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A Visitors GuideLincoln City’s Surf Culture,Drift Creek Falls, Crabbing,Cultural Center& so Much More!

A News-Times Publication www.NewportNewsTimes.com

Discover Lincoln City is a publication proudly published by the News-Times. We spend months gathering the photos and writing the stories that we felt would give the visitor the best depiction of what Lincoln City has to offer. We hope you enjoy reading this publication as much as we did creating it.

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831 NE Avery St. Newport, OR 97365 • 541-265-8571 www.DiscoverLincolnCity.com

PublisherJames Rand

Advertising ContactsBarbara Moore barbaramoore@newportnewstimes.com 541.254.8571 ext. 237

Jack Davisjackdavis@newportnewstimes.com541.254.8571 ext. 214

Teresa Barnesteresabarnes@newportnewstimes.com541.254.8571 ext. 223

John Andersonjohnanderson@newportnewstimes.com541.254.8571 ext. 238

Krisstina Bortonkrisstinaborton@newportnewstimes.com541.254.8571 ext. 227

EditorSteve Card

Copy EditorMonique Cohen

ContributorsDennis AnstineRick BeasleyJo WienertBrian Gaunt

Cover Illustration & Layout

A Publication of the

Coastal Shoes

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We also carry:

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Surf’s Up pg 6

Chinook Winds Casino pg 8

Crabbing & Clamming pg 11

Drift Creek Falls pg 12

North Lincoln County Historical Museum pg 14

Lincoln City Glass pg 16

Lodging pg 18

Coastal Cuisine pg 19

Lincoln City Parks Guide pg 20

Area Map North Lincoln City pg 22

Area Map South Lincoln City pg 23

Lincoln City Beaches pg 24

Lincoln City Community Center pg 25

Lincoln City Cultural Center pg 26

Secrets of the Siletz pg 28

Cascade Head pg 30

Photo by Jo Wienert

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It’s unlikely that Lincoln City will be known anytime soon as Oregon’s “Surf City,” but with a world-renowned “big wave” contest and a 7.5-mile stretch of open ocean such a handle wouldn’t be a misnomer.

Surfing the Oregon coast between South Beach and Pacific City has gained in popularity in recent years among residents and inland visitors who cross the Coast Range in search of a wild ride or two.

There’s also the attraction of the Nelscott

Reef, which during winter months can often create spectacular waves with faces as high as 35 to 50 feet and has become a regular venue for the Big Wave World Tour.

But there’s nothing romantic about Lincoln City’s lengthy stretch of beach – running north from the opening of Siletz Bay to Cascade Head – for about two dozen dedicated local surfers who regularly brave the wind, cold and unpredictable nature of open water.

“It can be good, outstanding even, but its fickle, always changing because of the strong wind,” said Tim Henton, owner of the Oregon Surf Shop and a 17-year surfing veteran of the area. “Lincoln City proper is all unprotected beach base with a deep offshore topography and lots or reefs and rocks out there. So experience really counts.”

Stormy weather in January and February will cause locals who surf year-round to seek more protected areas, such as nearby Otter

Lincoln City surf isn’t for faint of heartBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

7

Rock or drive the California coast to surf favorites such as Santa Cruz or Carpinteria’s Rincon Point.

Henton, who moved to Lincoln City from Eugene in his 20s, is reluctant to divulge some of his favorite spots, but he admits that his shop on Southwest Highway 101 is only a few blocks from some of the best.

Mattie Starr, who works for Henton and also grew up in the Eugene area, has been surfing in the area 13 of his 25 years. He said there’s not much of a “competitive scene” in the area, but he’d like to “do some open contests at different spots around town” during the summer and fall.

“There’s a tight-knit group here but not a lot of people so it’s fun because it’s not crowded,” Starr said. “There are people coming in to rent and buy wet suits, but they use them for a lot of reasons.”

Henson’s store, which also offers an extensive outdoor clothing line, is one of three surf shops in Lincoln City.

“There is an overabundance because year-round there’s only a need for one surf shop,” Henson said. “We are doing more rentals, but selling on online really keeps us going. That and clothing and accessory items that people like. And we sell a lot of wet suits.”

He admits, however, that owning a surf shop is a dream because it keeps him close to what has become more than a hobby. Plus, there’s always the thrill of riding the big waves that break out of the Nelscott Reef, which sits about a half-mile off the coast in the Nelscott neighborhood.

The eighth running of the annual competition (24 entrants) was the second straight time that the surfers had paddled out to the waves after using jet skis to tow them

out during the first six events. Several local surfers have competed in recent years, but not Henton, who has ridden the big wave numerous times over the years.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a ‘big wave’ surfer but I love it,” he said. “You never do it without a spike in your heart beat. The first time I did it I took a shot on the head. It’s wild because it doesn’t have a consolidated peak and sometimes you can travel on it for the length of a football field.

