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OREGON’S EMERALD CITY
Discovering Magic down
Oregon’s Northern and Central Coast
by Kerry Cohen
 As I drive over the summit of the coast range
on the Sunset Highway in Oregon, the world begins to transform. The fir turns to
red cedar, alder and spruce. Yellow gooseberry, purple foxglove, and daisies dot
the sides of the road. I can already feel the change in the air, the soft
saltiness of the sea and that particular, rhythmic silence the ocean affords. If
there is one thing that is true about the coast, of any coast, it is that
something magic flutters in its landscape. We all know that pull of the ocean.
The tides know it, too. That magnetism is surely why so much of the country’s
population hugs the edges of the land. Loren Eiseley wrote, “If there is magic
on this planet, it is contained in water,” and when at the Oregon Coast, few
could disagree.
From the north to the central coast in Oregon, you can
discover rainforest, wetlands, meandering rivers, old-growth trees, and the
surprising art of sand dunes. There are other activities at the coast—history
and military museums, amusement centers, art galleries—but, while this writer
doesn’t want to discount their purpose, man-made tourism at the Oregon Coast
is second only to the museum nature provides. The beaches, the hiking trails,
view points, and wildlife here are the real art and entertainment. The long
ocean winds bend the laurel, shrub oak, the spruce and coastal pine into
sculpture. The piles of pale driftwood are like mounds of spiny fossils. The
forests are emerald cities, showcasing every possible shade of green. And even
now, in the height of summer, the sky is dramatic and blustery. What’s more,
all the beaches in Oregon are public, making nature’s entire museum
accessible.
 My first day I wake to a dream-like misting in
the air, then drive south on 101 from Seaside toward Neakhanie Mountain, the
five-mile hike with which I will start my day. Highway 101 follows the western
edge of the United States, right down into California. Here in Oregon it seems
impossible to keep my eyes on the road. To the left of me sit pines and spruce,
cushioning the sides of mountains. And at each turn, the ocean is to my right,
crashing against the boulders below me. Neakhanie Mountain stands inside the
Oswald West State Park, one mile past the picnic area. According to my
guidebook, this mountain is a pile of basalt erupted nearly 20 million years
ago, when this part of the range was still underwater. I can feel the ocean’s
ownership on the trail. Pale green moss hangs from branches, bright yellow
mushrooms grace the thick tree roots, and sword ferns, salal, and moss cover the
ground. Moisture is thick inside everything, making each distinct green I see
shimmer. This isn’t the first time I’ve come to the Oregon Coast. For years
now, this area has been a refuge for me. I’ve come to grieve the loss of love,
to spark romance with someone new, and simply to escape the rush of daily life.
There is something calming here—something in the sea air or in the flora’s
output of oxygen—that brings me directly to myself. Each switchback on the
trail brings a new color, a surprise waterfall, an unexpected view of Cape
Falcon, all of which remind me of this exact moment. This is the reason to come
here, to find this peace. By the time I reach the summit, 1,631 feet up, the fog
has surrounded the tip of the mountain, and there is nothing to see. But I am
not disappointed; the climb itself was intoxicating.
Afterward, I stop in Manzanita, one of my favorite towns
on the coast. Manzanita is part of the Nehalem Bay area, one of a triad of towns
including Nehalem and Wheeler. All three towns are small and charming, without
too much tourism. You can get excellent food at the Blue Sky Café or at Mother
Nature’s Natural Foods Store, then take a stroll along the beach, river or
bay, depending which town you’re in. Many of the towns along 101 contain this
charm, and there are many towns. From Seaside to Florence, the range of my trip,
I counted over 30 towns on the map. But rather than explore the towns, I wanted
to get to Three Capes Scenic Loop. This drive leaves 101 shortly after passing
the town of Tillamook. Signs point toward Cape Meares. From here, I could get to
the Bayocean Peninsula, a sand spit that separates Tillamook Bay from the ocean.
This peninsula used to be a popular resort, but the shifting sands washed away
such development. This kind of natural development is evident all along the
coast. Last winter, landslides closed highway 18, one of the primary roads to
the coast, and a part of 101. Winter storms and stories of destructive beach
erosion seem to fill the headlines each year. But these forces cause much of the
coast’s beauty, too. Cape Kiwanda, located near the end of Three Capes, is a
headland made of sandstone artfully sculptured by the waves. According to my
guidebook, this cape would not be here if it weren't for the basalt sitting
further out to sea, protecting the sandstone from the full assault of the waves.
The result is a prevailing wind hang gliders love and a large, smooth sand dune
to explore. Nature’s potential for beauty and destruction is certainly
prevalent here.
