(Yachats, Oregon) – From lighthouses that are lit up in other ways than the usual lamp, to whales, homemade pie and even a whodunit involving Santa Claus, Yachats and Florence know how to ring in the holidays. Various holiday music programs highlight the season, and there is food to dig into and some very downhome, hassle-free ways to go shopping. (Above Heceta Head Lighthouse provides an interesting holiday festival)December 2. Yachats Big Band Dance. 7 p.m. Suggested donation: Adults $5.00, under 12 free. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 265-2514.
December 3. Holiday Ornament Night. An evening of food, socializing and crafts. Open to all ages. A dinner is serve, followed by the selling of holiday craft items. Free. 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Yachats Community Presbyterian Church. 360 W 7th St. 541-547-4599. Yachats, Oregon.December 4 – 5. 83rd annual Yachats Ladies Club Holiday Bazaar. Crafts made by Ladies Club members include handknit items, aprons, quilts, afghans, wall hangings, home decor, table runners, pot holders, potato bakers, casserole carriers, bake sale table, gift baskets and much more. Saturday features lunch with pie. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Yachats Ladies Clubhouse, W 3rd and Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-3205.
December 4. Dead in the Sled! Ho, Ho, Ho...OH NO! Dinner and mystery theater with a holiday theme held at the Overleaf Event Center. Find out whodunnit during an evening of laughter, food, and drama. Tickets are $45 per person and include dinner catered by the Drift Inn of Yachats. 6:30 p.m. Overleaf Lodge. 280 Overleaf Lodge Lane. Yachats, Oregon Call (541) 999-9281 or visit www.poisonpenplayers.orgDecember 6. Opening Ceremony for Yachats Winter Celebration. 7 - 7:30 p.m. 7:30-8:00 pm The Sweet Adelines sing holiday harmonies at the Yachats Ladies Club. Refreshments. Little Log Church & Yachats Ladies Club, W 3rd & Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon.December 11. Yachats Farmers' Market Holiday. Fair Arts and crafts vendors of the summer market show their wares at this annual holiday market. 10 am to 4 pm. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 528-7192.
December 11 – 12, and 18 – 19. 15th annual Victorian Christmas Open House, Heceta Lightkeepers' House. The Queen Ann-style Keeper's House will be decorated with Victorian flourishes inside and out. Enjoy warm drinks and treats and performances by local musicians. Santa Claus will be there. Historic tours of the lighthouse. Holiday raffle. Shuttle service from Heceta Head Lightstation State Scenic Area parking lot to the front door. Bring warm, rainproof clothing and a flashlight and enjoy a beautiful walk up from the parking lot/beach. Parking fee is $3 or present your Oregon Coast Passport. 4 – 7 p.m. The lightstation is 14 miles south of Yachats – about 10 miles north of Florence, Oregon. (541) 547-3696.December 12. Dicken's Tea & Holiday Fashion Show. Seasonal tea to celebrate winter solstice, fashion show from local designers. Admission $15. 2 p.m. Drift Inn Historic Cafe & Pub. 124 Hwy 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4477.
December 12. There's a Song in the Air! Community Christmas Program featuring seasonal music performed by the Chancel Choir, Organ and Campanas Del Mar Handbells. 3 p.m. Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, 360 SW 7th St. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-3400.December 14. Combined Drum Circle - A Winter Solstice Celebration. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons, W 4th St & Hwy 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4713.December 17. Let There Be Peace Concert. Yachats Village Ringers and guest instrumentalists perform carols from various countries and cultures as well as traditional favorites. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons, 441 Highway 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4821.December 17 and 18. Holly Jolly Follies. 2nd Annual Christmas variety show, with over 100 local cast members and technicians. Comedy, drama, music and dance. Friday: 7 p.m. Saturday: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Adults: $12, Kids under 12 years: $6. Florence Event Center. Florence, Oregon. 541-997-1994. www.hollyjollyfollies.us
December 19. Lions Pancake Breakfast with Santa. Breakfast includes all you can eat pancakes, eggs over easy, choice of ham or sausage, milk, tea, or coffee. 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. Yachats Lions Club, W 4th and Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon.December 19. Monmouth Taiko Drummers - A Winter Solstice Celebration. Drumming performance with the Yachats Belly Dancers. 2 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 547-4713.December 20. Bell Ringers Winter Solstice Concert. Bell Ringers, Hammered Dulcimer, Flute & Bodhran. 3 p.m. Little Log Church, W 3rd St & Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4713.
