Monthly Archives: October 2012

Octopus Tree – Sitka Spruce

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Oregon Coast Treasure, Outdoor Location

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The Oregon Coast is a wonderful place to travel to and visit as there is many historic and beautiful places to enjoy. The Octopus Tree at the Cape Meare’s Lighthouse west of Tillamook Oregon is one of those places. Take a walk down to the lighthouse and take in the views, but before you leave take the short hike through the woods to see the Sitka Spruce they call the Octopus Tree, the largest in Oregon with incredible tree trunk branches coming out of the base at the ground. This tree is an impressive specimen and you get to enjoy some local history and scenic viewpoints while seeing the Oregon coast octopus tree.

Oregon Coast Day Trip
Octopus Tree and Cape Meare’s Lighthouse
Heading out of Tillamook towards Netarts you only need to keep your eyes peeled and follow the signs to the Cape Meare’s Lighthouse or check out the directions based on your location using the Google Map below.

The Octopus tree is located a short hike passed the bathrooms near the parking area. When at the parking lot you will either walk down the hill to the lighthouse or go south and follow the trail up the hill, past the restroom facilities and which leads to the Octopus tree about 5 – 10 minutes later. The hike is an easy to do walk and so it is fine taking your younger children just don’t venture too far pass the tree as the coast cliffs are close by. There is a great viewpoint set up at the cliff edge to see a breathtaking shot of the coast and the waves crashing on the rocks.

This is a massive tree!

Take a hike at Cape Meare’s and go check out this awesome tree and enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean looking south from the viewpoint near the tree.


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Tillamook Bay – Ghost Hole

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in fishing, garibaldi, Tillamook

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The Ghost Hole is a very popular salmon fishing location on Tillamook Bay. Located right near the Oregon Coast 101 Highway in between the towns of Bay City and Garibaldi. It is only accessible via the water and while there is a large turn out and bay viewpoint with parking access, it is not fishable from shore due to the long distance required to cast from shore to reach the productive water and the number of boats that will be trolling nearby when the fish are running. The most popular methods for fishing the Ghost Hole are trolling cut plug herring and trolling large spinners. The typical weight used by most anglers in the Ghost Hole area is between 4 and 8oz due to the relative shallow nature of this spot on the bay and the strong tides that are often present throughout Tillamook Bay. When the fish are in the bay you are likely to see anywhere between a dozen or so boats on a rainy day to well over a hundred on a sunny weekend day fishing the area. You can get to this location by launching a boat from the Garibaldi marina and fish can be found anywhere between the large rocky point where the road turns up towards the Miami River and all the way out to Bay City, with the most productive areas being within eyesight of the floating bathrooms.

Here is the Ghost Hole Location and below is a map with the main channel outlined. When fishing the area just get in line with the other trollers and observe the boat traffic, it is much better to try and conform to the pattern of boats versus going against the grain and upsetting other boaters. This is not a place to drop anchor and fish you will want to be trolling otherwise you will quickly upset others that are also trying to enjoy the salmon fishery of Tillamook Bay.


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Low Tides for November 2012

19 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in Brookings, garibaldi, Newport

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The low tides during the winter months are excellent times to get out and enjoy the Oregon Coast. During these hours when the water is receded far out into the ocean can be prime time for some of the most popular beach activities including: exploring tide pools, searching rocky beaches for agates, shells, and other random gifts from the ocean, and digging in the bays and along certain beaches for clams. The following days are the days that there is a negative tide making these excursions more likely to be fruitful. I have only included times that are from dawn to dusk as it can be dangerous during no light situations along the coast especially during the winter. If you are out along the beaches remember to always keep an eye on the ocean, during winter the seas can be stormy and fun to watch, but at any moment a large wave can break on the beach so be vigilant when close to shore digging clams and looking for unique agates in the sand and stones.

Low Tide at Yaquina Bay Near Newport – compujeramey- CC – BY – via Flickr

Take advantage of these great tides for exploring the beaches and coastline. If you like to hunt for agates or dig for clams plan your next beach trip in November during one of the times below.

