A Different Side of Common Oregon Coast Landmarks
Published 10/04/2010 
(Oregon Coast) - Many times, the coast is filled with instances of secrets hiding in plain sight. Sometimes it's wild and hidden beaches. Sometimes it's familiar places that take on a whole new look if you move around. Other times, it's just a matter of using a zoom lens, or walking somewhere new. The places you know well still hold odd surprises: whether you’re a first time visitor or a jaded regular. You just have to know how to look for them.
Forbidden Beach Near Depoe Bay (above)Near Depoe Bay and just north of Newport, there’s the Otter Crest Road, a one-lane hidden street that runs just below Highway 101. As it skirts along the edge of sweeping cliffs and round tight corners, inspiring views spring in front of your car.You can only head south here, eventually meeting up with Cape Foulweather. Along the way, you encounter a host of other secret cliffs below you, some of which have even more secretive entrances. But one mysterious beach comes into view, just a tad north of Foulweather, a forbidden beach which no one can ever walk.There is no way to access it, except by boat, and even then conditions would likely almost never be conducive to that. So this small patch of rough, rather large stones remains untouched – probably forever. In fact, you can’t even see it unless you trudge precariously close to the cliff’s edge. So it's forbidden even to the eyes of most humans as well.
Another Face of Cape KiwandaEveryone knows Cape Kiwanda and its wind-sculpted cliffs, which become a startling gold color when the sun hits it just right. But everyone knows it from its southern face, and how it looks from the northern side is a bit of a mystery.If you trudge the top of the structure and head to its northern end, you see a variety of structures and shapes. From the beach perspective, this end shows off the complex design, carved out by interesting erosion, waves slamming against the sandstone for millennia and wind tearing at it. There’s a small canyon of sorts, where the sea sprays upward as it slams into one rockface or another – and an arch overhead seems to provide a rather grandiose entrance to the area. You can see vegetation atop the forward chunk of cliff, similar to the vegetation atop the rest of the cliff behind it. So it appears as if somewhere in the last millennia or two a whole section was eroded away, leaving two different cliffs, divided by this canyon and a kind of channel of raging ocean.
Rockaway's Twin Rocks In Your FaceWhile Rockaway Beach – the town – began around 1909, the big landmark we all know as Twin Rocks started out about 45 million years ago, with lava flows so enormous they seared their way hundreds of miles until they reached the Pacific Ocean, which was then some distance east of where it is now.Here is Twin Rocks up close, in a way you don’t normally get to see the structure. It’s really two sea stacks, one with an arch, and many of their nooks and crannies become clearer upon closer inspection. Indeed, if you were millions of years old, you’d need lots of botox as well.The stranger truth about the geology of the formation, however, is that it was likely (according to Seaside geologist Tom Horning) the same oddball lava action that created Cannon Beach's famed Haystack Rock to the north: the product of a mini-eruption, or re-eruption of a lava flow. The lava flow coming from the east was so massive that parts of it plunged into softer sediment, burned its way downwards, and then back up and out of the earth again in a kind of re-eruption. So like Cannon Beach’s photogenic formation, the Rockaway Beach one is likely the same kind of basalt rock from one of those gargantuan volcanic catastrophes. Later, it’s quite likely erosion took its toll on whatever shape the basalt originally was, and it was whittled into a giant sea stack with an arch in the middle. Eventually, that arch fell, leaving two rocks. Further on, erosion ate a hole in the southern rock of the formation. Eventually, it too will crumble and form a third rock.