December 21. Solstice Night Bonfire. 4:30 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 547-4713.December 24. Christmas Dinner Served at the following Yachats restaurants Adobe Resort Restaurant, 541-547-3141, Drift Inn Historic Café & Pub, 541-547-4477, and Ona Restaurant, 541-547-6627.December 26 - Jan 2. Winter Whale Watch Week Whale watch interpreters will be posted at Cape Perpetua Visitors' Center & Cook's Chasm. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.December 31. New Year's Eve Dinner at the Adobe Resort Restaurant, the Drift Inn Historic Cafe & Pub, Ona Restaurant and Roca Mar Restaurant. Live Music at the Drift Inn, Adobe Lounge, and Roca Mar Lounge. Masked Party at Ona Restaurant. More About Waldport, Yachats Restaurants, Dining..... More About Yachats Lodging ..... LATEST OREGON COAST NEWS STORIESBack to Oregon CoastContact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
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.
Overlooks at Neahkahnie, above at Manzanita: also has its roots in the WPA.Numerous Oregon coast landmarks still visible today were the direct result of the WPA, including five of its bridges and much of Highway 101 – the basis of all coastal tourism.Known as the “alphabet administration,” Roosevelt’s team created programs like the Farm Securities Administration (FSA), where photographers like Dorothea Lange gained notoriety for photos of migrant workers in farming camps across the country.“She made over 550 photos in Oregon alone,” said Linda Gordon in an Oregon Historical Quarterly article. “In the summer and fall of 1939 she made two trips into the Northwest. She traveled up and down US 99, following the routes of the migrant farm workers she photographed.”Lange’s photography has become almost synonymous with the Great Depression, and features striking images of down-trodden families across the West. 
The New Deal also created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which built Ecola State Park and hundreds of other campgrounds, roads and recreation areas throughout Oregon.The New Deal’s Federal Writers Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), wrote guidebooks for each state in the union, and Oregon: End of the Trail was created for tourists and Oregonians alike, to promote the natural splendor of our beaches, mountains and rivers. “The Depression is an era not so unlike our own,” History Center Program Director Grace Saad said. “This exhibit will remind people that there is always hope, even in the darkest of economic times.”A dedication will ceremony, as well as a lecture on the Great Depression will also take place soon after the exhibit opens, Saad said. For more information, please contact the History Center at 503-436-9301, cbhs@seasurf.net, or visit www.cbhistory.org or stop by the Center Wednesday through Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. 
Depoe Bay and Highway 101More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Cannon Beach Restaurants, Dining..... 
(Florence, Oregon) – At the front door to the south coast, and the back door to the central Oregon coast, upper Lane County is a varied mix of clandestine, even forbidden beaches, soaring rock structures, and beaches that are a blend of both (photo above: Ocean Beach Picnic Ground).There’s a 25-mile stretch of Highway 101 that meanders between Yachats and Florence, traipsing up and down gentle grades and the occasional not-so-gentle curve, with most of the way showing off dramatic ocean vistas.This drama is previewed just as you head south, out of Yachats, and a massive headland with a high viewpoint suddenly dominates the view. It doesn’t take long, and a few scary curves in the road later, you’re at that untamed view spot. It’s quite the plummet from here, down to crusty, basalt rocks that are walloped by humongous waves.
Continue down the road and you’ll discover spots like Strawberry Hill, which contains a bundle of boulders and odd rocky structures to amble around on, as well as a stretch of sand that contain more basalt formations, forming a kind of labyrinth of craggy spots and tide pools. Then, to one direction, this access seems to have its own bay, where sand and structures once again take center stage. The other direction features a long stretch of stone-covered beach that wanders on beyond the golden cliffs and out of sight, making it a bit of a mystery.
Ocean Beach Picnic Ground looks like it sits on a towering bluff, but it’s just the sign. Meander down this tiny road to a small parking area with a handful of benches, for – you guessed it – picnics by the sea. For many years, there was no official beach access as it had been washed away by massive tides. Now, it’s been rebuilt, and a stone stairway lets you down to the little bulb-shaped headland that has a curious dent in it (which serves as a place to get away from the wind). Even on really calm days, the ocean can create remarkable sights at the very tip of this promontory (seen at the photo at the top).
