elite surfers descend upon the Nelscott neighborhood of Lincoln City just north of the Inn at Spanish Head every year for a surf competition at Nelscott Reef, about a mile offshore.

The waves get so massive here that competitors need to be towed out to the waves on a personal watercraft rather than paddling. Even when the reef break isn’t churning, this stretch of coast is a popular surfing spot. A moderate-sized parking lot at SW 32nd Street and Anchor Ave. 14 oregon coast passport

attracts lots of traffic, but you’ll find cars parked haphazardly along the road between there and the access at 35th St. This access is perfect for watching the surfers, climbing on the exposed rocks just to the south, and enjoying photo ops with the new statue of Joe the Sea Lion at the access point. There is also a public parking lot at 35th St. and Hwy 101.

Taft and Siletz Bay

To the north of spectacular Siletz Bay is the Taft neighborhood, dotted with adorable vacation cottages and great restaurants, including worldfamous Mo’s. The Taft access at SW 51st St. allows easy access to the shore of the bay as well as oceanfront beach.

The bay beach is littered with massive piles of driftwood, making for easy fuel-gathering for evening bonfires and fairly comfortable seating.

Seals are often hauled out on the sand spit across the bay (the Salishan Spit). This is a popular area for sand castle construction (try your hand at the annual sand castle contest here in August) and kite flying. The bay shore can also be accessed at tiny Siletz Bay Park on the north side of Schooner Creek adjacent to the Water’s Edge Condominiums.

No matter when you are here, Lincoln City’s beaches are awaiting your visit, changing with the seasons, the tides, and the time of day. We know you’ll find a favorite and return again and again.

LittLe Creek ApArtments

365 n.e. 36th Street • Newport, OR 97365

• 2 Bed/ 1 Bath • 3 Bed/ 2 Bath • 2 Play Areas

• On-site laundry facilities • Public Transportation

Call 541-265-2663 Professionally managed by sima management, inc.

The Blackfish Cafe is the Oregon Coast’s freshest restaurant, featuring real fresh seafood, local produce, seasonal vegetables, meats, salads, and a selection of Northwest beach favorites.

Preparations are simple yet elegant, highlighting the natural flavours of the Pacific Northwest.

Pacific city “dory caught” rockfish and chips.

Full and smaller portions Crispy fried cornmeal oysters Yaquina bay oysters, crisp fried and served with our blackfish remoulade and fries

Bowl of steamed manila clams - Quick steamed in wine country riesling, garlic, lemon thyme and crushed black pepper

Beach favorites

Blackfish burger Choice chopped beef with blackfish special sauce, fries and tillamook cheddar

(541) 996-1007

www.blackfishcafe.com

2733 NW HWY 101 Lincoln City, OR 97367 American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover Open Wednesday- Monday Lunch 11:30am Dinner 5:00pm

• Oceanfront views • Fully equipped kitchens in every unit • Indoor heated pool • WiFi available 800-648-2119 • 541-996-3623 fax 541-996-5585 www.oceanterrace.com

4229 SW Beach Avenue • Lincoln City, Oregon 97367

Explore

the very best of what the

Oregon Coast

has to offer.

7760 Highway 101 North Gleneden Beach, OR 97388 1-800-452-2300 reservations@salishan.com

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

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COME STAY in Lincoln City!

Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio

3517 NW Hwy 101 Lincoln City, OR 541-996-9900

Also in Seaside, Oregon 866-738-6269 Check us out at BOTH locations!

1-800-4-MOTEL6 www.motel6.com

Blow Your Own Float, Fluted Bowl, Paperweight, Starfish or Heart Local Artists walk you through the art of creating with molten glass

4821 SW Hwy 101

at the South End of Lincoln City

541-996-2569

www.JenniferSearsGlassArt.com • www.VoltaGlass.com

Imprints Print Shop

Featuring thousands of different ornaments from around the world. Some of

Onsite Direct to Garment Printing Our Specialty is T-Shirts

Our mission is to make the Christmas Cottage shopping experience enjoyable in

Bring in your art or picture and we will put it on a shirt!

our specialty items include European glass ornaments, German nutcrackers, Christmas cards, Santa figurines, and every day cards and stationery. We invite you to visit our shop where it’s Christmas 363 days a year from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days only). every way. No matter what your interests, age or budget, our friendly staff can help you find an item that is just right for you, personalize it and custom wrap it.

We’re committed to providing first-rate customer service, and guarantee complete customer satisfaction with every purchase.

We stock thousands of products on various themes. It is impossible to show

our extensive collection online, so please visit our store or call us and one of our friendly elves will answer your questions and offer suggestions.

We are the oldest year-round Christmas shop in Oregon... in Lincoln City for over 40 years!

541-996-2230

3305 SW HIGHWAY 101, LINCOLN CITY

Choose from any of our light colored shirts.

See us today all your printing needs! www.imprintsprintshop.com 541-996-5550 • 1520 NE Hwy 101 • Lincoln City Located just south of the Bijou Theatre in Lincoln City

Yum’s the Word!