Looking Down on Oceanside's Towering RocksThree massive sea stacks easily mark the location of Oceanside, the tiny town that doesn’t even have a gas station or a store. They are currently part of a national bird refuge, so designated early in the last century by President Theodore Roosevelt, but at one time the famed Three Arch Rocks was part of a fiery inferno that created the basalt cliffs you see of Maxwell Point and Cape Meares. It's likely they were a part of numerous eruptions that formed these cliffs.Whatever their history back in prehistoric times, when the Earth was a bubbling cauldron of nasty lava action, Three Arch Rocks are now simply lovely landmarks – and instantaneously recognizable ones, too. No matter where you are, they are imposing structures. No matter how far away, they clearly are towering and looming.But head to one secret spot above Oceanside and the whole view changes. Their shapes change. They seem almost insignificant in stature.Sometimes the Oregon coast is just a matter of perspective.
Nesting Spot Beneath Florence-Area CliffsThose famously dramatic cliffs just north of Florence and just south of Sea Lion Caves spell danger and awe at the same time, and the area is filled with sights that are especially photogenic. Nearby is the Heceta Head Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the entire world. Just below the cliffs, along the black stone-bordered viewpoints that dot these winding curves, massive waves crash with consistent intensity and might, even in calmer conditions.
Also just below, along oddly sloped outcroppings that jut from these cliffs, there are more precarious ledges near the crazed surf, where another world apart from Mankind exists. All kinds of wildlife loiters there, some 500 feet below, far from the intervention of annoying humans, allowed to sit and sun themselves in peace – next to an always raging sea.On some ledges carouse bundles of sea lions – different kinds, depending on the time of year. On others, there are huge flocks of birds, often several species. This is all well out of reach from the viewpoints and from humans, so seeing them this close takes much use of the zoom feature on your camera. Periodically, hungry pods of Orcas wander through here, circling for a bite to eat in one of the sea lions. This group of sea lions is not used to the Killer Whales, so they often don’t appear scared of them when they show up.
Mystery Beach of Goo Beneath Cannon BeachYou know this area by a viewpoint some 200 feet above the world, one of the well known pullover spots just south of Cannon Beach. But if you take the time to walk from one of the secret entrances at the very southern end of town, it’s not even a half mile before you encounter a strange little beach covered with boulders that are in turn covered in green sea goo.Silver Point is the name of the viewpoint above, where a grand, well manicured stone wall and interpretive signs allow you to take in the sights. From here, a large sea stack and some smaller ones protrude from the ocean, and next to it a peculiar wave action is common place, the result of a small reef that causes the waves to splash in a south to north direction, looking a bit like a creature wandering back and forth.Down on the beach, however, these slime-covered boulders look like mythical, whimsical creatures all their own: like super slow moving goblins in the sand – or an army of Cousin It’s (from the Adams Family show) – plodding their way to the sea.LATEST OREGON COAST NEWS STORIES
View the original article here
(Tillamook, Oregon) - It's a first for Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) - and a first for Tillamook County. ODOT just added a new highway camera at Lee's Camp on Oregon 6, called the Wilson River Highway, which will help motorists check out the latest road conditions in the Coast Range. ODOT said it is the first such camera on Highway 6, and the first one in Tillamook County.The camera is linked to from www.tripcheck.com, providing real time views of the highway. The camera is at an elevation of 700 feet and points eastward at milepost 23.5, about halfway between Tillamook and where Highway 6 intersects with Highway 26.
“This custom camera provides motorists traveling on Oregon 6 between Tillamook and the Willamette Valley an additional travel resource for road and weather conditions,” said Dave Neys, ODOT’s District 1 Manager. “Our TripCheck cameras are very popular and useful for motorists, and we are glad to be able to add one on Oregon 6.”TripCheck.com just turned 10 years old this year. There are now more than 200 cameras on state highways throughout Oregon.There are still some construction projects on the north Oregon coast that can cause delays, including Astoria, but mostly in the coast range.The Astoria-Megler Bridge, over the Columbia River, is still undergoing work and delays, as they are coating structural steel above and below the bridge deck. 
