The Spectacular Oregon Coast
Editor: At a recent town hall with Oregon Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley I picked up a magazine entitled, “The Oregon Treasures Quest.” The magazine is printed and published by Jeff Merkley’s team. The magazine is available through his office and at his town halls. Jeff, a lifetime Oregonian drew from his life in Oregon to put together a magazine that highlights one significant landmark from each Oregon county with great pictures and a short blurb on each site. After enjoying Jeff’s publication I thought I should spend a few minutes talking about Oregon’s iconic coastal landmarks. I have been fortunate enough to spend many years living and exploring Oregon’s Pacific coast. Below I’ve listed several highlights of Oregon’s Hwy 101.
D. S. Mitchell
A Bit of History
The Pacific Coast of the United States is magical. Massive rock formations, dramatic vistas, magnificent bridges, and miles of expansive beaches. I was born in this “Pacific Wonderland” and every once in a while I like to tell my friends around the world about this amazing place I call home. I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Went to Shattuck grade school, Lincoln High School, and Portland State University. I remember long lazy summer vacations at my family’s beach shack at Rockaway Beach. Our little surf shack was the hub of activity for many summers of happy memories. We would take short trips around the area, roast marshmallows, fish the coastal streams, dig clams on brisk mornings, build sand castles and access quiet picnic spots along the beautiful beaches of the central Oregon coast.
Until very recently I was a full time coastal resident. I lived at a spectacular spot between Gearhart and Warrenton, called Surf Pines. It’s a delightful place with wide views of the Pacific, small lakes, and wildlife galore. It was such an exciting place to live, a delight of both man and nature made wonders. Driving Sunset Beach up to the Peter Iredale watching the spectacular 4th of July fireworks. Ahh, what a life.
Since I lived just south of that gritty river town Astoria, once called the “evilest place on earth” it is a good place to start. I love Astoria and its spectacular setting, and conversely its seedy edginess. A town of hills and stairs. A river town where many men are still fisherman and loggers. Where upscale cannabis shops and day spas co-exist with topless bars and closed storefronts. Astoria is both charming and seamy. Astoria is slowly shifting from blue-collar working class to professional class. A place where Victorian houses both grand and simple cling to a rocky hillside at the convergence of bay, river and ocean. A town quietly searching for its future.
“The Bridge” is the Astoria-Megler bridge. Starting in California, and all up the coast you will see many beautiful historic bridges, but it isn’t until you reach Astoria, Oregon that you see the spectacular grand jewel of coastal river bridges. At Astoria the Columbia River joins the ocean. “The bridge” spans 4 miles across one of the nation’s greatest river systems, joining Oregon with her northern sister state, Washington. The Columbia bar was long known as the “grave yard of the Pacific” because so many ships sank off its coast as they attempted to cross the bar into the greatest river of the west. A drive across this landmark structure literally takes your breath away.
The Astoria Column is a 125 foot column. Half a million visitors tour the site annually. The column stands on a cleared hilltop that rises 600 feet above sea level. The column is one of the most recognizable monuments on the Oregon coast. Dedicated in 1926 the column was modeled after Trajan’s column in Rome, Italy. The Astoria column is decorated with a detailed spiral frieze of Astoria’s history. The column was treated to a much-needed restoration a couple of years ago, but that inner spiral staircase is still stomach turning, if you get up that damn thing, the views from the top are heart stopping; Young’s River and Bay, the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, Cape Disappointment. Jaw dropping.
Astoria’s Sunday Market operates between May and October each year and is a fun place for tourists and locals to meet. The Market spans four blocks of Astoria’s historic downtown. Between Exchange and 12th in the shadows of the iconic Liberty Theater and the Elliott Hotel. The market is a showcase for local of arts, crafts, fresh produce, flowers and great food. Leashed dogs are welcome. Live music is offered in the Wells Fargo parking lot on 12th street most of the day on Sundays. The operating hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Oregon Film Museum
The Oregon Film Museum can be found in the old Clatsop County jail, behind the Clatsop County Court house in downtown Astoria. If you saw The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, Short Circuit, and Free Willy you’ll want to check out this great little museum. There are a lot of interactive exhibits like film making and if you’re into it you can spend an afternoon there. If however, you aren’t, the visit will be a lot shorter. There is a small gift shop and the man behind the counter will greet you with a smile and gladly help you find what you need. There are some fun props in the museum and a few behind the scene videos. It might be a quick in and out for some, but still a fun time if you love movies.
Driving on Sunset Beach
Yes you can drive on certain Oregon coast beach, but not everywhere. Specifically, you can drive on the northern Oregon coast between Warrenton and Gearhart, the Sunset Beach road access, south of Warrenton proper, right off highway 101, provides miles of lovely beach. There are also some areas near Pacific City and Tierra Del Mar, and then a small portion of beach in Lincoln City. Always check local regulations and access points before driving on any beach.
Fort Stevens. At Warrenton, Oregon, just across the Young’s Bay Bridge from Astoria is an amazing military historical site. The fort was constructed between 1863 and 1864 as an earthwork battery on the south shore of the Columbia River at her convergence with the Pacific Ocean. Fort Stevens was the primary installation in the Three Fort Defense System which also included Fort Disappointment and Fort Columbia, both on the Washington side. On the night of June 21-22 1942 a Japanese submarine I-25 surfaced at Fort Stevens and fired 17 shells from her gun deck at the Oregon coast defenses. This is the only known attack by Japan on a military installation on the continental United States. Each summer civil war enactments take place on the now Park grounds. Interestingly, from my family history, my father after seeing service in France during the first world war, was stationed at Fort Stevens after the end of WWI.