Eat your way through Depoe Bay

By Nancy Steinberg

S

pending a day in lovely Depoe Bay? All that whale watching and fishing can help you work up a big appetite. Luckily, Depoe Bay boasts a large range of excellent eateries, where you can get anything from a multi-course, cutting-edge gourmet meal to a simple and hearty bowl of chowder. Depoe Bay has restaurants for every appetite and budget; here are a few to try.

Gracie’s Sea Hag

Gracie’s is an Oregon Coast institution, feeding great food to locals and visitors for more than fifty years. The venerable Gracie herself just recently passed away, but her legacy of fantastic local seafood in a casual setting lives on. The restaurant resembles

the cabin of a ship, a cozy space lined with wood and nautical features, including amazing old photographs of our local fishing fleet at work. Nightly specials complement a huge regular menu focusing on fresh, local seafood. The Neptune’s Platter is very popular, offering a feast of seafood types, either sautéed or fried. On a recent evening I couldn’t get enough of the fried oysters in crispy panko crumbs, cooked to a golden brown. Gracie’s famous clam chowder is creamy and full of great clam flavor, but not bulked up and gloppy with extra flour. The petrale sole with a crab and shrimp stuffing is a treat, dripping with hollandaise sauce and bubbling fresh out of the oven.

Local fish (salmon, halibut, crab) are prepared many different ways, so you can have crab in the shell, on a delicious spinach salad, in crab cakes, or in seafood pasta. Salmon can be charbroiled, baked, or poached.

Surf and turf fans will find many options, as Gracie’s takes equal pride in their steaks, including the prime rib served every Saturday night. Don’t skip dessert!

Gracie’s original recipe for marionberry tart was included in a New York Times cook book, or you could go for the equally perfect strawberry shortcake or homemade bread pudding with bourbon sauce.

Attached to the dining room is Gracie’s bar, where you can hang out around a table with a fire crackling in its center or catch a game on the big-screen TV. Gracie was known to “play the bottles” nearly every day in the bar, but now the entertainment is of a more traditional variety (call for their live music schedule).

Gracie’s Sea Hag 58 N. Hwy 101, Depoe Bay (541) 765-2734 theseahag.com Yum continued on page 20

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garlic sauce, onions, tomatoes, and pineapple; and Crying Tiger, grilled flank steak in a special house marinade and served with a spicy chili-garlic sauce.

A large selection of curries, stir fries, and noodles is also available, served with your choice of meat (tofu, chicken, beef, seafood). To complete the flavorful extravaganza, don’t forget to order a sweet and satisfying Thai iced tea.

Tidal Raves

Yum continued from page 19

Thai Bay To get your curry or pad Thai fix with a beautiful view to boot, head to the unassuming but delicious Thai Bay on the east side of Hwy 101at the south end of town. Try to get a window seat, where you can watch the comings and goings of tiny Depoe Bay Harbor below. A recent meal there of Thai standards – fresh spring rolls with tofu, pad Thai with shrimp, seafood salad, and red curry exploded with exotic flavors. The fat spring rolls were packed with veggies and the house peanut sauce for dipping was served warm. I could eat piles of the spicy seafood salad, a mixture of shrimp, scallops, and squid mixed with ginger, onions, and lime juice. Like all of their dishes, they will adjust the level of spiciness to your taste, from mild to extra-hot. The curry arrived steaming and with just the right mix of spicy and sweet, and the Pad Thai was chock-full of huge shrimp and prepared in the traditional style.

Other specialties on the menu include Pladook Shu Shee, fried catfish with a red curry sauce; Three Flavor Fish, salmon topped with chili and

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Tidal Raves is, hands down, one of the best restaurants on the Oregon Coast, which is why you’ll find its parking lot full to overflowing from 11 am until it closes, every single day (reservations are accepted, and highly recommended if you want to avoid a wait). After a beautiful renovation, Tidal Raves has a new bar, with the same spectacular ocean view as the expanded dining room. Many meals here have been accompanied by grey whales having their own seafood dinner in the cove just under the restaurant’s windows.

Fresh, local seafood is the focus here, prepared in a range of delicious styles. You can’t go wrong by starting with any of their soups, but my favorite is the creamy spinach oyster bisque. The calamari is lightly dusted with breading and is perfectly cooked, and the Seahawk bread (baguette toasted with smoked salmon, cream cheese, Havarti, shrimp, and onion) is totally addictive. There are main courses to satisfy any appetite. The Pasta Rave is a family favorite: a huge bowl of fettucine chock full of local seafood and your choice of house-made sauces – try the pesto cream sauce. Other favorites include the green curry, a coconut milk-based curry with rockfish, shrimp, and veggies; the chilled udon salad with shrimp (or chicken if you’re more of a land-lubber) and spicy peanut sauce; the warm, herb-infused cioppino bursting with seafood; and the grilled wild salmon with shrimp and basil salsa, prepared charbroiled or Cajun style. The extensive wine list, creative cocktails (I absolutely love the cucumber gimlet and the dark & stormy), and mouth-watering housemade desserts will round out your meal. Make sure

to arrive hungry, and don’t forget your camera – the view from the dining room is unparalleled!