There is a 35 mph speed limit through the construction zone. Flaggers will control single lane traffic during construction activities as required. Lane delays will be allowed anytime on weekdays and weekends. You should expect delays of up to 20 minutes and drive through the area with caution. The project is scheduled to be completed a year from now, in November 2011.On Highway 53, there is further work on the Necanicum River Bridge, just off the junction to Highway 26.Here they are replacing a bridge near the Sunset Highway, which includes removal of the temporary bridge structure and landscaping. Traffic has been rerouted onto the new bridge structure. Flaggers will control single lane traffic during construction activities as required. You could encounter delays of up to 20 minutes. 
Tillamook Bay - a few miles from the work on Highway 101The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2010.On Highway 101, at 12th Street in Tillamook, ODOT is rebuilding and repaving the roadway on U.S. 101 in the area between the south end of Tillamook and Farmer Creek Road. It’s happening at mile posts 66.23 to 76.00 and 80.61 to 82.82.There is temporary striping and installation of pavement markers. Permanent Striping operations will not occur until Spring of 2011. Flaggers are controlling single lane traffic and delays of up to 20 minutes are possible.. ODOT said it should be completed in May 2011.
ODOT is still replacing a bridge on Highway 202 (Nehalem Highway) approximately three miles east of Birkenfeld. It’s taking place at mile post 43.33 to 44.07.The scheduled work includes constructing concrete diaphragms for the new bridge structure and construction of the new roadway alignment. Flaggers will control single lane traffic during construction activities as required. Expect delays of up to 20 minutes during the daytime and drive through the area with caution. This project is scheduled to be completed in May 2012.
AstoriaMore About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... 
Astoria's neighborhoods are full of interesting, ancient sights like this.(Astoria, Oregon) – Numerous interesting developments are popping up at the very end of the north Oregon coast. Astoria will be celebrating its 200th birthday next year, as a new fish market takes over a chunk of the waterfront, a new hotel readies itself, and the ancient trolley goes high tech, among other things.New Seafood Market at Pier 11 Features Music. Joining the Pier 11 Steak House and Wet Dog Café / Astoria Brewing Company, Hanthorn Crab Company's new seafood market hopes to add to the excitement on the waterfront near 11th Street since opening in June. The fresh Dungeness crab, Willapa Bay oysters, steamer clams, Chinook salmon and halibut, much of which is caught on co-owner David Wolf's 52-foot fishing boat, never stay at the market longer than three days before they are snapped up. The fish mongers’ aim is to make the market fun for all, testing 50 different smoked seafood recipes, cooking up fresh crab outside the building and performing tricks with empty coolers to entertain hungry customers.
New Hotel Coming to Riverfront. A new Hampton Inn & Suites at Astoria's Pier 38 on the Columbia River will open with more than 80 rooms for travelers eager to visit this vibrant and burgeoning coastal destination. From the doors of this new luxury hotel, it will be easy to take in the town's working waterfront and thriving cultural community, including boutique art galleries, internationally acclaimed museums, old canneries converted into restaurants, and more around every corner.
Trolley Enters New Millennium with GPS Tracking. The Astoria Old 300 Riverfront Trolley added GPS tracking in June 2010 to better serve riders with up-to-the-minute information. This restored 1913 trolley runs for 2.6 miles along the Columbia River in Astoria while the conductor provides interpretation of the area's history and attractions. For only $1, passengers can catch the trolley anywhere on the riverfront between Basin and 39th streets. The new GPS tracking system makes it easy to know the trolley's location and direction along the waterfront any time it's running.
(Lincoln City, Oregon) - A variety of government emergency agencies are banding together in a variety of Lincoln County towns to test the area's tsunami warning systems on Wednesday, September 29 at 11 a.m. It will be the largest tsunami drill ever conducted on the Oregon coast, covering some 17 miles and including the towns of Seal Rock, Waldport and Yachats.Officials are urging both tourists and locals to participate, as they test the NOAA alert system in each of these of these villages and the beaches in between.