“What’s special about it is that it’s so fast,” he added. “I’ve done the North Shore (in Hawaii) and other big waves, but the fastest

I’ve ever gone on water is right here. And each ride is a little different than the one before. It’s amazing.”

Henton prefers being towed out because it’s safer than paddling, easier and allows him to surf with a smaller board, which gives him more speed and maneuverability.

“Hey, I’m 41 and have three kids and an interest in coming home in one piece,” he said. “Also, being towed you can wear a jacket, which is a pretty safe way to do big waves.”

Towing to a big wave may not be cool in some surfing circles, he said, but it works for him “because I’m still hanging out, just having fun.”

To reach the Nelscott Reef parking lot (No. 46), turn left at SW 12th St. and follow the winding road to the road end.

( Oregon surf Shop is located at 3001 SW Hwy 101, 541-996-3957. Others include: Lincoln City Surf, 4792 SE Hwy 101, 541-996-7433; Safari Town Surf, 3026 NE Hwy 101, 541-996-6335).

Photo by Dennis Anstine

Photo by Jo Wienert

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From the humble beginnings in 1995 of a small casino in “The Tent,” today’s Chinook Winds Casino Resort in northwest Lincoln City has become the county’s largest employer and a destination like no other on the Oregon Coast.

Chinook Winds, owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon, had 250 slots machines and 12 card tables when it opened under a large tent in May 1995 on

property overlooking the Pacific Ocean.Today, the 157,000-square-foot casino is

a Las Vegas-style facility that never closes its doors and features more than 1,100 slot machines, some 30 table and poker games and a 1,000-square-foot bingo hall. It is one of nine tribal casinos in Oregon.

On the second floor, the 37,000-square-foot Convention Center is used for many events, including mixed martial arts, amateur

boxing, pool tournaments, art shows, fundraisers and reunions. The casino’s Concerts by the Sea showroom also offers several entertainers each month.

The casino’s décor incorporates many symbols and traditions of the Siletz Tribe, including the indoor waterfall that flows into a pond designed to resemble Euchre Creek, and important cultural site to the tribe. The foundation of the waterfall includes a huge boulder from the tribal land.

For families visiting the casino, there is a “Play Palace” that offers a supervised activity center and the Games Galore Arcade, which has some 80 games for teens.

The resort also offers three full-service dining options, including the Chinook Seafood Grill, the Rogue River Steakhouse and the Siletz Bay Buffet.

The 2004 purchase of the neighboring Shilo Inn made the sprawling property a destination.

resort offering 227 rooms and many amenities, including a Jacuzzi, steam room, indoor heated swimming pool and workout facility, 7,500-square-feet of meeting space, Wi-Fi and a complimentary shuttle to the casino, which is located adjacent to the hotel.

The resort also provides a nearby home for RVs at the 51-space Logan Road RV Park.

Since 2005, the Chinook Winds Golf Resort offers a challenging 18-hole course and an

Photo by Jo Wienert

Chinook Winds Casino Resort thriving in Lincoln CityBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Photo by Jo Wienert

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indoor driving range.Chinook Winds hosts many charitable

events and partners with many local organizations to help- promote the area to build up tourism.

It makes monetary contributions to various nonprofit organizations and also provides assistance through in-kind services, technical support and team member volunteers

throughout the community, including the Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital Foundation, Newport and Lincoln City Youth Athletics and Lincoln County schools.

The Siletz Tribe also is a major contributor to the Siletz community, Lincoln County and the state of Oregon through employment, monetary donations and by purchasing from local vendors. The tribe has distributed more

than $8 million through the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund and other tribal resources. Chinook Winds has donated more than $2 million in cash and fundraising items since it opened in 1995.

The revenue generated by Chinook Winds goes directly to the Siletz Tribe after all operating expenses are paid.

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

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Crabbing and clamming in Siletz Bay at the south edge of the city can be productive, but patience and knowledge of the area always comes in handy.

The narrow neck of the bay near the ocean is a prime spot for nabbing Dungenss crab, with the best time of day being several hours after low tide when they are active and water currents disturb the crab gear least.

A conversation with a dedicated crabber in early spring began with a shoulder shrug on how he expected to do at his favorite spot as

he readied to drop his crab trap.“I’ll know this evening when it’s almost

high tide and they’ve been moving for a while,” he said. “I got four the other night, nice big ones, but you never know. They’re nocturnal so it’s never easy. I get shut out more than not.”

