We have all seen the commercials of people riding horses on the beach into the sunset. Well you can make that scene become reality at C&M Stables, the only horseback riding stables on the central Oregon coast.
A 3.5 mile paved trail that bisects Canby and offers bikers, skaters, walkers and runners a quiet, long stretch of trail they can exercise on. It starts at 13th Avenue in South Canby and runs to the Willamette River in North Canby.
Driving north on Highway 99E as you enter Canby, it’s very hard not to notice the Vietnam memorial citizen of the small Willamette Valley town have constructed.
As you crest the hill into town, you are greeted by a Bell UH-1 helicopter – better known as a “Huey.”
Cannon Beach has been a destination town since its inception, but during more modern times, it is being known more and more for its fine food and art.
In downtown Cannon Beach lining Hemlock and Spruce streets there is a group of galleries that instead of compete, complement.
Started more than a decade ago, the Cannon Beach Gallery Group was formed to start a spring unveiling of new art, and it has turned into a group that helps promote each other, support each other and, yes, even complement each other.
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.
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.
