Pacific Coast Highway between Gold Beach and Brookings. Oregon.com photo by Dan Shryock Travel News & Notes ... a weekly feature focusing on travel news and events throughout Oregon. On This Page: - Where to Start - Bicentennial History - Lighthouses - State Parks - Quaint Towns See the Travel News & Notes Archive

Feb. 18, 2005

Sunny days make for great drives on the Oregon Coast

From Astoria to Brookings, there's plenty to see and do

By DAN SHRYOCK
Oregon.com

Oregon's unusually dry winter has many of us changing our travel patterns this month. Instead of heading for the mountains and snow, we're looking to typically summertime activities.

Don't get me wrong - there's snow in the mountains, but the opportunity to enjoy a natural beauty like the Oregon Coast minus the crowds is too great to pass up. So we're headed to Yachats and the Central Coast this weekend. More on that next week.

Where to Start
Driving along Highway 101 is an event in itself. From Astoria on the north end to Brookings on the south, the 363-mile Oregon coastline literally offers something beautiful around most every turn.

If you're thinking of taking a drive, consider the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway your starter guide as you choose the landmarks and activities that interest you. You will find lighthouses, state parks, scenic hikes, historical landmarks and unique attractions to go along with the main feature - the rugged coastline itself.

Bicentennial History
As most Americans know, our nation is commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or the Corps of Discovery as it's also known. The expedition reached its destination - the Pacific Ocean in November 1805, nearly two years after setting out from St. Louis, Mo.

The bicentennial is a major event for cities and states involved. Oregon is no exception and no place is that better illustrated than in Astoria on the Oregon's northwestern corner. It's here that the expedition created Fort Clatsop in November 1805, explored the region and the Oregon/Washington coast for a few months, waiting out winter before heading back east.

Fort Clatsop near Astoria. Photo courtesy Fort Clatsop National Park

Today, Fort Clatsop National Park is a monument to the Corps of Discovery and includes a replica fort staffed by trained interpreters who give visitors a clear understanding of life in Oregon Country 200 years ago.

This is a must-see for anyone visiting the North Coast. Here's an important tip: Heavy visitor traffic is expected this summer so ask where to find the bus shuttle in and out of the park. No private cars will be allowed this year.

Down the coast, just south of the city of Seaside, is Tillamook Head. Here's a chance for you to literally walk in the expedition's footsteps and discover the farthest point the team ever traveled west.

Lighthouses
Many visitors and Oregonians alike enjoy the coast for its lighthouses. It's easy to see why. Some like the architecture, others like the history and still others enjoy the pristine locations on which these beacons have maintained sentry for decades.

State Parks
Oregon State Parks features 82 parks on the Oregon Coast. The features are as diverse as the terrain. Some of my favorites include Fort Stevens in the Astoria/Warrenton area, Ecola State Park with its access to Tillamook Head and Jesse Honeyman with its sand dunes near Florence.

Heceta Head Lighthouse north of Florence on the Central Oregon Coast. Oregon.com photo by Dan Shryock

Quaint Towns
Each coastal community has something unique to offer and naming a few here may imply they out-perform others when in fact that may not be the case. The important point to remember is that, like most things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I'll be enjoying the beauty of the Central Coast this weekend and reporting here next week. Please check then and see what I saw.

Readers are encouraged to e-mail travel-related questions to us. Selected questions periodically will be answered here. We reserve the right to publish any e-mail submission received.