Shoreline Secrets, and Other Tidbits of Oregon's Coast

By Guy DiTorrice

Geologic wonders of Seal Rock

The phone call or e-mail starts pretty much the same way:

"Got your name from...... (insert name of friend, Chamber of Commerce, editor, shop owner, etc). And, they said you know where I can find ..... (insert things like agates, shells, sand dollars, fossils, glass floats, etc) on the Oregon Coast."

"So, where do I go??"

Consistently, the answer is quite simple and my response equally short: "On any sandy beach."

There are two absolutely predictable responses to this discussion:

Just south of Newport

(a) "You're kidding." Normally reserved for adult males who are quick to ask questions wherever they find me, but always question the response.

(b) "Yeah...but which beach???" Which precludes a discussion about the value of an Oregon tourism map, a Google image search and/or the many coastal guides available for free or minimal cost.

Southern Cannon Beach

Now, as a non-native Oregonian (Midwestern by birth, Rocky Mountain educated), I pride myself in knowing a great deal about my adopted state. This information was extremely valuable as we lobbied the Legislature for a State Fossil designation a few years ago. I was shocked, shocked! to learn how many elected state officials do not know the State Dance (square dance), State Mineral (sunstone) or State Rock (thunderegg).

Well, the good news is we now have a State Fossil - the Metasequoia, or Dawn Redwood - and a State Fruit, the pear. And, many more legislators now know about the list of official state "whatevers" we now have.

Back to the beach:

This installment, I'm going to share with you the absolute list of secret sites where you can find crab, fish, clams, agates, shells, fossils, sand dollars, glass floats, shorebirds, seals, great sunsets, sea lions, artistic rock formations, migrating whales.... The list goes on and on, but the editor (and one reader in Astoria) limit me to a specified word count and one page of the website.

Here it is.

The big secret that only the locals know - and the tourists are drooling to get their hands on.

The big secret about where I find all the stuff I find, photograph, log, collect and share.

The place where you're guaranteed to find what you're looking for.

Ready?

It's "At the beach...on the Oregon Coast."

Any local who tells you that you're guaranteed to find crab off this dock, fish at this spot, agates on this beach, etc., is either pulling your leg or limiting their explorations to one location.

Cape Lookout

Crabs move from bays to the jetties to the open ocean. One day they're just below that shop on the bayfront. Tomorrow, they're all off-shore.

Fish move from the open ocean and swim miles up fresh-water rivers and streams. One day they're here. One day they're there.

Once, while on a charter trip, I asked the skipper, "Where are all the fish?" He was polite as he was serious when he said, "Always under the boat. . .until you catch them."

I walk on beaches where sand covers everything up one day and storms strip them clean the next. I find something on one beach today...nothing tomorrow...five things next week.

That's what makes the Oregon Coast a perfect destination. It's always changing.

Now, the one singular response I have for people looking for glass floats has been resolved by my good friends in Lincoln City's visitor industry. There, they guarantee you'll find glass floats on their beaches - because they put them there! No kidding. And, they put them there due to their smarts. Yep - during the "off-season" - the time when most sections of the Coast hope to attract more visitors.

The rest of the year, you have to go looking, just like everyone else for them. "Yeah...but which beach?"

DIVE INTO LUXURY, HISTORY AT THE TIDES

THE TIDES BY THE SEA, Seaside. For over 80 years, The Tides has been a favorite of Seaside visitors. History meets modern luxury here. 51 oceanfront condos, individually owned and decorated. Find suites for couples, small apartments with fireplaces and kitchenettes, one or two bedroom family units with fireplaces, kitchens and dining rooms. There are wonderful oceanview cottages that sleep anywhere from two to eight people, with two bedrooms, some with lofts, fireplaces and kitchens.
Meanwhile, the heated outdoor pool, enormous grounds with picnic tables and location at the quiet southern end of Seaside make for some memorable means of play and repose. 2316 Beach Drive. 800-548-2846. www.thetidesbythesea.com.

BREATHTAKING CLIFFTOP IN NEWPORT

STARFISH POINT is located on the Central Oregon Coast - in Newport - and offers only the finest in luxury condominium lodging. At Starfish Point, every unit is focused on the beauty of the sea and the beach.
All of the units boast two bedrooms, two bathrooms, designer kitchens, wireless broadband Internet, fireplaces, Jacuzzi’s and private decks - surrounding you in soothing relaxation. We have a friendly staff dedicated to high quality and superb customer service. 140 NW 48th Street, Newport. (541) 265-3751. (800) 870-7795. www.starfishpoint.com