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Oregon Has Lots to Offer on The People's Coast
May is your time to flower. It’s springtime on The People’s Coast. It's all abloom with the fresh sense of wonder. So if you’re ready for a little rejuvenation, collect some of your darling buds, set all your cares aside, and go for the surf, the sand and the gusto! It’s all unfolding right along The People's Coast during May and you may just discover a whole new spring in your step.
Talk about a blooming opportunity! The 71st Azalea Festival in Brookings delivers a literal parade of family fun, with a street fair; quilting, plant and car shows; and, well, a parade. Add some variety to your garden at Lincoln City’s annual Mid-May Plant Exchange. Florence will be in full flower as the venerable Rhododendron Festival celebrates its 103rd year with the annual Rhody Pageant, an arts and crafts fair, plant sales, car and flower shows, a golf tournament, a 10K run and 5K walk along the Siuslaw River and, naturally, parades! You’re going to love it.
Don’t you dare forget Mom this month. Mother’s Day at Shore Acres in Charleston features rhododendron experts, an artists paint-out and tasteful refreshments in the Garden. Meanwhile, Duffy’s Fine Confections in Astoria will sweeten the day with a free sampling of decadent dessert sauces and angelic cakes. Need more greens in your diet? Get into the swing of things at the newly rebuilt and challenging Crestview Golf Club in Waldport or the scenic Ocean Dunes Golf Links and award-winning Sandpines Golf Links in Florence. Drive to Charleston and discover nature’s wild edibles during a naturalist-guided tour of the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Or hazard a self-guided tour of private water features, ponds, streams and waterfalls during a Habitat for Humanity benefit, the 6th Annual Pare of Ponds Tour, in Coos Bay.
Hiking not par for your course? Reserve a seat for a five-course menu paired with select wines at Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach. Hook yourself up for a tasty challenge at the Fish Taco Cook-off in Lincoln City. Whisk your hand as an assistant sous chef at the “Ready, Set, Cook!” chef’s competition in Lincoln City. Or bite into the decadent homemade fudge tempting you at the Sea Lion Caves gift shop and BJ’s Ice Cream Parlor in Florence.
Begging for more? Rove on over to Newport and tip a pint in memory of Brewer at the largest dog-friendly beer festival in the world. Fetch a doggie treat bag and 25 percent discount at the pet-friendly Loon Lake Lodge and RV Resort in Reedsport. Or snap up an opportunity to win an award at the Mutt Masters Dog Show and Olympics in Lincoln City.
And dig this! Shorepine Vacation Rentals, in Pacific City offers fully furnished oceanfront homes with easy access to your potential sand castle, and the fifth night of your sojourn is free! Set your sights on a romantic suite, a heated indoor pool, an outside hot tub and a 30 percent discount at Sea Horse Oceanfront Lodging in Lincoln City. Go for a 20 percent discount coupon good at the Overleaf Lodge & Spa in Yachats. Or latch on to the “Bag It at the Beach” package at Inn at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City for an oceanview room, a nautical beach bag filled with treats, a beach ball and Frisbee and all the fixings for a traditional beach picnic.
Share your stories of adventure or misadventure on The People’s Coast, then get your buds to vote for your story by posting a comment. You could win a fabulous prize from the Overleaf Lodge & Spa in Yachats. And even if you did take an accidental dip in a tide pool, you’ll still come out smelling like a rose.
Featured Things To Do on The People’s Coast
Sweet Treats:
BJ’s Ice Cream Parlor in Florence
Serving quality ice cream, fudge and salt water taffy from two convenient locations, 2930 Hwy 101 and 1441 Bay St.
For more information call 541-997-7286
Sea Lion Caves in Florence
Homemade mouthwatering fudge available year-round in the gift shop. The “world’s largest sea cave” is home to wild Steller and California sea lions.
For more information visit www.sealioncaves.com or call 541-547-3111
Golfing:
Ocean Dunes Golf Links in Florence
Great links golf on the coast. Scenic and challenging 18-hole, par-71, slope 132. Tournaments and weddings. Restaurant and bar featuring seasonal menu.
For more information visit www.oceandunesgolf.com or call 541-997-3232 or 800-468-4833
Sandpines Golf Links in Florence
Located on the Oregon Dunes, this award-winning, links-style 18-hole golf course was designed by Rees Jones. Golf packages available. Clubhouse featuring Tavolo Restaurant and Lounge.
