We here on the Central Oregon Coast have a plethora of sights that we see on a daily basis. From the spectacular views, the wildlife, the sea life, the natural and man-made attractions, there are plenty of sights to keep even the worldliest person occupied and entertained. However, there is nothing quite as fascinating as watching young children who are visiting see what we see all the time.
Recently Crystal and I were visited by her two young Grandchildren ages five and nine. They are from Medford and have been to Yachats before but this time they stayed a full week and if anyone wonders what it's like to spend a week with kids exploring the coast I can tell you it's quite enlightening. In their week long stay they covered quite a bit of territory from Newport in the North to Florence in the South. When you think about it, there is a lot to do and see in that slice of Oregon and when you see it as a kid, according to them it's “awesome”!
Where are you going to find several lighthouses, one of which is haunted, a spectacular aquarium, a sea of sand to play in and two “cool” old towns with several stores that have what kids are quite fond of; sweet treats!
I admit that I've seen most of the sights the kids saw and over time have become accustomed to them so I just kind of notice them then go on about my business. But you should hear the excitement in the kids’ voices when describing the jelly fish at the aquarium, the whales they saw rolling at the mouth of the Yachats River, or the dune buggies they watched in the dunes. The level of excitement is contagious; I got excited just listening to the narration. But not all of their coastal pleasures came from shops, restaurants, lighthouses, aquariums or roadside attractions like Sea Lion Caves, no; they were thrilled to watch the ever present Seagulls hovering about as picnickers at Yachats State Park fed them. To a kid nothing is quite as exciting as having a gull dive down and snag a piece of bread right out of someone's hand. I'm sure when they left they would have loved to have a Seagull go along with them to become their flying memory of the Central Oregon Coast!
To reach Rick Schultze email; yarick@pioneer.net
Well one thing about living on the Central Oregon is that you get to see lots of animals. Deer, Elk, Bears, Coyotes and a plethora of others and of course birds. The largest population of birds appears to be Seagulls but there are also Eagles, Osprey's Hawks, and Herons and of course the Crow population who cause much anxiety amongst those who garden and try to grow crops. My connection with animals is that I enjoy all the species I run across and witness as they cavort in the sky but I don't like to develop up-close and personal relationships with them. However, that said, I will confess to having a one way relationship with a deer who tried to leap over my moving car and failed. That not only ended poorly for the deer but it didn’t exactly make me a favored customer with my insurance company. Then yesterday as I was leisurely going down Hwy 101 around noon a bit north of Yachats I glanced to my right and there beginning to lumber out of an outcropping of brush was a large Black Bear bent on crossing the highway. He wasn't going nearly as fast as the late dear so I swerved and blew my horn which sent him bounding backwards and off towards the ocean. Needless to say my heart was pounding with the thought of hitting something else of the animal species and having to deal with that then calling my insurance company and telling them I'd hit a bear, yes a bear, not a deer. I suspect I would have received some sort of notice that my insurance suddenly cost more or that I didn't have it anymore. Fortunately it was just a scary close call and both the bear and I lived to talk about it!
Then when I got home I was ion the kitchen when I heard a banging in the front of the house. When I went to investigate it turned out to be a Seagull perched on some deck furniture on the deck and pounding on the window with its beak. Well that may sound odd but last week we had visitors from Virginia and they enjoyed feeding the birds like most visitors do. So in the absence of a fairly steady supply of bread crumbs Mr. Seagull too it upon himself to remind me that he was there and just because my visitors had left it was no excuse to quit feeding him. I had to laugh because he was extremely persistent and had remembered where the treats had come from. Well I took him a chunk of bread, we had a brief discussion and he flew off no doubt cursing me and the rest of mankind until the next treat came along. So here on the coast, you might not expect it but there are animals and birds that can suddenly become part of your life.
Enjoy and watch out for the critters!!
To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net
This year for the first time we had visitors from the fine state of Virginia. They have been on a nationwide trip with their 26 foot fifth wheel trailer and made it to Yachats for the first time this week. It was their last stop before heading back East via the northern route across the country so it has been quite the visit. There were three visitors, one who was a Southern Oregon resident for many years, but the other two had never been to Oregon let alone the Oregon Coast. You can imagine what they must have felt when the first laid eyes on the sparkling blue Pacific and the vivid greens of the forests. They parked their fifth wheel at Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park 14 miles north of Florence and came up to Yachats to begin their visit. We did the usual tour of the area stretching up to Newport and down to Florence and many stops along the way. This went on for several days and I realized that I began to really appreciate this area more than before. I suspect it was having several sets of eyes from people totally unfamiliar with the area and my reacting to their amazement and excitement. I think those of us who live here and have for years might take some of this magnificent part of the world for granted a little bit. Well next time it seems that life here is just ho-hum and mundane, become a tour guide for some visitors and I'll bet you'll walk away with a renewed love of what we have!