 I drive on to Newport, home of the
Oregon Coast Aquarium. While I am not eager to be inside when at the Oregon
Coast, the Aquarium is one of the few places on the coast that will expand my
experience of being here. The Aquarium is considered one of the best in the
country, and over the last few years it gained international coverage by being
home to Keiko, the orca who symbolized freedom for much of the world. After
Keiko, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has developed a new exhibit, “Passages of the
Deep,” which allows visitors to walk through a tunnel with windows, recycled
from Keiko’s tank, to the ocean on all sides. As I do so, rockfishes, halibut,
even leopard shark sidle up to the window, giving me a chance to get a better
look. The immersion is unnerving. I find myself walking around the windows on
the floor, and I notice that others are doing the same. We’re not used to
intruding on other creatures’ homes. I find myself avoiding the curious stares
from the fish. The effect is that we, the visitors, are the ones on display.
Other exhibits at the Aquarium include a fascinating and
haunting display of jellyfish, information about the shores and water, seal
lions, seals, otters, and shore birds. The Aquarium is home to some of the
world’s first known rhinoceros auklet, pigeon guillemot and black
oystercatcher chicks hatched in captivity. I walk through the Aquarium, taking
in the way the light fills a jelly, touching a starfish, watching the sea otters
nuzzle each other. The Aquarium acknowledges how amazing and diverse the Oregon
Coast can be. In fact, it is the only place on the coast I can explore so much
marine life in such a short time.
Almost as educational as the Aquarium and worth a visit
is the Sea Lion Caves, located about seven miles south of Yachats on 101. I
arrive there after a relaxing evening and exquisite breakfast at the Sea Quest
Bed and Breakfast. The scent from the Stellar sea lions is pungent, and their
roar sounds a good deal like belching. But they are fascinating creatures to
see. The caves sit about 250 feet below the highway, and an elevator takes
visitors to a gated area from which to watch the sea lions. Like the “Passages
of the Deep” exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, we travel to the animals’
world; such exhibits allow us access to the animals inside their natural
environments. Depending on the season, sea lions pass time primarily either
inside or outside the caves on boulders. In the summer, they are outside and can
be watched from another viewpoint above ground at the Caves. The pups play
together, while the more mature sea lions bask in the sun and dive into the
water to cool off. Weighing 1500 pounds on average, their dives are surprisingly
graceful. In the spring, I am told, one is likely to spot Gray Whales on their
migration path. This comes as bad news to me; I am a fan of whales. But to make
up for my disappointment, I spot a buck making its way down the side of the
bluff.
 From Cape Perpetua, just south of Yachats,
through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area lies, arguably, the most
beautiful stretch of the northern-central Oregon Coast. Spruce, cascara, and
salmonberry carpet the boulders and sides of the mountains. The coastline is
rocky and chaotic, the sea that pushes against it crystal blue. I stop at Heceta
Head, through which, my guidebook tells me, Siletz Indians were forced to the
Coast Reservation. The reservation, which stretched for 350 miles in the
mid-1800’s, no longer exists. But at one time more than 40 tribes were removed
from their homelands. I keep this in mind as I begin the 4-mile hike. The Heceta
Head Lighthouse, 205-feet above sea level and 106 years old, is my first stop on
the trail. This is one of nine historic lighthouses, and one of the most
photographed spots, along the Oregon Coast. From there I can see comorants
huddling on a rock below. As I walk beyond the lighthouse, the people begin to
disappear. Maybe this happens because there are so many natural wonders from
which to choose. Or maybe it’s simply because few people hike. But, no matter
where I go on the coast, if I keep walking, eventually I am alone.
The sand dunes have a similar effect. Unlike other parts
of the central coastline, here it is not the ocean, not the mountains, but the
sand that reminds me how tiny I am. I can stand at the center of one and
believe myself to be alone in a desert somewhere. It is always surprising to
surface to the sight of the ocean. The Oregon Dunes remain something of a
mystery to geologists, but research indicates that the Dunes are part of a huge
sand sheet that begins in southern California and reaches Washington. While much
of the length of this coastline is uneven and covered with vegetation, this
segment of the Oregon Coast is flat and is protected by rocky headlands to the
north and south. The sand collects in this area, giving us access to the sand
sheet. The Dunes appear as curving hills of sand, dotted only with beach grass.
The north and northwest wind of summer is powerful, making it difficult
sometimes to keep the hair out of my face. But I know that these winds sculpt
lovely, intricate patterns and ridges into the sand, making the Dunes what they
are.
On my way back home that evening, I can feel a sense of
wonder radiating inside me. It is hard to turn away from the ocean, heading
inland. On the highway back, the spruces begin to give way to fir and pine.
Something moves at the side of the road—a deer. She glances up at me, then, in
a moment, is gone inside the forest, as though she had never been there at all.
This, I think, is what every vacation should be: a reminder of the magic in the
world.
For more information about visiting the Oregon Coast,
contact
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association
PO Box 74
Newport, OR 97365
(888)-OCVA101
http://www.visittheoregoncoast.com/
For information about the Oregon Coast Aquarium, go to
their web site at http://www.aquarium.org.
And for information about the Sea Lion Caves, go to http://www.sealioncaves.com.
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