Tidal Raves 279 NW Hwy 101 (541) 765-2995 tidalraves.com

grilled kale-pine nut pesto, celery leaf and Meyer lemon gremolata; followed by a dessert of Meyer lemon & almond pound cake with fig, Italian plum, and meadow foam honey-yogurt ice cream. One of the best ways to experience Restaurant Beck is by ordering one of their tasting menus, five or seven courses with or without wines, and letting the chef decide what small plates to serve. Keep your eyes open for the restaurant’s special events, which could highlight a particular ingredient, focus on wine pairings, or bring some of Wills’ chef friends from the region to prepare special meals, like last year’s Chefs go Coastal dinner series.

Kudos have deservedly rolled in for the restaurant, and for Wills. Restaurant Beck was awarded a AAA Three Diamond rating within its first six months of operation, and Beck has been honored by the James Beard Foundation and nominated for a Peoples Choice Award Best New Chef US by Food and Wine magazine. Locals are abuzz about Wills’ new adventure: a casual Italian restaurant in Newport’s Nye Beach neighborhood, scheduled to open in early summer.

Restaurant Beck 2345 S. Hwy 101 (at Whale Cove Inn) (541) 765-3220 restaurantbeck.com

Restaurant Beck

How to describe Restaurant Beck, which defies description and imagination? This small but gorgeously designed restaurant is at Whale Cove Inn just south of Depoe Bay. The exquisite view from the dining room of Whale Cove is matched only by the creative, progressive, downright astonishing cuisine presented by chef Justin Wills. Wills, twice a semi-finalist for the James Beard Best Chef in the NW award, focuses on foraged and farmed local ingredients prepared in innovative ways to provide what he calls a “playful and artful dining experience.”

While Restaurant Beck’s menu changes on a daily basis depending on the best ingredients available, here’s a sample meal: an appetizer of pork belly confit with miso ice cream, sea salt, and sea beans; a main course of local rockfish with cannellini, bacon,

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22 oregon coast passport

NEWPORT Photo courtesy Jim Burke

oregon coast passport 23

Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce

Experience the Oregon Coast Ocean and Non-ocean View Rooms Indoor Pool, Hot Tub, Fitness Center, Restaurant & Lounge, Free WiFi www.agatebeachinn.com

555 SW Coast Highway • Newport, Oregon 97365 (541) 265-8801 • Toll Free 1-800-COAST-44 www.newportchamber.org

wine tasting At the Oregon Coat’s Only Winery

discover what salt air fermentation can do for fine wines open every day • 11-6 • otter rock 541-765-2553 • dutchmanwinery.com

3019 N Coast Hwy, Newport For reservations call 800-547-3310

890 SE Bay Blvd.

Newport 541-574-6777

TheLandingAt Newport.com The Landing at Newport was developed in the year 2000 as a 57 unit condominium-Hotel and is now one of Newport’s premiere Properties.

The concept combines a resort-style hotel operation condominium ownership.

#esinewport At the Elizabeth Street Inn, we encourage all of our guests to spend the day exploring Newport. As the capital of the Central Oregon Coast, Newport offers visitors towering lighthouses, beautiful beaches, and unique artisan shopping.

But when the sun starts to set over the ocean, there is no better place to be than at the Elizabeth Street Inn.

elizabethstreetinn.com (877) 265-9400

Spend the day in Newport.

Stay the night with us.

Beneath the Surface SCUBA divers will love Newport’s underwater treasures

By Nancy Steinberg

T

here are many ways to get your ocean fix while in Newport, ranging from eating a meal with a water view to taking a long beach walk to surfing a wave or two. But many ocean-ophiles just won’t be satisfied until they’ve donned SCUBA tanks, weights, and masks, and truly submerged themselves in the deep blue sea.

The ocean off of Newport is chock-full of great dive sites, and there are a few you can access right from shore as well. Before you wiggle into that wetsuit (or better yet, drysuit) and fill that tank, though, be aware that diving on the Oregon coast requires experience and fortitude.

Jim Burke is one of those that can’t get enough of the underwater world.

He is the Director of Animal Husbandry at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, responsible for overseeing the care and feeding of all the critters that live there. In his spare time, one of his favorite hobbies is diving in the nearby ocean, to see those animals in their natural habitat. “Diving the Oregon coast is not for the faint of heart,” warns Burke. “We encounter rough water, currents, surge, and highly variable visibility.” But the rewards can be tremendous.

While summer is high tourist season on the Oregon coast, and the season when storms are less likely to blow you off the water, it actually is not always the best time to dive. Good dives can be undertaken year-round, but the best conditions are generally found in the fall through the spring, when water clarity is highest (summer plankton blooms, which fuel the richness and diversity of our marine ecosystem, tend to limit visibility). But a calm,

Photo courtesy Jim Burke

clear day can happen at any time, so be aware of conditions.

“I’ve had days of 100-foot visibility in November and December,” Burke marvels.

Depending on where you are diving, tidal conditions are also important to note, as is the status of the wind and weather. Finally, you’ve probably already figured out that this is not Maui: the water is cold, even in the summertime, and a drysuit is advised to keep you warm.

For experienced divers, properly geared up, the diving here can be exquisite. Just by slipping into the water at the south jetty on Yaquina Bay, divers can see lingcod, rockfish, surf perch, and the occasional giant Pacific octopus. You could get buzzed by a sea lion or a seal. If you have access to a boat and can head offshore even one to two miles, spectacular reefs await, where rockfish, crabs, and octopuses abound.