For more information visit www.sandpines.com or call 541-997-1940 or 800-917-4653
Crestview Golf Club in Waldport
Featured Places To Stay on The People’s Coast
“Bag it at the Beach” - Inn at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City
If you’re planning your next family vacation at the beach, we have just the package for you! The “Bag it at the Beach” package includes: 2 nights in an ocean view room, a snazzy nautical beach bag filled with everything you need for a carefree afternoon at the beach; hot dogs, buns, chips, beverage, salt water taffy, beach ball, Frisbee and all the makings for S’mores, including roasting sticks and firewood. All you need to bring is your beach blanket, sunglasses and suntan lotion! *24 hr advanced notice required to reserve this package
Now – October 2010, subject to availability
For more information visit www.innatcapekiwanda.com or call 888-965-7001
Map Guide to Lincoln County & Central Oregon Coast
In an effort to spread the word about Oregon’s Central Coast, the Central Oregon Coast Association has released its first map-guide for travelers to Lincoln County and the Central Oregon Coast. This guide is designed to answer all sorts of visitor questions, including costs to stay at certain places; where good hunting and fishing can be found; and where camping is available near the beach. The 48-page booklet includes community maps, attractions, annual events listings, emergency numbers, a local business directory, and information for overnight lodging locations between Yachats and Pacific City, with most along US Highway 101. Cities and communities throughout the region are mentioned, with annual events and key visitor attractions, indoors and outdoors. Home to deep-sea and freshwater fishing, whale watching, art galleries, fantastic shopping, scenic recreation areas, miles of public beaches, numerous attractions, and a wide range of community events, the new Map-Guide includes a solid sampling of what visitors will experience in Lincoln County.
Free copies are available by calling 1-800-767-2064; via e-mail (coca@orcoast.com; or web site www.orcoast.com/coca.
Updated Central Coast Visitor Guide Now Available—In Hand & Online
Tidal estuaries and long sandy beaches, accented by rocky headlands and scenic offshore rocks, all bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and lush forests to the east and interspersed with charming towns. Wow! With a description like that, who wouldn’t want to visit Oregon’s fabulous central coast.
Whether it’s your first or your 21st visit . . .
Whether you’ll be camping or staying in beachside lodging . . .
Whether it’s just the two of you or a family with kids big and small . . .
Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week . . .
. . . everything you need to know is compiled into one handy booklet that can fit in your purse or glove compartment. And can now be accessed from your laptop.
The Central Oregon Coast Association (COCA), in an attempt to make visitors aware of everything to do and see in the central coast’s Lincoln County and the surrounding areas, has just released its 2008 Visitor Guide to Oregon’s Central Coast.
The entire area is accessed by Highway 101, which is the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway ~ All American Road—one of few roads to be so designated in the country.
Only about two hour’s drive from the Portland Metro area and an hour from the I-5 corridor, the central Oregon coast is an inviting and convenient destination—an all-season destination. Visitors are discovering what locals have always known—that some of the most pleasant weather is in the spring and fall. And winter is best for beachcombing, storm watching and whale watching.
The compact 80-page booklet to the central Oregon coast mainly covers the area from Lincoln City on the northern end to Yachats on the southern end but includes information on as far north as Tillamook and as far south as Florence. It includes indoor and outdoor attractions, annual events, recreational activities, and community maps, as well as listings of where to dine and lodgings from campgrounds and RV parks to motels and resorts.
For those who wish to see the Visitor Guide online, the 9th edition is available in its entirety on their web site www.CoastVisitor.com. You can access each section and click on individual titles to get to just those pages, or access the entire guide and page through it. It’s extremely user-friendly by making the index page available from every page and by having direct links to all advertisers. Whatever you want to know is only a finger click away. Planning your trip will be so easy. And you can download your own copy of the guide to have in hand.
To pick up a copy, the Central Coast Visitor Guide paper version is available at no charge to visitors planning trips to the area as well as for travel agents, tour operators, and other tourism marketing groups. “We’re getting more travel professionals inquiring about local travel information as they expand their services to include all types of vacation packages,” says Morris. “COCA is a working partner for this important segment of the travel industry, and we’re delighted to provide the assistance. We also distribute the guide at the Oregon State Fair, at numerous travel shows, and in response to advertising that we place for the central coast region.” The Visitor Guide is also available through the Oregon State Welcome Centers as well as many of our Chambers of Commerce and Visitor Centers along the Oregon Coast and throughout the state.
Copies of Oregon’s Central Coast Visitor Guide are available free by contacting COCA at 800-767-2064 or reception@CoastVisitor.com.