Location Date Time Tide
Garibaldi 11/11/2012 16:34:00 L – 0.47
Garibaldi 11/12/2012 17:22:00 L – 1.36
Garibaldi 11/13/2012 18:10:00 L – 2.0
Garibaldi 11/25/2012 16:44:00 L – 0.02
Garibaldi 11/26/2012 17:24:00 L – 0.43
Garibaldi 11/27/2012 18:02:00 L – 0.7

Yaquina Bay 11/11/2012 16:09:00 L – 0.4
Yaquina Bay 11/12/2012 16:56:00 L – 1.3
Yaquina Bay 11/13/2012 17:43:00 L – 2.0
Yaquina Bay 11/14/2012 18:30:00 L – 2.3
Yaquina Bay 11/26/2012 17:06:00 L – 0.1
Yaquina Bay 11/27/2012 17:41:00 L – 0.3
Yaquina Bay 11/28/2012 18:16:00 L – 0.4

Brookings 11/11/2012 15:36:00 L – 0.25
Brookings 11/12/2012 16:22:00 L – 1.02
Brookings 11/13/2012 17:09:00 L – 1.58
Brookings 11/14/2012 17:57:00 L – 1.87
Brookings 11/25/2012 15:59:00 L + 0.1
Brookings 11/26/2012 16:35:00 L – 0.18
Brookings 11/27/2012 17:10:00 L – 0.37
Brookings 11/28/2012 17:44:00 L – 0.46
Brookings 11/29/2012 18:18:00 L – 0.47
Disclaimer: These data are based upon the latest information available as of the date of your request, and may differ from the published tide tables.

Check out the rest of the tide data at the National Weather Service Forecast Office for a listing of each tide by local city.

Community Libraries at the Oregon Coast

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Astoria, Coos Bay, Lincoln City, Newport, Tillamook

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The Oregon Coast is lucky to have a strong collection of community libraries to serve the people’s interest in reading and learning. There is great spots to go and check out a book or use a computer for an hour up and down the coast. These are five of the larger cities that have great options for local readers to enjoy. Some of the libraries also have smaller branches in the nearby towns and participate in book exchanges, so check with your closest librarian for help finding a particular book cause if they do not have it in, another library nearby may let you check it out and even have it delivered to your local branch.

The Astoria Public Library
This local public library services the community Tuesday through Saturday and is closed on Sunday and Monday. The library houses more than 47,000 books plus other audio visuals like books on tape, DVD’s and Videos among its content collections.

Here is where the Astoria Public Library is located.

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The County of Tillamook Library
While the large facility is located in the heart of Tillamook the county is lucky to have a network of branches in the towns nearby that all share access to the large collection of books the county has amassed. If you are interested in local history and information the Main Branch in Tillamook has excellent local resources. Other branches include: Bay City, Garibaldi, Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, and South Tillamook County which is in pacific City.

Here is where the main branch is located.

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The Driftwood Public Library in Lincon City
While still being a relatively small library it this branch is proud to host regular events with local and national authors stopping by for readings of their works. Open every single day of the week aside from major holidays this is a great asset to the Lincoln City community. Located rright along the Oregon Coast Highway it is easy to access the facility. This library prides itself on it Children and Youth services with several regular programs and activities to get kids excited about reading including: Toddlers Story Time, Preschool Story Time, Puppet Shows every 2nd Tuesday of the month, Spanish Story Time, and a Summer Reading Club and more. There is also a great outreach service to bring books to members of the community that are not able to reach the library themselves.

Here is where the Driftwood Public Library is located.

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Newport Public Library
The Newport Oregon Public Library has a regular kid and teen event program schedule. There is also meeting rooms that can be reserved and used by members of the community. The library is open every day of the week. Located in the heart of the town just North of Yaquina Bay. Check out the monthly schedule for regular activities and special events that occur predominently on Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays.

The Library is located here.