All that’s required is a trap, bait, license (14 years or older), bucket, gloves, and a measuring gauge. And a little bit of luck.

Clamming in Siletz Bay is a little simpler than crabbing, perhaps, but knowing where to go is equally as important.

At low tide, dig with a shovel for the purple varnish clams that are located in the lower portion of the bay from Cutler City to near

the entrance of the bay. You may have to go as deep as a foot below the surface of the sand after a round hole identifies the clam’s location.

Softshell clams can be found in the mud flats on either side of the bay between Drift Creek and the Millport Slough. The clams are a little deeper in the sand, down to about 18 inches.

The regulations for crabbing and clamming are posted on the Taft Dock on SW 51st, next to Mo’s.

For current information and complete regulations visit the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s website or call 541-867-4741.

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

By DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

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Drift Creek offers more than just a waterfallBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

If you want a break from the beach, there’s a great half-day excursion into a heavy-canopied forest sprinkled with 50-year-old regrowth evergreen trees that’s no more than a half-hour’s drive southeast of Lincoln City.

And if that’s not exciting enough, consider that the trail features a spectacular 240-foot-long suspension bridge that looms over a 75-foot-long waterfall plummeting into picturesque Drift Creek.

This outing may end at the foot of the bridge for those who suffer from acrophobia, but if not, then enjoy the slight swaying of this safe (with chest-high safety railings), well-built (in 1997) bridge that offers a stunning view of the waterfall.

The roar of the falls can be heard a few hundred yards away, but the suspension bridge appears out of nowhere as you crest a small knoll. It’s spectacular as it hangs from cables (cemented into opposing bluffs and capable of holding more than 150,000 pounds) spanning the 100-foot-deep Drift Creek Canyon.

The falls created a natural pool until August 2010, when a mammoth boulder interrupted the bucolic scene by falling several hundred feet into the creek, landing directly below the waterfall and making the view even more dynamic.

The trail continues about 400 yards down from the bridge to the base of the falls, and provides easy access to the creek for those who want to enjoy the cold water.

The hike is enjoyable as it winds through thick growths of sword fern, huckleberries, trilliums and a heavy canopy of vine maples, red alders and second-growth Douglas fir, hemlock and Western red cedar trees.

It’s a favorite for families, even those with small children, especially

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

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Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

during the summer months. It’s open year-round, and is less congested and perhaps even more beautiful during spring and fall.

Drift Creek Falls, Siuslaw National Forest: Open all year

Directions: Off Highway 101 south of Lincoln City (north of Salishan), turn east on Drift Creek Road, then after ¼ mile go right on South Drift Creek Road, then left on FS Road 17 for about 10 miles to trailhead parking lot. (Also accessible from Highway 18).

Length: Three miles round trip, with an elevation drop of about 400

feet on first leg.

Difficulty: Easy-to-moderate, kid friendly and popular with families.

Facilities: Vault toilet at trailhead with a picnic table at the suspension bridge.

Fee: $5 day use, or season/lifetime forest pass.

More details: www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw or 503-392-3161.

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Considering that today’s Lincoln City was once five small communities with distinctively different identities, it makes sense that putting those disparate personalities all under the same historic roof would be intriguing, if not quarrelsome.

It took several years, much argument and several failed attempts before the independent communities of Taft, Oceanlake, Cutler City, Delake and Nelscott voted in 1965 to incorporate into one city.

Not surprisingly, the act of naming the new city also proved controversial, at least until a contest led to school children choosing Lincoln City and the adults finally agreeing on something.

With a city border stretching several miles between two dominant landmarks – Siletz Bay and Cascade Head - it was only a matter of time before residents of the culturally rich region created the North Lincoln County Historical Museum.

Founded in 1987 through the hard work of the local Pioneer and Historical Association, the museum occupied a small storefront until 1994, when it moved into a two-story structure built in Taft in 1940 as a fire hall and later occupies by the Lincoln City Administration.

Today, says director/curator Anne Hall, it’s a gem discovered and rediscovered annually by about 3,000 visitors.

“We’ve had better marketing and public

relations in recent years,” said Hall, who is one of three full-time employees at the museum. “Once people discover what we have here, they come back.”

It also helps that there is no admission fee, thanks to a grant by the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau that did away with the previous $2 charge.

Hall said tourists and locals alike enjoy the museum because of its diverse offerings, but they have different interests.

“The biggest draw for people living here

are the News-Guard papers we have on microfilm,” Hall said. “They also like our vertical files on people and subjects, plus our huge collection of books and photographs. We also have research library now, and they love that.”

