Travel Oregon

It’s noted for dizzying views of the sprawling valley and high Cascade Mountains too, so put on your hiking boots, don’t forget the camera as he takes us high atop Marys Peak. It’s the size of it all that steals the scene on a back road adventure that rises and winds for daylong getaway.

You’re on the trail to the mountain called Marys Peak; highest point on the Oregon Coast Range and it may just steal your heart along the way. It is something special on a day when soggy skies clear and sun beams light up a scene that’s filled with so much vibrant color: from crimson paintbrush to brilliant blue larkspur or stunning yellow wallflowers.Many wildflower species are at your side as you explore the lush meadows, dense Noble Fir forests and the many hiking trails that link all of it together.

In fact, more than twelve miles of trails criss-cross Marys Peak, nearly all of them connected to the spacious parking area where many folks begin their adventures. The most popular trail is the mile-long Summit Trail that leads you up a moderate grade. Soon, you’re face to face with an amazing scene: a bird’s eye view of the grand Willamette Valley.

You easily spy the small town of Philomath – then the larger Corvallis, Oregon just beyond. Even a hazy day cannot diminish the stunning size of the many Cascade Mountain peaks you can see: Rainer, St Helens, Adams, Hood, Jefferson and the Three Sisters are easily picked out against the eastern skyline.

While to the west, Newport’s beaches are often seen with the breaking surf line just 26 miles away. It is a glorious view, no doubt about that – but all these high Cascade Mountain peaks may leave you wondering, what about the namesake: Marys Peak.

Well, who was Mary?

Some anecdotal stories suggest an Indian legend and linkage - for this place had been called a “house or home of spirits” by ancient peoples.

Other tales suggest a pioneer lineage a century old or longer when pioneers first settled the Oregon country. There is a nearby town site of Marysville and a nearby Mary’s River, but the fact is no one really knows and so the history behind the naming of Marys Peak remains a mystery.

It’s no secret that the wildflower show draws a real crowd – not just of people, but swarms of butterflies seem to hove just above bloom top across the open meadows. The fragile insects come in many sizes and colors, but keep an eye out for the larger Swallowtail Butterfly for it’s a favorite and hard to miss. Nor is the summit of Marys Peak with its distinct array of metallic antennas for radio, cell phone and broadcast television transmissions.

Marys Peak stands tall at more than 4,100 feet and that makes the trees, the insects, flowers and grasses distinct – even rare for the Oregon Coast Range.

That alone makes the site worth a visit.

Perhaps you‘ll consider a longer stay. If you packed a tent, sleeping bag and food, nearby Marys Peak Campground’s secluded sites offer an affordable overnight stay.

At the least, do bring hiking boots and a camera on this getaway – they will provide you a comfortable and enjoyable way to savor Marys Peak: a unique mountain of dizzying heights and colorful delights.

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Explore the Southern Oregon Coast’s Tidepools.

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Birding along the Oregon Coast’s Pacific Flyway.

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This is the time of year when I refuse to let the grass grow under my feet because there is simply so much to see and do across Oregon. That’s especially true along a unique section of the Oregon coastline where you’ll find three glorious Oregon State Parks called Sunset Bay, Shore Acres and Cape Arago.

I am thrilled with each visit to this region. You actually get three state parks for the price of one vacation and each is within two miles of each other and connected by road, bike trail, and hiking path. Each park is distinct, easy to reach and offers unique perspectives on the coastal Oregon’s recreation experience.

Sunset Bay is a small overnight campground, with seventy-two tent sites and sixty-three trailer sites. The park also features a hiker/biker camp, plus ten group tent camps. Hot showers and flush toilets are available to all campers and provide a welcome comfort zone. Legend has it Sunset Bay was also used by pirates, and a glance toward the ocean suggests the reason: The small bay is set inside steep sandstone bluffs and has a narrow passage to the sea that’s difficult to discern from the ocean.

A mile away, a much different environment waits for you at Shore Acres State Park. Here, the wildness is tamed at a park land that puts a smile on your face. You see, Shore Acres is the state park system’s only botanical garden. Shore Acres, built in 1906, was once a private estate famed for gardens of flowering trees, plants, and shrubs brought from around the world aboard the sailing ships of pioneer lumberman and shipbuilder Louis B. Simpson, as well as a one-acre pond and shimmering waterfall. Simpson developed the summer home into a showplace capped by the towering presence of a three-story mansion. The grounds originally contained five acres of formal gardens, but fire destroyed the mansion in 1921.

A short but easy one-mile hike south takes you to Cape Arago, famous as a resort for Steller sea lions. Well, perhaps “resort” is a bit of a stretch, but the fact is that Shell Island (adjacent to the cape) is the largest Steller haul-out and calving site along the entire West Coast. Any time is a fine time to visit the many viewpoints along Cape Arago’s main hiking path overlooking Shell Island, but keep in mind that the offshore rocks, islands, and reefs are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge system, which is closed to public access. So here’s a tip: Bring binoculars or a spotting scope so you’ll have a front-row seat into the refuge proper and a chance to view fascinating wildlife behaviors.

I try to make this collection of wonderful parks a three- or four-day stay–I like to linger and just loaf around the trails, viewpoints, and colorful gardens that this unique Oregon destination offers.

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Summer days are the getaway days for families on the go – perhaps to set out on a camping trip or a stream side picnic lunch. I recently discovered along the Oregon coast, it’s also a chance to try something entirely new.

On this Grant’s Getaway, all you need is a rake, a bucket and a spirit of adventure to try raking bay clams along the Oregon coast. Summer mornings along the coast are often met by folks in hip boots with shovels or rakes – but they’re not there to work, rather they’ve come to play; especially on a minus low tide on Tillamook Bay at a place where clamming is king.

There are six species of bay clams found in Oregon’s estuaries. Four are most popular for the rake and shovel crowd; they are called “Steamers,” “Butters,” “Gapers” and our clam of choice, “Cockles.”

Each clam-raker is allowed twenty cockles and must carry his/her own container and an Oregon shellfish license that costs $6.50 is required of each clammer 14 years and older.

I think that the best part of this recreation is that even the littlest ones can do it and have some success – it offers a little bit of mud or sand, a whole lot of estuary water, but there are lots of clams.

Recipe for Seafood Getaway Chowder (pdf)

Oregon Shellfish regulations (pdf)

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Back road adventures are the very best!

This week, we head high into the hills of the Oregon Coast Range west of near Carlton and find what some call a “heavenly ribbon of asphalt” - the Nestucca River Scenic Byway. The Nestucca River sings on its way to the sea and along the narrow winding roadway that follows it you may hear its song.

Be prepared to spend some time in these mountains and savor the road that threads through the heart of these mountains. It’s a place where milky white clouds wisps dance above giant Doug fir trees or tiny wild iris bunches burst to life close to ground.

I am on a back road so significant that the Bureau of Land Management designated eleven miles of it a National Scenic Byway. You are apt to find me along this river in summer – especially on a day when sunbeams light up the scene and a Fairy Slipper orchid waves you along the river as it rolls toward the sea with its magical, ageless song.

If you like to travel in Oregon, the Nestucca River Scenic Byway is not to be missed!

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