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Coos Bay Public Library
The Coos Bay Public Library has a great website with lots of information easily available about the facility, events that occur and regular programs available through the public library. The library is closed on Sunday, but open the rest of the week. If you like to engage with other readers and discuss popular books than the Coos Bay Readers Monthly Book Group is perfect for you, each month a specific book is on the agenda for discussion and the first Wednesday of every month from 6 – 7:30 people are invited to come and discuss. There are also computer classes available to help teach everyone about the basics. The Coos Bay Public Library strives to not only provide a place to check out books, but to help enrich the learning process for all members of the local community.

Here is where the library is located.

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Red Barn Flea Market in Cloverdale

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Cloverdale

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The Red Barn Flea Market has been operating in Cloverdale, Oregon for a many years and is an excellent stop along the Oregon Coast Highway for visitors that enjoy rummaging through thrift stores and antique shops. The barn is located just south of the town of Hebo near the Nestucca river and a little north of the main town of Cloverdale. The barn is hard to miss as it’s name hints it is the large red barn along the side of the road. There are several signs on the barn with a large parking area nearby and when they are open with a sale there is generally other cars parked outside. Make sure to call ahead to find out the hours at: 503-392-3973

If you are into antique hunting this a place you will want to put on your list of antique and thrift stores at the Oregon coast to check out. They sell a real variety of items like most of these types of outfits and depending on the time of year there will be different goods available. It is always wise to take your time and look through the merchandise to see what might be not easily visible in order to find a special treasure or a new artifact for your collection.

Here is a map for finding the directions to the Red Barn Flea Market

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Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City

13 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by in Lincoln City

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If you are looking for a nice place to get away to the coast during the rainy days in Oregon then consider checking out Chinook Winds Casino Resort located in the Central coast town of Lincoln City. Even if you are not big on gambling there is plenty of things to do in the area and to enjoy at the Casino and Hotel. The hotel is large and full of accommodations including many suites available for a special weekend retreat. The complex is also home to 7 different eateries including: Rogue River Steakhouse, Rogue River Lounge, Siletx Bay Buffet, Euchre Creek Deli, Aces Bar & Grill, Chinook’s Seafood Grill, and Double Down Coffee & Espresso, so bring your appetite if you are staying at Chinook Winds. Make sure and check the entertainment schedule on the website as there is a wide arrange of activities that occur throughout the year. And of course if you enjoy to play the games you will have a wide range of options to choose from: slots, table games, poker including tournament play, keno, and bingo.

Here is the the website link: Chinook Winds

Get Directions to the Casio

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Fall Fishing and Crabbing

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in crab, fishing

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Fishing and crabbing along the Oregon Coast during the fall season has been a favorite activity for generations. The large runs of Chinook Salmon begin to get moving into the coastal estuaries in August and are in the prime during the months of October and November. Whether you are out fishing in the ocean, inside the bays or up a coastal river the fishing can be fantastic this time of year. One of the other special treats is the Dungenness crab that are available in the Ocean and the bays in really good numbers and quality from September to December. This combination of big salmon and crabs makes the fall season a favorite of most Oregonians that like to engage fishing these sustainable fisheries. Most of the streams and rivers along the coasts have relatively healthy numbers of wild Chinook and coho as well as hatchery supported fish to increase the numbers of available fish for people to catch and keep for dinner. The crab fishery is also very healthy with a large population and it is possible for each person to keep up to 12 of the Male Dungeness Crab per day over the size of 5 and 3/4 inches.

A Great Fishing Day at the Oregon Coast

Whether you own your own boat or just fish from shore there are places up and down the Oregon coast to get on the action. If you do not have a boat there are several public access areas on the major rivers that have healthy populations of fish that are catch able as well as some public piers that are easy to crab from.

The primary methods of catching fall Chinook include trolling a mooching rig with a cut plug herring, trolling a big spinner or from the bank in the river system using a bobber and egg. All three of these methods will catch salmon. For crabbing it is good to have a few crab traps or crab rings and bait them with either fish carcasses or chicken from the discount section at the local market. Let the traps soak for an hour or longer and pull up a bounty of crabs for a seafood feast.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery this fall and catch a salmon or a few crab before the storms and rain of winter are upon us.