Tourists are drawn more to the galleries, she said, including the downstairs exhibit of the central Oregon coast’s prehistory,

including: fossils and other early artifacts; Native American history with examples of baskets and beadwork; early settlement and homesteading displays that show early tools and household items; and dairy, fishing, and cannery displays with artifacts from those industries.

One of the public’s favorite displays, said Hall, are glass fishing floats produced in Japan for the fishing industry that have made their way to the Oregon coast “at the whim of wave and wind.”

The upstairs gallery focuses on tourism, celebrating the age of the automobile with information on the first cars and roads to the area, and includes early roadside attractions and proomotions. It also includes a “hands-on” corner with puppets, books and games to keep younger children entertained while their parents tour the museum.

Monthly educational programs and exhibits are also favorites, featuring speakers on local historical figures, institutions and events, such as “Technology for Early Coastal Indian Cultures” and “First Families of North Lincoln County.”

The museum, located at 4907 SW Highway 101, is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (winter) and through Sunday, May 15-Oct. 15. Contact: 541-996-6614 or email Hall at nlchmdirector@gmail.com

Photo by Dennis Ansrtine

By DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Photo by Dennis Anstine

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The Jennifer Sears Glass Art StudioBlow Your Own Float, Fluted Bowl,

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The Oregon Coast has attracted a generation of glassblowers to its cool, salty air, including those who work out of four Lincoln City retail studios that feature a wide variety of creations and approaches to the trade.

One of the first was Dan Williams, who has been plying his trade and sharing what he’s learned for more than 40 years at his Siletz

Bay studio. Other, more ambitious businesses have followed, including a large classroom/retail shop known as the Jennifer Sears Glass Art Studio in Taft.

The Glass Art Studio opened in February 2005 when four glassblowers – Kelly Howard, Jon Myers, Daniel Millen and James Benson – from the Portland area decided to move to the coast.

The large retail area offers many stunning pieces of art, most of them created by the owners or visiting artists who have taken advantage of the work space. But the business is driven by hand-on sessions that offer visitors the opportunity to create their own glass floats, paper weights, hearts, starfish and bowls – pieces that range in price from $65 to $135.

Gallery sales and wholesale accounts are a big part of the business, said Millen, “but the classes are the main thing that helps us pay our bills,” said Millen. “On a busy summer

day, we can have 40 people in here creating their own pieces.”

It’s a chance for interested visitors, whether they wander in on their own or are members of a group, to experience the process of creating art glass first hand. Instructors assist them at individual stations in turning broken pieces of colored glass into beautiful pieces of art.

“It’s something that has really caught on,” Millen said. “We have some people fly from the East Coast to do this after having experienced it before.”

The Glass Art Studio - along with other Lincoln City glassblowers and a total of about a dozen studios in the Northwest - also

Creating your own piece of glass art By DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

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participates in Lincoln City’s annual Finders Keepers event from mid-October to Memorial Day.

The event, which is put on by the city’s Visitor and Convention Bureau and is a favorite of tourists, features placing about 70 small glass floats on the city’s more than seven miles of beaches.

More than 2,000 are placed during eight months, including about 400 floats created by the Glass Art Studio, said Millen, who added that the event also helps attract visitors to the business.

Classes are also an important part of nearby MorArt, where owner/glassmaker Dan Watts and instructor Maurice Martinez use the fused glass technique to create coasters, platters, plates, bowls, trays and jewelry.

The small studio offers glass fusing and mosaic retail pieces, plus individual classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced artists. Walk-ins and groups are welcome.

The glass is stacked in layers of the artist’s choosing, including the pattern, colors and placement of each image. Then the art is fired, cooled and ready to be picked up the next day. A 15-inch bowl, for example, costs $145.

Other local glass art studios in the Lincoln City area include:

Glass Confusion offers variety of glass floats and other pieces of art, including pumpkins, birds and a variety of seasonal creations. Specialties include paperweights, boxes, jewelry and miniatures. Owner/artist Marcia Glenn has her workshop in the small retail shop, which is open seven days a week; 1610 NE Highway 101, Lincoln City OR 97367; 541-994-4700; www.glassconfusion.

com..Alderhouse Glass is the brainchild of Buzz

Williams, who has been blowing glass in the Lincoln City area since 1968, and is now working out of his third studio overlooking the bay. He is joined by wife Anne and son Ian. They operate out of an open studio and welcome visitors to watch them ply their artistry. They also share their creativity with others during spontaneous workshops from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May through

October; 611 S. Immonen Rd., Lincoln City, OR 97367; 541-996-2483; www.alderhouse.com.

Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday; 4821 SW Highway 101; 541-996-2569; www.jennifersearsglassart.com.