There are dive spots all the way along the central coast, most about one and a half to two miles offshore. Off of Seal Rock is one terrific spot, teeming with local species. Johnson Rock off of Lost Creek south of Newport is characterized by fascinating bottom contours, dropping quickly from 12 to 75 feet; this fish hotspot is frequented by charter fishing boats as well.

Not far from the jetty on the north side of the entrance to Yaquina Bay there are multiple shipwrecks to explore, including the oil tanker Blue Magpie that wrecked there in 1983. Wreck dives are a favorite of Burke’s.

Photo by Jo -Hanna Wienert

Dive continued on page 26

oregon coast passport 25

Photo courtesy Jim Burke

Dive continued from page 25 “They’re like fish condominium complexes,” he says. “Each little nook and cranny has a fish hanging out in it.”

Great diving can be found on the reefs of the marine reserve located offshore roughly between Beverly Beach and Otter Rock. “There is great diving there,” Burke says. “It’s fairly shallow and really colorful.” He advises staying to the east side of the offshore rocks there to avoid the summer wind.

At the north end of the marine reserve and north to Depoe Bay there are kelp beds. While sea otters are officially considered extinct in the state, all of the recent confirmed sightings of the mammal in state waters have occurred here, so divers could get very lucky. Whale Cove is another hot spot for fish and invertebrates.

Burke reminds divers that all of these spots are challenging. “Divers here all need to be in good shape, highly competent, and comfortable with their gear,” he stresses.

In 20-plus years of diving in the area, Burke has seen some amazing underwater sights. He’s seen grey whales, a 100-lb giant Pacific octopus, and more fish than he can count. He had an incredible encounter offshore with two ocean sunfishes, massive, strange fish that look like they are only half-finished. He loves seeing seabirds underwater, which appear silvery because of the air trapped in their feathers. His favorite dives are those that start shallow and drop quickly to 120 feet or more. “You feel weightless, 26 oregon coast passport

flying past millions of animals on the rocks and in the water,” he says.

South Beach SCUBA in Depoe Bay runs SCUBA trips in the area; a four-hour, two-tank dive costs $80. Many local charter fishing operations will also take out SCUBA divers by special arrangement. Eugene Skin Divers (www.eugeneskindivers.com) occasionally organizes trips to the coast. Air tanks can be filled at South Beach marina and at South Beach SCUBA (214 SE Hwy 101 in Depoe Bay; (541) 765-DIVE). South Beach SCUBA also rents dive packages and stocks a wide range of gear.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium offers multiple opportunities for divers to take the plunge, both in their display tanks and in the nearby ocean.

Certified divers are invited to participate in a dive in the aquarium’s series of large displays, called Passages of the Deep, including the open water tank containing many large sharks and other deep-water species (go to aquarium.org/education/dive-the-aquarium for details). A cadre of about 140 divers is certified and trained to serve as volunteer divers at the aquarium. These divers enter the aquarium’s tanks to conduct cleaning, inspections, feedings, animal observations, and interpretive programs. A few highly-trained expert volunteer divers also assist aquarium dive staff in research dives. Cold-water dive certification and extensive training is required to become part of the aquarium’s dive team; see the aquarium’s volunteer information on their web site for more information, or contact Photo by Jo -Hanna Wienert volunteer@aquarium.org.

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TOLEDO

Photo by Jo-Hanna Wienert

Olalla Lake

Float, fish, and forget your troubles at this lovely little lake near Toledo

By Nancy Steinberg Photos, Jo-Hanna Wienert

T

30 oregon coast passport

he Oregon Coast is all about water, but people tend to first think of the ocean when they think of moist activities here.

If you’d like to swim without a wetsuit, fish without a boat, paddle without surf, and sit in the sand without a fleece coat in July, a great option is Olalla Lake in Toledo, just a few sunny miles east of Newport.

Olalla Lake is a 120-acre reservoir owned by Georgia-Pacific for use by their Toledo paper mill and it is open to public use during the day.

A small swimming beach (no lifeguards on duty) is easily accessible from the parking area, and is backed by grassy picnic grounds dotted with picnic tables. The water is perfect for a swim, especially because the weather typically gets much warmer in Toledo than it does in nearby Newport where ocean breezes and fog can make summer feel downright unsummery.

The lake is popular for paddling of any kind. It is common to see people using canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards, launching from the beach or from a small boat ramp at the right-hand (east) side of the parking area. Motor boats with electric motors are also allowed.

You can rent stand-up paddle boards in Newport (Ossie’s Surf Shop in Newport rents them for $40 for 24 hours; (541) 574-4634, 4860 North Coast Hwy) and bring them here – it’s the perfect place to learn in calm, protected, warm waters. The lake is not huge, but there is much to explore in its fingers and coves. Rough-skinned newts hang suspended in the clear water until you splash too close, deer and other wildlife are often found along the shores, and families of ospreys call overhead and dive for fish.