Enjoy and make our visitors feel like they are at home…
To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net
I hate to sound like a broken record but it is summer and here on the Central Oregon coast several factors come into play when it comes to paying attention. From where I live in Yachats I can see Highway 101, the mouth of the Yachats river as it flows into the ocean and in the summertime I see some amazing things. My favorites of course are the people who come to the coast on vacation or for a short visit. The village of Yachats is a friendly, lively and entertaining place to be and the mood of the residents and visitors is generally very good even though it can be hard to cross the highway due to the traffic! People watching this time of year is outstanding since we get a plethora of varying styles, shapes, and fashions. It is never boring to be sure.
However, summer also occasionally brings dangerous and scary events and extremely close calls with the influx of people. Traffic wise I witnessed one of the closest calls Ive ever seen the other day when a large pickup towing a large boat was driving through town and suddenly out of nowhere a Mercury Sedan shot right out onto the road in front of the truck and boat. The driver of the truck was observing the speed limit and was fortunate enough to have just enough room to slam on his breaks and avoid t-boning the Mercury. Then to my amazement the passenger in the Mercury starting swearing at the driver of the truck. I was floored, it was totally the Mercury's drivers fault yet the truck driver was getting hammered. It’s probably a good thing the truck driver didn't retaliate or there would have been some blood shed!
Then yesterday afternoon I was once again reminded that the ocean while beautiful, is also very scary. In the afternoon I heard sirens and looked across the river to see emergency vehicles including water rescue ski-doos gathering on the road behind the Yachats Inn. Then I heard the sound of the Coast Guard helicopter and realized that it was hovering over the ocean looking for someone. Some time later as the fog continued to roll in I heard a cheer from the assembled crowd and saw the helicopter set down on the road. It turned out that a 45 year old surfer had fallen off his surf board and got caught in an outgoing riptide. A couple of summers ago the same thing happened to two surfers and it was a helicopter that plucked them from the ocean. The moral of this is; that ocean is very powerful and unpredictable so use the utmost caution when in or around it!
Now today its back to being a delightful day in Yachats and it seems that everyone is paying attention to what is going on!!
Have a great and safe summer...
To reach Rick Schultze: email yarick@pioneer.net.
Well I know we are alive and kicking in Waldport and Yachats and Florence. Just try to cross Hwy 101 without bumping into vehicles or pedestrians, it can be tricky, but on the flip side, people are visiting this area in droves! It’s a great and welcome sight to see the faces of folks happy to be here. During the doldrums of a wet and soggy winter we saw some visitors but once the sun came out, schools let out and the 4^th of July weekend happened things have changed and as they say “here we go again!”
As a long time Central Oregon Coastal resident I’d like to give you a quick reminder that the highways and byways here on the coast from North to South are a bit different than the freeway and city street systems many visitors are used to and it takes a bit more concentration since the views are so often spectacular that often people will forget they are on a busy road and slow down suddenly to take in the view. Well this is fine if there is plenty of room and nobody is following too closely. If not you might witness a fender bender or two.
It can be hard to drive behind someone who isn’t quite sure where they are going and continually slows down and speeds up trying to find a street or turnoff. I’d suggest that defensive driving skills be implemented this time of year especially since we here generally know where we are going as opposed to visitors who aren’t sure. But how can you really complain about the drivers who are visitors and are soaking in the amazing sights of the coast? It’s one thing if you are driving through Portland and dealing with freeway on and off ramps and the endless merging necessary to get from one side of town to the other. Here it’s nature that holds the wild card.
A huge cloud formation on the horizon or the sun magnificently setting can throw even the most cautious driver for a loop. Those things are just too awesome to witness, but lets all take a moment and remember we are sharing the roads with others so be careful and enjoy what this great area has to offer!!
Enjoy summer, it seems to have arrived!
To reach Rick Schultze email yarick@pioneer.net
