Great place for hiking

We’ve been kayaking on Beaver Creek for years, so we were delighted to discover this week that the state has acquired more than 300 acres of coastal marsh and uplands just north of Seal Rock for its newest state park. There is a visitor center just off Beaver Creek Road, and a network of trails on nearby Snaggy Point that offers a sweeping view of the ocean and frequent sightings of deer, elk, eagles and other wildlife. There’s definitely more to the Oregon Coast than just the beach! To get to Beaver Creek State Natural Area, take 101 north to Ona Creek State Park (6 miles) and turn right on Beaver Creek Road. Be sure to take your binoculars.

If you carry an iPhone, there even an app for the new park you can download. That's pretty cool.

Exploring Alsea Bay by kayak

When the wind finally dies down, Alsea Bay is a haven for kayakers. This shot was taken this week on a rare calm summer day, just as the fog was starting to roll in. I usually put in just a half-mile from the shanty, next to the motel, or there's a sandy beach near the port, just across the bay in old town. Depending on the tide, the wind and the current, you can paddle upstream for miles, or just make a circuit out near the surf and back around the footings of the bridge. The animal life in and around the bay is amazing: harbor seals, cormorants, herons, eagles and occasionally deer.

There is also excellent flat-water kayaking on Lint Slough (immediately upstream from the docks), Beaver Creek (north of Seal Rock), and Drift Creek (tributary of the Alsea) up to tidewater. I keep a kayak at the shanty, but you can also rent them during the summer at McKinley Marina. Kayaking is a wonderful way to experience the raw, scenic beauty of the Oregon coast.

Good eats in Waldport

Waldport is sadly lacking in good places to eat, but we're happy to report that the Sea Dog Bakery and Cafe is the best hash house in town. We highly recommend it--especially the breads and pastries. Stick with the breakfast menu, as lunches are nothing special. You'll find it downtown on Highway 101 just south of the traffic light.

We've tried the Mexican restaurant, La Roca, at the south end of downtown, and it's acceptable. We recommend against the Chinese restaurant, and Grand Central is a good idea only if you enjoy being around screaming kids and crave deeply fried food. I like to have a burger and fries once in a while at Big Wheel mostly because of its old-school, diner-style service. For dinner, it's worth the drive to Yachats or Newport, both of which have many good restaurants.

Spouting off

There are a number of spouting horns along the Oregon coast, but this one a few miles south of Waldport is among the best. There's a pullout right on Hwy. 101 and a short trail that leads down to the rocks. This view is from the top of the cape looking south. The best displays are during high tide, so time your visit accordingly. Here's the link to a tide table for Alsea Bay.

While you're visiting the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, consider taking one of several trails that snake along rocky cliffs and sandy beaches, or ascend into old-growth cedar and spruce forests. The trail through Cummins Creek Wilderness is especially serene. Watch for the spotted owls and marbled murrelets that nest here. There are traces of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp that existed near what is now the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center and that was then an utterly remote stretch of coastline. Among the projects completed by the CCC was the stone shelter from which this photo was taken--the highest precipice along the entire Oregon coast.

We're wired

The Shanty now has a cable modem for guaranteed internet access. After years of highjacking a wi-fi signal from unsuspecting neighbors, we finally decided to subscribe to a high-speed service this year so our guests can stay connected. Our friend Joe Fancher demonstrates at right during a recent visit to Bayshore.

Mild, then wild

The winter was mild but it's been a wild spring on the Oregon coast, where the European beach grass has advanced and created beautiful dunes where there was previously only flat sand. May was rainier than December '09, but summer is on the way. No matter the weather,  the Bayshore beach is always a great place to explore and enjoy.

Surf's up

This short article about the growing size of waves on the Oregon coast is a reminder of the amazing complexity and variability of our aquatic systems. We've observed coastal erosion at Bayshore, but lately, the sand has been piling up on the beach closest to the Shanty. Are our waves any bigger or smaller than before? It's impossible to say, based on simple observation. I guess that's why we have coastal engineers at OSU: to observe and measure these sorts of changes over time.