MorArt: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday; 4933 Highway 101; 97367; 541-994-2427; www.morart.net.

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

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Thanks to more than seven miles of oceanfront and the convenience of Highway 101, Lincoln City offers a wide range of lodging and accommodations to suit each traveler’s individual needs and pocket book.

Choices include more than 60 hotels and motels, a half-dozen bed and breakfast inns, more than two dozen rental properties and a half-dozen camping and RV parks.

Ranging in size from the enormous 227-room Chinook Winds Hotel to the cozy, 5-room Nantucket Inn, nearly all of the city’s lodging choices either have views of the ocean or are within close walking distance of the beach.

Prices are higher the closer one gets to the beach, but there are many economically priced establishments along or just off Highway 101.

For example, the historic Anchor inn offers a large free breakfast and an enticing décor, while a room at the Best Western Lincoln Sands Suites comes with a large number of amenities, including an ocean view, spa or hot tub, swimming pool, fireplace, a kitchen and a full breakfast.

Similar amenities are available at the well-placed Looking Glass Inn, located in the city’s historic Taft District. The rooms offer a great view, plus east access to the beach, and it’s pet friendly, as are many of the city’s lodges.

Another lodge with a mountain of amenities is the Nordic Oceanfront Inn, which offers a variety of rooms, including: Jacuzzi suites, a full or continental breakfast, meeting rooms, a heated pool, a recreation area with a heated pool, spa and double sauna, plus a large sun deck and private beach access.

One of the most versatile properties is the Captain Cook Inn, a

restored and refurbished motor court that goes back to the 1940s and ‘50s when they were popular. The inn offers large kitchen suites that can accommodate up to six people and a variety of deluxe sleeping rooms, including some with forest views. There are also rooms reserved for smokers.

Another throwback is the Sandcastle Motel, which offers seclusion and miles of beach to walk and explore. It also offers a free casino shuttle on weekends, plus fireplaces, kitchens and a swimming pool.

If you prefer a more cozy experience with amenities, the three-story Brey House Bed & Breakfast Inn includes: ocean views, private baths, a full breakfast, fireplaces, private entrances to the floors, and is close to shops, the beach and the casino.

The city’s many vacation rentals are geared to hold family reunions or intimate retreats, many of which are located on the beach or close enough to offer breathtaking ocean views. There are several agencies that can locate the property that fits your family or group lifestyle needs.

Another option that many people prefer is RVing to Lincoln City, where there are many choices nearby, including: several parks, and properties that are owned by national chains, regional operators or are locally owned.

Two of the favorite RV sites are found on the shores of Devils Lake, where recreation abounds. They are the Devils Lake RV Park and the Devils Lake State Park.

For more information on lodging, visit the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce at www.lcchamber.com.

Photo by Dennis Anstine

Photo by Dennis Anstine

A plethora of lodging choices for a small townBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

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Photo by Jo Wienert

At the Mist, there’s seafood and much moreBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

It’s no secret that seafood and Lincoln City go together like beach sand and bare feet.

At least half of the small town’s 50-plus full-service restaurants offer seafood to their diners, including aptly named eateries such as the Crab Pot, Oceans Apart, Dory Cove, Shucker’s Oyster Bar, Eleanor’s Undertow, Barnacle Bill’s, Blackfish Café, Pier 101 and J’s Fish & Chips.

And of course nearly everyone on the coast knows about Mo’s, the Newport-based chain of a half-dozen seafood restaurants on the coast, including a large and popular one overlooking Siletz Bay.

And then there is Mist, which is close enough to the ocean at 2945 NW Jetty to live up to its name. Mist’s menu is extensive and its Northwestern fare includes daily seafood specials and the local catches of the season.

As part of the Surftides Resort, which is owned by the Cho family and managed by Ellen and Peter Picataggio, the 150-seat restaurant was originally situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean, but was relocated several years ago to a more secure part of the property, according to manager Sam Konecny.

“There had been some damage because of high surf so it was rebuilt off the cliff,” she said. “It was designed to be casual and comfortable, with a central fireplace and an ocean view from every table.”

Ellen Picataggio (Cho) grew up in the hospitality business after her family emigrated from Korea in 1971 to Las Vegas, where they purchased their first hotel (The Minuteman) before moving to Oregon in 1979 and buying the historic Surftides.

Ellen’s family bought the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel in Los Angeles in the late ‘90s, and she and her husband took over management of the hotel in 2000 and then the 144-room Surftides in 2007.

As a principal of the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel Group, Ellen oversees the brand identities of the Los Angeles hotel and its adjoining restaurant, TART, along with the Surftides properties.

“Ellen graduated has fond memories of Lincoln City,” Konecny said, “So they split their time between Southern California and Lincoln City.”