Stonefield Beach is indeed aptly named, as it is literally made up of a stone-covered beach; one with wispy, loose sands, however, that are a bit more sand dune-like at times. Just beyond this esoterically beautiful beach is a small river that flows out to sea, and another beach covered thick in large, polished rocks.
Not far from Ocean Beach Picnic Ground is the tiny stop of Tokatee Klootchman. Look to the north, and if you’re well versed in bad movies, you’ll recognize a house that was part of the set for a goofy horror film made in this area back in the 80’s. They also used Heceta Beach extensively as well as the nearby tunnel. But this house was the home to one of the characters, which was ravaged periodically by some menacing native spirit (which was never explained, but whatever). A ways south of Tokatee is a high bluff where dramatic views explode in front of you. Look to the south (below), and you’ll see the long, winding stretch of no man’s land filled with secret beaches you can’t access (except maybe by some of the lodgings perched on these cliffs). It’s about two miles of empty beaches and untouched territory until you get to Ocean Beach Picnic Ground. 
More About Yachats lodging, hotels..... More About Florence Restaurants, Dining..... LATEST OREGON COAST NEWS STORIESBack to Oregon CoastContact Advertise on BeachConnection.net 
Sometimes the best dining in Lincoln City can be grabbing something to go and munching on the beach.(Lincoln City, Oregon) - On Oregon's Central Coast, there's much ado about eating.Something about the ocean air just makes for a heartier appetite - or maybe it's all that bouncing around the beach. Lincoln City has the largest array of restaurants available on the coast, and no shortage of something for everyone. Upscale, mid-price range, family joints to fast food: you'll find everything, often with a stunning ocean view. Before you head out to the coast, indulge in this preview of Lincoln City’s most dynamic and engaging restaurants, along with a sampling of stunners in nearby areas of Newport and Yachats.
Fathoms Restaurant. Dine to one of the most breathtaking views on the entire coast, several stories above the surf, inside the Inn at Spanish Head. Breakfast features various griddle classics like pancakes, waffles, French toast to pigs in a blanket around $7, along with a large array of omelets in the worlds of seafood, veggies and meats around $10 - $13, or build your own. A choice of more elaborate breakfast skillet dishes is available too. For lunch, there’s plenty of seafood specialties, pastas, salads and sandwiches. At dinner, steaks, clams, fish, chorizo, pastas and dozens of intricate, gourmet dishes grace the menu, made with extravagant flair and creativity, often in the $20 - $30 range. Find delicacies like Surf ‘n’ Turf, Blackened Ahi, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Lobster Tails and chicken dishes, featuring interesting additions like stuffed mushrooms or Thai-influenced aspects, all creating the many layers of delirium. 4009 SW Highway 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-1601 or 800-452-8127. www.spanishhead.com/site/restaurant.html (Fine dining, family, lounge)
Mo's Lincoln City. Situated on Lincoln City’s Siletz Bay, where seals and other marine life abound, creating an unparalleled show. Start off with appetizers like oyster shooters or in the half shell, skewers, seafood cocktails, fries, clam strips and fried goodies ($3 - $10). Salads include many seafood varieties. Sandwiches (around $7) may find you munching a tuna melt, cod, sole, deep fried shrimp, clam fritter, or various hamburgers. Mo’s famous clam chowder comes in various sizes, including a gigantic sourdough bread bowl. Also, there’s chili and a scrumptious slumgullion (chowder w/ shrimp), and a bouillabaisse of shrimp, salmon, cod oysters, halibut and clams. For the land-dwellers, there’s BBQ ribs, chicken strips, grilled chicken and country fried steak (served with mashed potatoes and country gravy). Dinners come with chowder, salad and choice of rice, fries, vegetables or mashed potatoes – all with just about any seafood option possible, as well as fish ‘n’ chips. 860 SW 51st Street. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-2535. www.moschowder.com. (family, seafood, burgers, lunch, dinner)- Dining Near Lincoln City 
