The shanty in pictures

People occasionally ask us to describe the shanty, so we'll go one better and post photos instead. These should give everyone a better idea of how the rooms are laid out and the wonderful outdoor spaces that are part of the package.



Master bedroom includes this
 California king-sized bed.




 

Second bedroom has bunkbeds for kids and double
bed. Door leads to one of two full bathrooms,



Both bathrooms have
 tub/shower enclosures.




Fully equipped kitchen opens
into front living space.



Front door entrance.

Living room includes wood-burning stove.



Main deck is enclosed in glass to
 protect against the wind.



Front deck.

Rock Candy Beach

During our latest stay at the shanty, we explored a secluded beach along an especially remote stretch of the coast south of Cape Perpetua. It’s mostly cobblestone, but is loaded with small agates (Ellen calls them “rock candy”) and driftwood, which our Bayshore beach mostly lacks. We also saw harbor seals bobbing in the surf, along with marbled murrelets (an endangered species that only nests in old-growth coastal forest) and a pair of bald eagles. We were there on a Monday and were the only humans in sight.

New additions to the agate
collection we keep at the shanty

I’m not sure if the beach has a name, but you’ll find it immediately south of the pullout at Strawberry Hill, which is about three miles south of the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center along Highway 101. You’ll notice a major trail with steps that heads down to the beach to the north, so you have to veer left and follow a dirt track around a small hill. After 11 years of exploring the central Oregon coast, we’re still discovering hidden gems like this sweet little beach.

Don't forget your wetsuit

We're not surfers--never have been, never will be. But I have it on good authority that some people are crazy enough to surf the Oregon coast. I have a nephew who teaches surfing up in Cannon Beach (he's a college grad, but this gets him by), and had a student in my journalism class last term who has created a web site called NW Surf and Snow that makes surfing the frigid waters of Oregon almost look appealing. Check out the videos--they're especially well done. The closest location to the shanty with respectable surfing is Agate Beach, just south of Yaquina Head (about 15 miles north on Highway 101). Don't forget your wetsuit.