Monday, 17 January 2011

Extraordinary Oregon Coast Sites and Sights

Extraordinary Oregon Coast Sites and Sights

Published 08/22/2010

(Oregon Coast) – Unusual moments along the Oregon coast abound with startling regularity. It’s not simply all pretty and lovely sands and rock structures – although there is certainly no shortage of that. Sometimes it’s just in the perception – something you haven’t seen before or at least the ability to notice something out of the ordinary. Others, it’s a moment caught in time.

In an environment where so many things are changing from minute to minute, hour to hour, there is always something to take note of.

Oregon Coast Right Now: Depoe Bay at Dusk, Aug. 24. Between the lights on the channel, street lamps, traffic on the bridge, blurry people walking past and the varied colors of the buildings, dusk can make the town look a bit like a bunch of Christmas lights.

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Ethereal Night Just South of Cannon Beach. The overlook/pull-offs just south of Cannon Beach are one of the more remarkable experiences on the coast, and the de rigueur first-stops for those who have just entered 101 – especially those who have not seen the beach before. Silver Point is the name of the main lookout, which provides eye-popping glimpses of Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock to the north, a nearly endless seascape due west and some interesting wave action, and then hotspots like Hug Point to the south.

But what about these spots at night? Not much to see, correct?

Wrong.

It does depend on the night, actually. But in this case, on this warm August night, the stars are out in full force and the occasional shooting star comes streaking through. This sea of stars is met by the salty sea, which is then given an ethereal, strange red glow because of an orange moon, almost full, that ducks in and out of a line of clouds. It creates some interesting shapes above and below it, making it look a bit like a sunrise.

But it is, in fact, the moon - and it’s trying to set below the horizon.

Sometimes a shy subject does make a better subject, photographically.

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Depoe Bay and a Summer Storm? It’s mid summer on the Oregon coast, and a little chilly and windy, but otherwise glorious sun and blue occupy the skies. What is odd is the proliferation of massive waves, however. It’s more like a spring storm. The end result is the combo of lovely conditions and dramatic ocean create quite the pleasant sight.

Another instance of curious coastal dichotomies in the world of weather.

At the extreme southern end of the Depoe Bay bridge, there’s a little viewpoint tucked away that allows glimpses of this side of the bay’s jetty and structures. A small tree here helps fill the photo with more visual information about the town.

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Cape Kiwanda and a Secret Hidden in Plain Sight. The gargantuan, sweeping cliffs of Pacific City’s Cape Kiwanda is one of the legendary spots on the coast, sucking in gawkers for generations. Climbing up these steep slopes is have the fun, then exploring the otherworldly expanse of pock-marked landscapes and structures on the top. From some spots, you can see the winding labyrinth of small headlands and odd shapes that meander throughout the northern end, all up against the raging sea below.

Everyone knows what Cape Kiwanda looks like from the usual, slightly frenetic parking lot at the southern end. But what’s on the other side?

A hidden park on the northern face of the cape allows driving on the beach, and from its access it’s almost a mile to the sloped dunes and golden structures of the landmark. From this vantage point, more engaging shapes appear. It becomes apparent that a major chunk of the cliff eroded somewhere in the past, leaving an almost spire-like chunk of that sandstone sitting just a ways off the main structure – also with a tuft of vegetation on the top.

There’s also an arch in here, inside of which you can see colossal waves igniting up against the boulders and other rock formations.

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