Konecny said the restaurant has a good mixture of Surftides clientele and locals.

“We’ve worked hard to get more locals coming in,” she said. “With our service, casual atmosphere and good food we’re seeing more and more locals.”

(For more information on Lincoln City’s large variety of restaurants, visit the city’s Visitor and Convention Bureau website www.oregoncoast.org or the Chamber of Commerce at www.lccchamber.com).

Rogue Dead Guy Ale battered fish served with house cut fries mustard-seed slaw, tartar sauce & grilled lemon.

Photo by Jo Wienert

20

For a population of around 8,000, Lincoln City probably has more parks and open space than communities of comparable size in Oregon, especially when you include the 7.5 miles of ocean beaches inside its city limits.

Of course, the city’s population can rise to at least 30,000 on any given summer day when visitors from all directions come to North Lincoln County.

The city’s dozen parks vary in size and what they offer the public, but there are some that are particularly popular and unique, including:

Regatta and Holmes Road, both of which are located on West Devils Lake Road;

Sand Point, which is a prime swimming and picnicking spot on East Devils Lake Road;

Kirtsis on NE 22nd Street is a haven for active youth with baseball fields, basketball courts and four skateboard bowls;

Taft Waterfront and Siletz Bay parks offer great access to the bay and ocean, including crabbing, clamming and fishing activities.

The city’s Community Center at 2150 NE Oar Place just off Highway 101 offers a world-class indoor swimming pool with a variety diving boards and water slides; a rock-climbing wall; a full range of exercise equipment and a full-sized gym.

The city also has several designated open spaces, including popular ones such as Agnes Creek at 17th SW Coast Ave., D-River at 101 and NE 1st and a wooded one at West Devils Lake Road and NE 26th.

There are also several well-used state parks, including: Roads End at NE Logan Road and NE 61st St.; D River off 101 and NE 1st St.; plus Devils Lake West and Devils Lake East

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

There’s no place like Lincoln City to enjoy the outdoorsBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Photo by Jo Wienert

21

Several parks and open spaces have trails, including three of the best at Cascade Head just north of the city, including: the two-mile long Nature Conservancy Trail; the Cascade Head Trail; and Hart’s Cove Trail.

All three are considered difficult, especially when wet. Call 503-392-3161 before heading out because some of the trails are closed until summer.

Of course, the most crowded “park” is the beach and the

ocean, thanks to the many road ends and parking areas that offer tremendous access to that long north-south stretch of beach fronting the city to the west, including:

Northwest - 50th, 41st, 37th, 34th, 26th (restroom), 21st, 15th (restroom), 5th

Southwest - 11th Street, 34th, 35th, 44th, 51st (waterfront shelter), 66th, 68th, 69th, Fleet, Galley, Harbor

Southeast - 50th StreetParking is also available at NW 17th Street (restrooms), NE 15th ,

NW 15th, SW 50th Street (restrooms), SW 32nd , SE 3rd (Sprint lot) and SE State Highway 101

For more information on the city’s parks and open spaces, visitwww.lincolncity.org.

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

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Hwy. 18LINCOLNCITYNORTH

PAC

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OC

EA

N

HW

Y. 1

01

NWNE

SW SE

D RIVER

KEY TO STREET PREFIXES

ROADS END STATE PARKBEACH ACCESS

CHINOOK WINDS CASINO

BEACH ACCESS

BEACH ACCESS

WECOMA PARK

NLFDFIRE DEPARTMENT

BEACH ACCESS

17TH STREET PARKING LOT

BEACH ACCESS

DEVILS LAKESTATE PARK CAMPGROUND

BEACH ACCESS

D RIVER WAYSIDESTATE PARK

COMMUNITY CENTER

SEVENTH DAYADVENTIST SCHOOL

OCEANLAKESCHOOL

SAMARITAN NORTHLINCOLN HOSPITAL

STATE PARK

REGATTA PARK

OCEANLAKEDISTRICT

DELAKEDISTRICT

NEOTSU

ROADSEND

DORCHESTER PARK

DEVILS LAKE

LAKE POINT

HOLMES ROAD PARK

SAND POINT

PUBLIC RESTROOMS

MUNICIPAL BUILDING

SCHOOL

POLICE DEPARTMENT

FIRE DEPARTMENT

BEACH ACCESS

PARK

POST OFFICE

CITY LIMITS

THEATRE

L E G E N D

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CONNIE HANSEN GARDEN

OCEANLAKEGRADE SCHOOL

KIRTSIS PARK

23

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L E G E N D

PUBLIC RESTROOMS

MUNICIPAL BUILDING

SCHOOL

POLICE DEPARTMENT

FIRE DEPARTMENT

BEACH ACCESS

PARK

POST OFFICE

CITY LIMITS

THEATRE

TANGER OUTLET

CENTER

DEVILS LAKESTATE PARK CAMPGROUND

D RIVER WAYSIDESTATE PARK

B EACH ACCESS

B EACH ACCESS

B EACH ACCESS

POLICE DEPARTMENT

VISITOR CENTER/CITY HALL& DRIFTWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY

B EACH ACCESS

THEATRE WEST

B EACH ACCESS

B EACH ACCESS

B EACH ACCESS

OREGON COAST COMMUNITYCOLLEGE

TAFT ELEMENTARYSCHOOL

NLFD FIRE DEPARTMENT

TAFT MIDDLESCHOOL

TAFT HIGHSCHOOL

POST OFFICE

STATE PARK

LINCOLNCITYSOUTH

PAC

IFIC

OC

EA

N

HW

Y. 1

01

NWNE

SW SE

D RIVER

KEY TO STREET PREFIXES

DELAKEDISTRICT

NELSCOTTDISTRICT

CUTLER CITYDISTRICT

TAFTDISTRICT

SCHOONER CREEK ROAD

SILETZ BAY

DEVILS LAKE

24

Use this simple guide to find the beach in Lincoln City:

Beach Access, NorthNW 50 st Street

NW 41st Street

NW 40th Street

NW 37th Street

NW 34th Street

NW 21st Street

NW 26th Street (includes restrooms)

NW 15th Street (includes restrooms)

NW 5th Street

Beach Parking, NorthNW 17th Street (includes restrooms)

NE 15th Street

NW 15th Street

Beach Access, SouthSW 11th Street

SW 34th Street

SW 35th Street

SW 44th Street

SW 51st Street Taft Waterfront Shelter

SW 66th

SW 68th

SW 69th

SW Fleet Street

SW Galley Street

SW Harbor Street

SE 50th Stree

Beach Parking, SouthSW 50th Street (includes restrooms)

SW 32nd Street

SE 3rd Street

Sprint Parking Lot: SE State Highway 101

Photo by Jo Wienert

Photo by Jo Wienert

25

Find your inner kid at the Community Center!By Rick Beasley

LINCOLN CITY — When you’re putting together your list of “Must-See, Must-Do” attractions, the Lincoln City Community Center should be at the top!

In a town surrounded by water, this is the only place you won’t need a wetsuit to fully enjoy yourself. The world-class 25-m. swimming pool features a 56-ft.waterslide with a 360-degree loop, a 14-ft. water slide, a rope swing, water basketball and one- and three-meter diving boards. A 3-1/2 ft. wading pool with a giant pelican that erupts with a blast of water turns out to be perfect for babies, toddlers and their parents. Lifeguards are always on duty.

More fun awaits at the 24-ft. rock-climbing wall, which provides a challenging test of power and skill under the supervision of an instructor who operates the fail-safe automatic belay. Here, size matters — the minimum body weight for climbing is 35 pounds, and climbers must be at least 44-inches tall.

For a good workout, the Community Center offers fully-equipped weight and cardio rooms, an indoor walking/running track and a full-size gymnasium perfect for pickup games. A12-person spa is the right complement to sore muscles after your workout.

Drop-in prices for all the fun you can handle start at $3.50 for kids 17 and under, $5 for resident adults and $6.50 for non-residents. The Community Center is open seven days, from 5 a.m.- 9 p.m. Mon-Fri., Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Community Center is located at 2150 N.E. Oar Place, just one block east from Hwy./ 101 and N.E. 22nd St. For more information, call 541-994-2131.

PhotoCourtesy LCCC

Photo by Jo Wienert

26

Cultural Center is becoming a hub of communityBy DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

After finally completing a lengthy renovation of the former Delake School, the Lincoln City Cultural Center now appears poised to become the community gem that was envisioned by organizers when the 75-year-old brick building was purchased in 2006.The nonprofit cultural center experienced tremendous growth in 2012, the third year of its operational phase. More renovations are planned, including replacing a leaky roof, but there’s no doubt now that the LCCC is one of the city’s most important assets.“The economic downturn was harsh on us,” said Executive Director Niki Price, “but in 2011 we added to our core programs and last year we went into high gear by offering things on nearly every weekend throughout the year.”The result has been overwhelming: In 2012, LCCC hosted 210 events and recorded 23,341 patron visits, compared to the previous year’s 142 event patrons. And that doesn’t include the thousands of tourists who stopped by the city’s Visitor Information Center, which is also located in the LCCC building. “The community response has been amazing,” said Price, “and our visitors are also beginning to get more involved. It will take time to change their (tourists) habits, but we’re seeing more and more of them getting involved with the community after

discovering us.LCCC’s net income of $21,761 (income of $342,319 and $320,558 in expenses) last year occurred in part because of an increase in volunteers, cash and in-kind donations The city and its Visitor and Convention