The lake is stocked with trout and some steelhead throughout the spring, and bass, bluegills, perch, and other typical lake species also lurk below. Tales of lunker bass persist, so be patient. Shore-based anglers typically use the left (west) end of the beach, or hike part-way around the lake for a more secluded spot. One good fishing spot is a warm, shallow area of water beyond the east arm of the lake, separated from the main lake by a clay dam-like structure (a culvert connects the two

bodies of water). You can walk or float to this spot from the main beach.

A hiking and mountain biking trail follows the edge of the lake for part of its circumference, and then forms a loop to the east of the lake (see alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/ollala-simple-trail for a map and more information). The trail is used most commonly by mountain bikers; most of it is fairly easy double-track and gravel with a few hefty climbs for good measure. There are pieces of flowing single track that cut between the gravel roads; ask a local mountain biker or the good folks at Bike Newport (bikenewport.net; (541) 265-9917) for details and directions.

The loop, about 5.6 miles, is used for the Olalla Lake Sprint Triathlon sponsored by the City of Newport over the summer (the race was not held in 2014; check with the City of Newport Parks and Recreation Department for info about the 2015 race, www.thecityofnewport.net/ dept/par/).

If you’re ready to dry out a little and play on terra firma, you can play nine holes of golf at nearby Olalla Valley Golf Club, a lovely course just a mile from the lake on the same road. It’s a challenging course, so maybe the best thing to do is to play first and then cool off at the lake!

Either way, the sun of Toledo is calling, so bring your toys and head to Olalla.

When You Go Olalla Lake is located at the end of Olalla Road. Take Hwy 20 east of Newport for about 6 miles, turn north on Olalla Lake Road and take it to the end. The gate at the lake’s entrance is open dawn to dusk.

Olalla Valley Golf Course 1022 Olalla Road www.olallavalleygolfclub.com (541) 336-2121

Photo by Luke Whittaker oregon coast passport 31

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Paddle Power!

The Kayak Shack on Alsea Bay offers summertime kayak rentals and tours

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By Nancy Steinberg

here isn’t a better way to tour a waterway like Waldport’s beautiful Alsea Bay than by kayak, silently and slowly, right at water level. In a kayak you can glide by wading birds, sneak up on river otters, and poke your nose into shallow creeks that other boats can’t access. No kayak? No problem. Come see the young entrepreneurs at the Kayak Shack in the Port of Alsea to rent one, or to take a guided paddling tour.

The Kayak Shack began as an after-school project at Waldport High School in 2003. A few years later, the students involved wanted to turn their hobby into a business. With help from faculty advisers, Oregon Coast Community College’s Small Business Development Center, a few small grants, and a partnership with the Port of Alsea, the students in the Waldport High School Youth Entrepreneurs

program rented space along the river from the Port, bought a few kayaks, and hung out their shingle.

The enterprise has taken off, earning thousands for sports programs at WHS. The students run every aspect of the business, from marketing to staffing the rental counter to providing tours. Students who lead tours are well-trained in kayaking, natural history, and first aid/CPR. Alsea Bay is an estuary, a place where the fresh water of a river meets and mixes with the salty sea. Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, containing a vast diversity of plants and animals that are uniquely adapted to the brackish conditions there. The young life stages of many species, including most of the ones we love to eat, use estuaries as nursery areas, where the food is abundant, the conditions calm, and the hiding places plentiful.

Paddle continued on page 36 Photo by Jo -Hanna Wienert oregon coast passport 35

Paddle continued from page 34

The wetlands that often fringe the shores of estuaries serve to filter out contaminants before they reach the ocean and protect the shoreline from flooding.

As one of the most pristine estuaries on the Oregon coast, Alsea Bay is a vital ecosystem here. Its habitats include extensive wetlands, mud flats, sandy shores, and even some rocky areas. The bay teems with life: adult Chinook, coho, and chum salmon pass through on their way to upriver spawning sites, while the resultant babies use the estuary as a rest stop on their journey to the sea. Dungeness crab creep and crawl across the bottom, while clams burrow into the sediment. River otters frolic upriver, and seals haul out on sandy spits in the bay itself.

Bald eagles soar overhead. In fact, the bird life in Alsea Bay is so diverse and abundant that the bay has been designated by the National Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area, so make sure to bring your binoculars when you come.

Kayak tours start with a short lesson in kayaking skills, and then take participants close to the picturesque Alsea Bay Bridge where seals and sea birds are common sights. Tours then head up Lint Slough, an easy paddle in calm waters that used to house a salmon research facility. Birds love Lint Slough as much as paddlers do: here you can find ospreys, eagles, ducks, egrets, kingfishers, and more. Other sightings can include river otters and even black bears. Here you’ll be offered some free paddle time to practice and play on your own. Tours are a total of about 2 ½ hours long, and are offered daily throughout the summer starting Memorial Day weekend, and on fall weekends as well. Tour times depend on the tide, so call or check the Kayak Shack’s web site for more information or to reserve a spot.

If you’re comfortable kayaking on your own, you

36 oregon coast passport

can simply rent boats from the Kayak Shack. All Kayak Shack kayaks are of the sit-on-top variety, and rentals include paddles and life jackets. You can rent single, double and triple kayaks by the hour and by the day. A map and guide to the Alsea River Water Trail is available online (go to www.portofalsea.com and look for the link to the Alsea River Water Trail).