Peter Iredale Wreck. The wreck of the Peter Iredale is the “most iconic shipwreck on the Oregon coast,” claim many travel brochures. The 275 foot sailing vessel ran aground in 1906 at Fort Stevens. In fact, the wreck can be accessed just beyond a parking area at Fort Stevens State Park or at the Sunset Beach beach access road. The great sailing ship had reached the Columbia bar and was waiting for a pilot-boat to escort her across the treacherous Columbia bar and into Astoria when a heavy fog and unexpected wind gusts slammed the ship on to Clatsop beach, snapping all four of her masts on impact. As an aside, I lived in the same house for the last 30 years until recently and have watched rain and weather reduce the wreck to a shadow of it former self, until now only her steel hull remains.
Lighthouses. There are 11 lighthouses on the Oregon coast. Iconic names like Tillamook Rock, Yaquina Head and Heceta Head delight the imagination. The Tillamook Head lighthouse is visible in areas close to Seaside and Cannon Beach but is inaccessible by mere mortals, so enjoy it from afar. Most of the other lighthouses are open to the public as part of the Oregon park system, or at least visible from public roads or parks.
Haystack Rock. Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, is to many people the symbol of the Oregon coast. There are really three Haystack Rocks, one at Cape Kiwanda and another one at Bandon. The Rock at Cannon Beach has become symbolic of the Oregon coast undoubtedly due to it being at the center of one of the most popular tourist towns on the entire coast. If the Cannon Beach Haystack Rock looks familiar it may be because the site played a visible role in the classic family film, the “Goonies, which was actually filmed in Astoria. Strange how movie makers remake their locations to suit their needs. “Kindergarten Cop” did the same thing, using Haystack Rock as background for several scenes in an Astoria filmed movie.
Cannon Beach. In the late 1980’s thru the 1990’s a conscientious, dedicated and forward thinking group of business and private citizens came together to develop a ‘new vision’ for this historic beach town. Their monumental efforts transformed this slowly dying coastal hamlet into the hot tourist magnet it is today. Stay for the day, or stay a week, or a lifetime. A warm and charming spot just south of me, on Highway #101.
Arch Rock. Arch Rock can be found in the northern section of Sam H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, and can be seen just off Highway #101 at a state picnic area. Weirdly shaped rocks with giant holes cut out of them by the sea and elements are breathtakingly beautiful and oddly alluring.
The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. In 1972 the area was protected by Congress and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. If you like doing Off Highway Vehicles and hiking, the Oregon dunes are the place for you. The dunes are a massive unmistakable landmark on the coast running from Florence to Coos Bay. Incidentally, the dunes were the inspiration for Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel, “Dune.” If you haven’t read that long ago written tale, pick it up for a good read, and imagine yourself surrounded by miles of sand.
Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland projecting into the Pacific Ocean. Another wonderful protected area for hikers and sightseers alike. The Spouting Horn, and Thor’s Well on the nearby plateau are both salt water fountains, fascinating formations in the basalt shoreline at Cape Perpetua. The formations draw thousand of tourists annually. Viewing is best an hour before high tide and an hour after high tide. At low tide the observer sees the water bubbling and splashing inside, and at high tide, the ocean seems to momentarily drain away within it.
Sea Lion Caves. The Sea Lion cave system is America’s largest sea cave. It is a wild place discovered by local seaman Captain William Cox in a small boat on a calm day in 1880. The cave and the rookery area are part of a privately owned wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary since 1932. The entire cave area are part of the Oregon Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and home to the Stellar Sea Lion. The caves are vibrant and exciting and if you come to the Florence area of the Oregon coast, don’t miss a trip down the stairs to the caves. Absolutely amazing.
Depoe Bay Harbor. Advertised as the world’s smallest harbor. The Depoe Bay harbor is busy with tourists. The harbor is bustling with boats taking visitors whale watching and charter fishing boats taking fishermen out for the day. Conveniently, there is a resident pod of grey whales right off the harbor. The Depoe Bay Bridge is historic and stately and adorns many post cards.
There are so many delightful spots on the Oregon coast. If you live in Oregon you have probably already seen many of these sites. If not what’s stopping you? If you live somewhere else in the world, plan a trip to the Oregon coast. Rent an RV or pack your bicycles and tent and head for a great outdoor adventure.
Calamity Politics is a progressive political website that primarily focuses on the U. S. political scene. Several times over the last week I have diverged from politics and talked about the weather, places to visit on the Oregon North Coast, Afghan neighbors, my dog Lily, 35 Reasons to Smile, and just about anything I can think of, EXCEPT what is happening to our democracy. What I see is so distressing I need to switch it off, now and then, and focus on the good things in my life. I’m not checking out of the fight, no way; in fact, I grow more committed to fight against Trump and his MAGA supporters with each passing day. I will be posting a piece later today giving you my take on Gaza, or at least somebody’s take on Gaza. Find sometime to smile, it will make the battle easier.
D.S. Mitchell, Editor