Pelican Pub & Brewery. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and microbrews – all in a family restaurant with an amazing ocean view. It all begins with breakfast (generally around $10), that includes a large menu of egg concoctions, omelets, pancakes and surprises like breakfast burritos and benedict a la Florentine. Lunch ($9 - $11) has bundles of salads, seafood, chowder, sandwiches, fish and chips, and interesting morsels like wings, calamari, bangers and mash and even shark. Plenty of pizzas dominate. Amidst the usual toppings you can find chicken, spinach or even a barbecue sauce. Calzones as well. Dinner ($10 - $20) brings a fancier slant to the gourmet vibe, including salmon, beef brisket, prime rib, beef medallions, chicken and other seafood specialties dishes. Many pastas and a kids menu rounds out the culinary action. 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive. Pacific City, Oregon. 503-965-7007. www.pelicanbrewery.com. (30 minutes from Lincoln City). (family, seafood, microbrews, breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Tidal Raves. Upscale yet casual dining, with massive windows to wowing views. Specializes in seafood and more. Varied menu caters to different tastes and budgets. Dinner entrees include seared sea scallops, salmon or rib eye char grilled, crab casserole, Thai-spiced barbecued shrimp or a fancy pasta with various seafood (around $20). Breaded halibut or pacific cod, char grilled top sirloin, panko breaded razor clams. Lunch menu features some of the same but smaller and less cost. Fanciful homemade desserts. 279 NW Hwy 101. Depoe Bay, Oregon. 541-765-2995. www.tidalraves.com (upscale, seafood, steaks, lunch, dinner)
Mo's Newport. The iconic original, with an open wall to the bayfront. Appetizers huge and serve a family, ($5 - $26). Entrees ($10 - $14) w/ signature Mo’s clam chowder, salad and other choices. Large dishes of halibut, local oysters, calamari, prawns, cod, clam strips or massive combo plates, cioppino, fish tacos and of course fish ‘n’ chips. Seafood sandwiches ($7 - $13). Luscious pastas. Burgers, chicken, hot dogs and more for the landlubbers as well. 622 SW Bay Blvd. Newport, Oregon (25 miles from Lincoln City, Oregon).. 541-265-2979. www.moschowder.com. (Family Restaurant, Seafood)
Mo's West. Astounding views of dramatic vistas, Otter Rock and the Devil’s Punchbowl. Appetizers, like baked oysters or shrimp cocktail. Major dinners w/ signature Mo’s Chowder, and include grilled scalloped oysters in butter and cream, grilled oysters, a monster cioppino or shrimp casserole ($9 - $15). Seafood sandwiches (about $7) feature grilled oyster, shrimp, clam fritter or tuna. Sizable menu of non-ocean goodies like grilled chicken sandwich, chilli dog, hamburgers or quesadilla and vegetarian specialties ($5 - $9). Enormous stews. Open seasonally. 122 1st Street. Otter Rock (15 miles from Lincoln City, Oregon).. 541-765-2442. www.moschowder.com. (Family Restaurant, Seafood, Oceanview)
Mo's Annex. An engaging view to Yaquina Bay starts things off. Gigantic appetizers, feeding four to six for around $10. Seafood specialties ($10 - $15) come w/ famed Mo’s clam chowder and more: a cioppino crammed with local oysters, clams, salmon shrimp and cod in rich Italian sauce; fish tacos. Large entrees ($10 - $16) feature petroli sole, halibut steak, salmon and codfish. Seafood sandwiches (around $9). Burgers, hot dogs, etc. 657 SW Bay. Newport (25 miles from Lincoln City, Oregon). 541-265-7512. www.moschowder.com (Family Restaurant, Oceanview Dining) 
Inn at Cannon Beach. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of Cannon Beach. Great during winter storms with a new book by the fireplace – or when the sun is out for family fun and beach strolling. Handsome beach cottage-style architecture. Lush flowering gardens and naturalized courtyard pond. Warm, inviting guest rooms. Continental buffet breakfast. Warm Cookies. Family and Pet Friendly. Welcome gifts. Smoke-free. Complimentary Wireless Connectivity. Wine and book signing events. 800-321-6304 or 503-436-9085. Hemlock At Surfcrest, Cannon Beach, Oregon. http://www.atcannonbeach.com/.