This brochure provides a detailed map of kayaking and haul out spots on the Alsea Bay, Alsea River, and tributaries. Be sure to check tide tables and try to coordinate with flood and ebb tides – paddling against the tide, even downriver, can be exhausting, so go with the flow. Kayaking west of the bridge is not recommended (and explicitly not allowed in Kayak Shack boats), as the bay entrance can be very dangerous, especially on an outgoing tide. You’ll be sharing the bay and river with power boats, so watch for them as well.

You’re guaranteed a good time kayaking in the Alsea ecosystem, and that post-paddle glow will be intensified knowing that you’ve supported some budding entrepreneurs and their school while you paddled. Visit the Kayak Shack’s web site or call them for more information – they can’t wait to hear from you!

When You Go Kayak Shack

Port of Alsea 365 Port St., Waldport (541) 563-4445 www.whskayakshack.com

Photo by Rachel Russell

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Photo by Nancy Steinberg 40 oregon coast passport

Happy Trails Hiking in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

by Nancy Steinberg

E

very time I visit the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area just south of Yachats, my brain explodes. How many different words for “beautiful” can there be? Sometimes I just cannot comprehend the dramatic beauty of this place. One of the best ways to get yourself similarly overwhelmed with magnificence is to hike Cape Perpetua’s many trails.

Cape Perpetua has been attracting visitors for thousands of years.

Shell middens (ancient trash piles) and other clues tell us that native Americans fished, hunted, and gathered shellfish and other food in this area for about 6,000 years prior to European arrival. Captain James Cook, on his voyage to search for a Pacific entrance to a Northwest Passage, gave the cape its current name when he sailed past it on St. Perpetua’s day (March 7) in 1778 (although some historians assert that the cape was so-named because storms kept Captain Cook from making much forward progress that March, thus the cape was perpetually in view). The area became part of the Siuslaw National Forest in 1908.

The Civilian Conservation Corps played a large role in developing the amenities in the park in the 1930s, including construction of the campground and stone observation shelter at the peak of the cape. The shelter was used as a coastal watch station during World War II, and a large gun was even installed there for a time.

Hiking in this area is a joy. The trail options, totaling 26 miles of trail in all, range from flat and coastal, to flat and forested, to intensely elevated but short, to long and strenuous. To start, rather than driving a car up the perfectly serviceable road to the peak of the cape, why not walk it? The St. Perpetua Trail starts at the Visitor Center (or a small parking area on the road leading to the Cape Perpetua campground) and ascends 700 feet in a little over a mile via a series of switchbacks to the top of the cape, treating hikers all the while to stunning ocean views, a lush coastal forest, and spectacular wildflowers in season. On a clear day you can see 37 miles out to sea and over 800 miles of Oregon coastline from the top. At the top there is quarter-mile loop trail (the Whispering Spruce Trail) that includes access to the stone shelter – make sure to stop and look for grey whales offshore. The most recent addition to the Cape Perpetua trail system is Amanda’s Trail, which steeply descends the north side of the Cape for two miles, ending up at the Yachats Ocean Road.

Starting from the same trailheads as the St. Perpetua Trail is the Giant Spruce Trail, which follows relatively flat forested territory for a mile, ending at – guess what? – a giant Sitka spruce tree. The trail leads through old growth forest along Cape Creek, cutting through the Cape Perpetua campground along the way. You’ll know when you get to the namesake giant spruce – it’s quite a tree. Designated in 2007 as an Oregon Heritage Tree, it towers more than 185 feet tall, is 40 feet in circumference, and is estimated to be nearly 600 years old.

On the west side of Highway 101 there are a number of gorgeous sites of interest, all linked by coastal pathways with evocative trail names.

Parking at the Devil’s Churn parking area, visitors can watch the surf froth in and out of the Devil’s Churn by following the Trail of the Restless Waters. The Captain Cook Trail leads to fascinating tide pools chock-full of unusual animals and plants, and, further on, the Oregon

coast’s version of a geyser, a spouting horn. While the spouting horn is less-than-faithful in the Yellowstone sense, it’s still spectacular. When the wave and tide conditions are right, a hole eroded in the “ceiling” of a small coastal cave creates a spectacular water spout that erupts as much as 50 feet into the air. The Cape Cove Trail ends up at a picturesque little pocket beach, often littered with oversize driftwood reminiscent of whale bones.

Hikers looking for more of a challenge will find it in extensive trails that generally head east from the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center through towering spruce and fir forests. The Cook’s Ridge and Gwynn Creek Loop Trail traverses old-growth forest on four different wellmaintained trails: Discovery Loop, Cook’s Ridge, Gwynn Creek, and Cummins Creek Loop Trails, for a total of 6.5 miles. The terrain is mostly needle-carpeted forest floor. The Cummins Creek Loop Trail itself can be done as either a 6.25- or 10-mile loop, or hooked with these other trails for a total of about 12 miles. These are more difficult hikes, with between 1000 and 1200 feet of elevation gain depending on the route, some of it fairly steep. These trails provide spectacular ocean views, particularly from the farthest (eastern) end of the loops, as well as lush meadows and creekside environments. As you loop back toward the starting point, all of these trails follow the Oregon Coast Trail which parallels Rte. 101. The ocean roars here, even louder than the auto traffic, and your glimpses of the Pacific through the trees couldn’t be more stunning.

