I'm not a parent, a fan of antiques or particularly fond of having to don a wet suit in order to swim in the ocean.
So it's no surprise I've never been to the Oregon coast. That is, until I started talking with friends in Portland about the amazing microbrews, the fun of playing in the sand dunes and the fact that you can practically catch crabs with your bare hands (pretty sure that was an exaggeration).
By Barry Gibbons | July 4, 2008
While strolling one of Oregon's expansive sandy beaches, a scurrying
movement in a tide pool caught my eye. Was that a bullhead? No, it was
too egg-shaped to be one of the shy pool-dwelling fish. It didn't
scuttle like a crab -- and the pool was teeming with these mystery
creatures. Whatever it was, the buggy beast was just the reason I'd wanted to
visit Oregon's ocean beaches: for a chance to explore the craggy
coastline, poke around under seaside rocks and sink my toes in sugary
sand.
By Lisa Stiffler | June 19, 2008
The "Tillamook Burn" story just burns to be told.
It's an extraordinary tale of a series of devastating forest fires in Oregon, the last of which occurred more than 50 years ago. The story is so dramatic that in 1991 the Oregon Legislature mandated that the story be told.
By Jeff Larsen | March 2, 2006
Short Trips
All that Fort Clatsop Park ranger Sean Johnson could do was point at a large white tarp propped up in the woods with poles and tell visitors, "Yep, that's where Fort Clatsop used to be." The tarp covered the ground where only a few charred pieces of the historic fort replica remained after it burned to the ground Oct. 3.
By Jeff Larsen | December 29, 2005
Short Trips
FLORENCE, Ore. -- On Oct. 29, Oregon scientists, politicians and educators will gather in Florence to discuss something near and dear to their hearts -- the Oregon Coast. Not surprising, folks on the Central Coast want to learn more about how to save and maintain some of this state's most valuable assets -- its shoreline and ocean environment.
By Jeff Larsen | September 29, 2005
Short Trips
One of my first destinations to the central Oregon Coast three years ago was Cape Kiwanda, to me the most scenic stop on the Three Capes Scenic Drive about 15 minutes north of Lincoln City off U.S. Route 101.
I stayed at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, ate and drank at the Pelican Pub & Brewery on the beach across the street and watched the sun set behind the wave-worn cliffs that jut into the Pacific Ocean.
By Jeff Larsen | June 16, 2005
CANNON BEACH -- The place is steeped in Northwest history, jammed with things do -- hiking, surfing, fishing, crabbing, birding, biking -- and crammed with great places to stay.
But the thing about the Oregon Coast that stays with you are the seascapes -- the stunning convergence of endless surf crashing against time-worn sea stacks and rocky capes cloaked with wind-bent spruce trees.
Somehow just looking at them soothes the soul and fills you with wonder.
Has anyone ever visited here and not wanted to return?
By Greg Johnston | June 16, 2005
MEGLER, Pacific County — Rex Ziak is driving west on Highway 401, within sight of the Astoria Bridge, when he stops his pickup truck by a thicket of alders on the Washington side of the Columbia River.
He peers into a dark tangle of trees and boulders, a gloomy, sunless scene, like something from an old black-and-white film.
By Stanton H. Patty | February 3, 2005
Short Trips
ASTORIA, Ore. -- Up until two years ago, I thought Astoria was just a small town on the Columbia River that you had to negotiate after crossing from Washington to reach the really fun places farther south on the Oregon coast, like Seaside or Cannon Beach.
However during a short stay in 2002, I sensed a certain spark and charm -- not too commercial, not too touristy -- that made me feel comfortable.
By Jeff Larsen | November 18, 2004
ASTORIA, Ore. Visiting New Yorker Stephanie Baer took in the city sights. From Riverfront Trolley Old No. 300, she spied the ships floating on the Columbia and eyed the steep hillsides spotted with old Victorian houses. The views were phenomenal, the people friendly just as Baer expected.
"But I didn't expect it to be so prosperous," Baer said. "And what really surprises me is how sophisticated it is."
By Lori Tobias | September 20, 2004
