Cannon Beach is one of the cities on the coast that has a well-documented history, and is one of the places that Lewis and Clark visited. While you might think that means you have to spend time perusing a museum to learn about the history – and you can do that – there is a better way. Simply take a walk.
Captain George Flavel was a noted bar pilot and entrepreneur in Clatsop County. His piloting business and other investments helped in the development of Astoria. Flavel's 1886 Queen Anne style house now stands as a historical museum, inseparable from the beautiful landscaping that surrounds it.
Speckled throughout any community are the antique and collectible shops that offer old-world treasures for people looking to remember the past. Every now and then, however, you find a store like this that is different, unique in not only in the products it offers, but in its approach.
That is Valley Emporium in Carlton.
This shop is the very epitome of cool, bringing together different wines, sweets and, yes, antiques to downtown Carlton.
Ginger Savage, executive director of the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, knows the minute someone walks up the stairs, whether they are there to enjoy the artwork, or the architecture of her building.
“I can always tell,” she said with her trademark smile. “If they are looking up, you know they are going to start talking about our great old building. If they are looking at the artwork, it’s time to start discussing our great local art community.”
Whether it’s the numerous outlet malls, or visiting historic downtowns, there are many shopping opportunities scattered about the coast, from North to South.
But few shopping malls have the attraction of the Seaside Carousel Mall – a full-sized indoor working carousel. On the Oregon Coast, being indoors means you can enjoy a ride on a horse, sea horse or any number of other animals depicted on the spinning wonder.
The towering Cascade Mountains provide the backdrop for this scenic drive and offer fabulous hiking and challenging rock climbing. Wind your way along the Byway as it climbs into the Deschutes National Forest where fishing, hiking, rafting, and other outdoor sports are plentiful.
What was once the site of an elementary school has transformed into another type of center for learning. Instead of recesses and hot lunch, the once Central Elementary School is now a place to learn about everything from ceramics, to photography, to performing arts. The Chehalem Cultural Center, a non-profit organization, opened in March 2010 and has since been enriching lives through arts, culture, and heritage.
If you are travelling to Eastern Oregon from Portland with kids, by the time you hit downtown Pendleton, you will be ready to play “Guido the pizza maker.”
A GUIDE TO CHINESE AMERICAN HERITAGE & CULTURE
Hit the jackpot on your next trip to the Oregon Coast with Chinook Winds Casino’s wide variety of video poker and slot machines, from one and two cent machines to full-pay games. Betting limits start at $5 at the casino’s 23 table games, some of which are non-smoking. Thirsty? Enjoy full beverage service!
1777 NW 44th Street
Lincoln City, OR 97367
1-541-996-5825
Location:
Exit I-5 at Cottage Grove. Travel south on Highway 99 to Harrison Avenue. Turn west on Harrison to Old River Road. Turn south on Old River Road. Chambers RR is off of Old River Road just south of Harrison.
Background:
The Chambers Bridge is the last covered railroad bridge in Oregon. It was built by the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railroad for a logging spur which brought logs to the Frank Chambers Mill in Cottage Grove.
Driving through the Columbia River Gorge it hits you that over the course of thousands of years, the landscape was carved from the earth creating the majestic beauty.
Then you realize you need to keep your eyes on the road.
The gorge's unending beauty is only matched by the rich history and lessons it can teach people willing to learn. Lucky for us, there is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum in The Dalles.
When the weather closed it, it hit like a hammer.
Without warning you find yourself in the Pacific Ocean being swallowed up by 30-foot seas - no hope of swimming to the shore you know is mere yards away.
Then, out of the blackness, comes a spotlight and a man hanging off of a boat reaching to pluck you from the ocean's grasp.
That's the first thing you see when you drive up to the Columbia River Maritime Museum - the real life 44-foot Coast Guard rescue boat in action.
The Coos Historical and Maritime Museum is a non-profit with a mission of enhancing the intellectual, civic, and cultural life of Oregon’s south coast by facilitating awareness of local history.
A family-owned business since 1997 which has in the past focused on sandwiches, catering and quality food, has expanded into agri-tourism. It’s new location on a 35-acre farm is where they grow much of the food they serve and offer agri-tourism activities like a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, slides and greenhouses.
This tree was given to Douglas County by Binger Hermann. Hermann served in the U.S. Congress from 1885 until 1897, and again from 1903 until 1907. During the intervening years, he was Commissioner of the General Land Office in Washington, D.C. The occasion for the tree donation is not known positively, but research suggests that it was planted very near the turn of the century, possibly at a dedication ceremony for courthouse, which was rebuilt after a fire on December 7, 1898.
Length: 45 miles / 72.0 km
Time to Allow: 1-2 hours minimum.
Fees: No fees known.
Driving Directions
The route starts at exit 103, 21 miles south of Roseburg. The route loops toward the west and ends when it joins I-5 at exit 80, 18 miles north of Grants Pass.
A restaurant near Silver Lake, Oregon that offers one of the best, rustic, cowboy dinners this side of the old west.
Location:
From Eugene travel six miles west on Highway 126 to Crow Road. Take Crow Road southwest to its intersection with Territorial Highway. Turn left (south) on Territorial Highway for one mile to Battle Creek Road. Turn right (west) on Battle Creek Road for approximately 100 yards.
Background:
The Coyote Creek Bridge was originally part of Territorial Road (1851) and was included in the state secondary road system. The bridge was bypassed when truck traffic became too heavy and a more direct highway route was constructed.
Location:
From I-5 at Albany take Highway 226 (US Route 20) (exit 233) east to Crabtree Drive. Exit the highway and travel to the town of Crabtree. From Crabtree travel north on Hungry Hill Drive for approximately 1 mile.
Background:
This covered bridge spans Crabtree Creek one mile northeast of the town of Crabtree. Both the town and the creek were named for John Crabtree, who settled in the area in 1845.
Gothic style windows grace this structure, instead of the usual open Linn County truss design.