I like setting off on these longer hikes early in the morning, when the light streams through the trees, creating a forested cathedral-like feel.

If you’re lucky you might spy some of the forest’s inhabitants, including elk and a wide variety of bird life. You will need to dress in layers, as coastal mornings are quite cool but you’ll warm up as you head uphill.

Most hikers average about 2-3 miles per hour, depending on the terrain and their conditioning, so use this as a rule of thumb as you plan your day. Don’t forget water, and definitely a snack or lunch for the longer hikes.

And maybe tuck a thesaurus into your pack as well, so you can find even more words to describe the beauty of this special place.

When you go: Cape Perpetua Scenic Area

Siuslaw National Forest Two miles south of Yachats and 22 miles north of Florence on Highway 101 (541) 547-3289 www.fs.usda.gov/siuslaw $5/vehicle/day or an annual recreation pass, available for purchase at the Visitor Center Visitor Center summer hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily oregon coast passport 41

Photo by Jo -Hanna Wienert

You’ll Adore the Adobe!

The Adobe Resort is the perfect home base for exploring Yachats

By Nancy Steinberg

O

nce you’ve hiked all over Cape Perpetua, you’ll need a place to rest your weary feet, have a glass of wine and a great meal, and enjoy an ocean view. There’s no better place on the central coast to refuel your body and soul than the Adobe Resort in Yachats, a full-service yet casual resort where everyone can feel at home.

First of all, if the Adobe was any closer to the ocean, you’d have to wring out the bedsheets after high tide every day. The resort is right on the beach, making access easy and views, especially sunsets, spectacular. A short trail leads to a wide, flat beach perfect for walking, running, kite-flying, sand castle-building, and any other activities where sand and surf are required. If you prefer scrambling over rocks or poking around tide pools, there are rocky shores just to the south, including near Cape Perpetua.

The top-notch accommodations range from elegant one-bedroom hillside rooms to suites with whirlpool tubs and breathtaking ocean views. There are even two apartments which can be combined for larger family groups. All rooms include free Wi-Fi, coffee pots and coffee, refrigerators, microwaves, and satellite televisions with DVD players. Other amenities, depending on the type of room, include private decks, electric fireplaces, and cozy double recliners; larger suites include full kitchens and dining space. Special packages, including breakfast and dinner, are offered; check the resort’s web site for details.

Pets are allowed in some of the rooms.

The award-winning restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, and the bar serves an excellent selection of lighter fare on the lounge menu. Fuel up for your day of adventure with a breakfast of bananas Foster French toast, apple gingerbread griddle cakes, crab

cakes Benedict, or grilled salmon and eggs. The lunch menu features a range of soups, salads, artisan sandwiches, and seafood like fish tacos and grilled oysters, perfect for a mid-day meal. Dinners include seafood, steak, chicken, and vegetarian specialties. Don’t miss the Adobe baked crab pot or the Captain’s seafood platter. Panoramic ocean views are always on the menu, as the restaurant sits a mere 50 feet from the ocean’s edge. Watch whales, sunsets, and storms while you dine!

The Adobe has thought of everything: a fitness room, meeting rooms, game room, dry cleaning and laundry services, and business center are all available to make your stay complete. The resort’s indoor heated pool, kiddie pool, and sauna are particularly attractive to families. If you’d like to take home a memento from your Oregon coast trip, look no further than the Adobe’s gift shop, which features arts and crafts by local artists, clothing, jewelry, and greeting cards, as well as movie rentals for Adobe guests.

The sun and fun of summer is a great time to enjoy the Adobe Resort, but consider returning in winter to watch the summer storms roll off the ocean from the warmth of your room (or even your whirlpool tub!). The Adobe is truly a resort for all seasons.

When You Go The Adobe Resort

1555 Hwy 101, Yachats (541) 547-3141 www.adoberesort.com

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Located on the Scenic Oregon Coast www.eventscenter.org | (541) 997-1994

FLORENCE

True Grit Take a thrill ride on a sandrail through the Oregon Dunes in Florence

By Nancy Steinberg

“Do you like rollercoasters?”

Frank asked with a twinkle in his eye. The three kids all shouted, “Yeah!”

I kept quiet. I definitely had the feeling this was not going to be a leisurely sight-seeing ride.

We – a friend, her son and daughter, and my son and I – were signed up for a half-hour sandrail tour with Sandland Adventures in the Oregon Dunes near Florence. A sandrail is a rugged vehicle specifically designed for riding in sand, like a dune buggy. It has a light frame with a roll bar, a low center of gravity, oversized and specialized wheels, a monster suspension, and other features that give it the ability to fly over the sand and climb the dunes without getting stuck. Sandland Adventures brings groups of two to seven passengers out on sandrails for half-hour or hour-long tours through the spectacular Oregon Dunes.

Back to my mounting terror. We all strapped on helmets and goggles as Frank, our driver for the tour, continued his banter. “Do you have any

46 oregon coast passport

phobias? We’ll blast them right out of you. You’ll come back with really smooth skin, too,” he joked. ( Joked? Maybe?) Then he told us about the animals he has seen in the dunes: eagles are frequently sighted, along with the occasional bears and deer, and even rarer bobcats and mountain lions.