The drill is held in conjunction with Oregon State Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County School District, Oregon Department of Transportation, Tsunami Outreach, Oregon Emergency Management and the Oregon Department Of Geology And Mineral Industries.The entire west coast is susceptible to a massive tsunami, the kind that has hit the region many times over thousands of years. There is considerable evidence of this, sometimes a mile or more inland, hidden in coastal marshes, forests, farmlands and underneath the sands themselves. The last such massive tsunami is known to have hit the coast about 1700. These occur about once every 300 to 500 years because of a series of underwater faults off the coast of Oregon, where the Juan de Fuca and the North American tectonic plates meet. This subduction zone is about 75 miles offshore. The two plates are usually locked together, but periodically this stress is released in a massive motion that results in an earthquake and sometimes can trigger a tsunami.Scientists say the region may be overdue for such a catastrophic event.
Officials said anything west of Highway 101 is in the possible wake of a tsunami, but most tsunami evacuation routes on the coast indicate to get to higher ground well beyond Highway 101.There are numerous geological and tsunami maps at this link. For further information on the tsunami drill, call the Yachats Fire Department at 541-547-3266.
Cape Perpetua, Near YachatsMore About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... 
Eerie images are inevitable on the Oregon coast at night, given the right conditions: pictured here is the secret spot in Cannon Beach where the glowing sand showed up.(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – It may be a moot point now, but for at least a couple days, the Oregon coast was exhibiting more than a few enticing aspects of the whole “Second Summer,” including glorious weather, glowing sand and some apparently strange low tide events.Clear skies and no wind helped fire up some tiny critters in the ocean that create what’s known as the “glowing sand” phenomenon, which really made a striking appearance in Cannon Beach and Manzanita on Monday night.The creatures in question are a form of phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates, which are microscopic and are part of the basic food chain in the ocean. These, given the right conditions, show up on wet sand after dark as tiny, bluish green sparks that ignite when you walk on them.Look for a dark beach with no ambient light from homes, streetlamps or the moon, and you may be able to find them.
Above Manzanita, on a starry, moonlit night.In this case, they showed up in great numbers in at least one spot at the southern end of Cannon Beach and in Manzanita. Conditions for these were prime, so it’s quite possible the dinoflagellates were in other parts of the Oregon coast as well.In this particular spot in Cannon Beach, there were some large pools of water where the creatures really showed themselves off. In these situations, when you put your foot in the pools, it’s like a small galaxy explodes beneath your feet for a second. It’s quite spectacular. In Manzanita, they were fainter, possibly because some drizzle had moved in, which often kills off this form of phytoplankton. But they were definitely in the wetter sand.
Cannon Beach: normally the tide line is around this rock structure.Dinoflagellates give off energy when touched or moved, much like a firefly. "We tried numerous times, like dozens of times, to get pictures of this," said BeachConnection.net editor Andre' Hagestedt. "But no go. They're just too faint to register on a regular digital camera."Also spectacular was the minus tide event hitting this part of the coast, although how spectacular this was may be up for grabs. At least one observer from BeachConnection.net noted the tide line was some 200 feet farther out than normal. Usually, at this spot in Cannon Beach, the tide is in and around this rock structure. However, at around 10 p.m. – which was officially posted as a .1-foot minus tide – the water line appeared to be around 200 feet out beyond that rock.
Moon photo courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside AquariumKeith Chandler, manager of Seaside Aquarium, doubted that story.“We’ve got a half moon-driven tide right now, so there’s not big tides either way,” Chandler said.Chandler believed the tide could not be that far out, and a .1 minus tide is not that much of a minus tide.Still, BeachConnection.net editor Andre’ Hagestedt stands by his observation of that tide situation, so it may well be a mystery how big of a low tide event that actually was on Monday night.The Second Summer weather situation may have dissipated for a while on the coast, as the next few days call for rain on the beaches – at least through the weekend. Monday and much of next week looks a bit more on the sunny side and with temps in the 60’s, however.
Newport's Nye Beach area can sometimes be where the glowing sand shows up.More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....