“We’re taking the green buggy today – the eagle loves the green buggy,” he said.

We strapped in to the sandrail, Frank brought the large engine to life, and we took off through the forest. “This isn’t so scary,” I thought, as we bumped along through the trees. But we gained speed as we hit the beach dunes … and pretty much continued to gain speed for the rest of the ride until returning through the dunes and forest a half-hour later.

It’s possible I did not breathe for the entire 30 minutes.

First we first climbed to the top of the 200-foot dunes to a breathtaking vista of rolling waves of sand and ocean beyond, with islands of trees peppered throughout our view. “Welcome to my office!” Frank shouted.

It was a blue-sky day, cold on the beach but clear and bright. From our vantage point at the top of the dune we dropped down and then took a roller coaster ride, just as Frank had indicated, up the nearly-vertical faces of the dunes, then riding their ridges with steep drop-offs to the side, and plunging down at high speed. We arced through the dunes, reaching top speeds of about 50 miles per hour, and then tore up the flats at 70 to 90 mph.

Frank made a couple of stops for us to enjoy the views of the dunes, ocean, and Cleawox Lake at Honeyman State Park. While we caught our breath he told us a little about the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America.

Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Dunes extends along 40 miles of the Oregon Coast, from Florence to Coos Bay, encompassing some fifty square miles. About a third of it is open to off-road vehicles.

In addition to off-roading, visitors can hike, fish, camp, sandboard, and otherwise play in any number of ways.

“How long did you have to train to do this job?” my ten-year-old son asked.

“I’ve been driving cars of all kinds since I was your age,” Frank responded. He told us of his previous fast-driving careers, including as a NASCAR driver.

“This is the best job in the whole world,” my son said, in awe. Frank laughed and agreed.

Off we went again, heading up and down dunes at impossibly steep angles, shrieking and holding on tight. The sand flew and rained down on us like ocean spray on a boat ride – we ended up with sand in our clothes, our hair, our shoes, our noses – sand was still coming out of my

ears a week later. No need to exfoliate for days.

After a half-hour, we returned to the parking area. Crossing again through the green forest I finally loosened my grip on my straps and relaxed. We were all giddy with exhilaration as we piled out of the sandrail and relived our experience. “That was amazing!” one of the kids shouted. “Did you think it was scary?” I asked them. “No, just exciting!” they all replied.

The world suddenly seemed impossibly slow. My friend had to check her speed as we drove down Highway 101 in her minivan. We continued our sandy adventure with sand boarding (see sidebar) and go karts at Sandland’s headquarters, but our minds were still revving, back in the dunes.

Sandland Adventures offers 30- and 60-minute sandrail rides, and somewhat mellower dune buggy tours. Tours tend to fill up in the summertime, so do make a reservation. Make sure to leave time to enjoy the other activities at Sandland too: bumper boats, mini golf, go karts, and a miniature train ride will complete your day in the dunes.

Dress warmly (it can get breezy at 70 miles per hour on the beach!), and leave the camera and other delicate equipment behind. I can personally attest to the fact that sand will get into absolutely everything!

When You Go Sandland Adventures 85366 Highway 101 Florence, OR (541) 997-8087 www.sandland.com

Cleawox Market (sandboard rentals) 85150 Highway 101 Florence, OR (541) 997-6435

Honeyman State Park 84505 Highway 101 Florence, OR (800) 551-6949

More sandy fun: sandboarding the dunes While in the dunes, another must-do is sandboarding, cousin to snowboarding but done on dunes rather than snowy peaks. There are multiple places to rent sandboards in the Oregon Dunes; we rented at Cleawox Market ($5 for 4 hours). An excellent place to start is at Honeyman State Park: follow the signs on Hwy 101 to the park campground, and then to the day use area on the shores of Cleawox Lake.

There are a variety of dunes to choose from, ranging from bunny slope to black diamond (not marked as such). The idea is to glide down with your feet strapped to the board, à la snowboarding, but our kids had just as much fun sitting on their rear ends and using the sand boards as sleds. The hikes back up the dunes will ensure that everyone sleeps well that night.

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

Our premium food brands include: • Canidae • Diamond • Nutro • Science Diet • Eukanuba • Friskies • Nature’s Recipe

• Whiskas • Pro Plan • Avoderm • Pinnacle • Chicken Soup • Taste of the Wild

• Evolve • Fromm • Natural Balance • Pedigree • Go! • Now! • Triumph

Our products and services include: • Supplements • Health Care • Vitamins • Medications • Pet Books • Toys • Carriers

• Cages • Furniture • Beds • Home Care Products • Premium Brands

• Specialty Products • Grooming • Special Orders Where Possible

Visit our other great coastal locations: 1740 N. Coast Hwy. Newport, OR 97365 541-265-8355

1450 NE Hwy 101 Lincoln City, OR 97367 541-557-1911

2630 Hwy 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-7035

1609 Virginia Ave. North Bend, OR 97459 541-756-1562

Visit our other great locations: Bend, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Roseburg, and Springfield locations!