Center Bureau, for example, supported LCCC’s programs in variety of ways, including grants and routine maintenance of the building and grounds.The nonprofit cultural organization has been around since the early ‘90s, thanks to

Photo by Dennis Anstine

Photo by Dennis Anstine

27

P.J. Chessman and other art aficionados in the beach community. But it took years of dedication, Price said, to organize that cultural enthusiasm to the degree that it filled a void.“Lincoln City is different than Newport, where the Performing Arts Center has been around for years (since 1988) and the local arts groups grew up with it,” she said. “We are a member of the Oregon Coast Council

for the Arts, too, but our groups have had to find their own way. Now that we are here, we’re trying to find our niche and not overlap.”That includes art galleries, theater and music, primarily by offering events that aren’t in direct competition to existing venues. For example, LCCC tends to offer chamber and jazz music, rather than blues and rock

music featured in the city’s taverns and clubs. The former school also has a large auditorium and stage, but LCCC tries to offer events that don’t compete with Theatre West’s performances.For more information call 541-994-9994 or visit lincolncity-culturalcenter.org. A calendar of events is also available at the center, 540 NE Hwy 101.

Photo by Dennis Anstine

Photo by Dennis Anstine

28

The big raptor came out of nowhere, silent as an incoming missile on wings that spanned almost seven feet. Like an aircraft on final approach, its feathered flaps turned the rapid descent into a gentle hover as a talon touched the water and clasped an unwary trout.

With a mighty flap, the eagle rose from the jet-black channel clutching the squirming blueback and began her short journey to a nest hidden somewhere in the nearby trees.

The closest most people come to the

awesome spectacle of nature is an Imax movie, but Lincoln City is surrounded by wildlife. Here, the in an amphitheater called the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge, the best seat in the house is a kayak or canoe.

Few adventures can top that of exploring the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge, a 100-acre tidal marsh located south of town that is home to an eye-popping array of wildlife. Unmolested by hikers and noisy traffic, the animals and birds that are part of this amazing habitat can be seen from the fringes

of the refuge with powerful binoculars or up-close by a rented kayak or canoe from Siletz Moorage, located a quarter-mile upriver from the junction of Siletz Hwy. 20 and Hwy. 101.

Larry and Belinda Ellis run the operation from a building that still has signs from the old days advertising 15-cent soft drinks and triple cones for two bits.

“It’s real easy to learn the kayak,” said Belinda, a transplanted rancher from eastern Oregon who finds the moist coast weather easy on the skin.

Photo by Brian Gaunt

Explore the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge by kayak and camera!By Rick Beasley, Photos by Brian Gaunt

Photo by Brian Gaunt

29

Wildlife photographer Brian Gaunt, a licensed fishing guide, spent many hours exploring the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge with his camera. Photo by Brian Gaunt

“Most people get the hand of it after a few minutes in the bullpen — that little area between the docks where you can practice.

The tour begins quarter-mile upstream at the channel entrance into the 100-acre refuge, established in 1991 to return the Milport Slough salt marsh to its natural state. Once criss-crossed with ditches to create pasture for dairy cows, work crews from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ducks Ultd. and the Confederated tribes of the Siletz reclaimed the area by breaching and removing 9,300 ft. of dikes and refilling 1,200 ft. of ditches. Massive helicopters were employed to return trees and woody debris to the brackish habitat, which appears other-worldly when the morning fog embraces the

salt-streaked skeleton trees of the marsh.Red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, often

visible roosting on these snags, are usually the first wildlife kayakers will see. Moving silently except for the occasional gasp or squeal of surprise, kayakers will likely catch glimpses of a great blue heron, great egret and many species of waterfowl foraging in the mud flats and shallow waters that are the nursery grounds for coho and chinook salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout. Songbirds including warblers, thrushes and chickadees often serenade the passing boats.

Surrounded by forest and young riparian alder with a carpet of vegetation, the marsh is a salad bowl for resident blacktail deer and Roosevelt elk. The wetland forest also

supports a variety of smaller mammals including beaver, mink, river otter, muskrat, and raccoon.

The five-mile trip through the refuge can be accomplished in two hours, but a four-hr. kayak rental leaves plenty of time to linger with binoculars and camera. Half-day rentals of the 14.5-ft. one- and two-person kayaks or canoes are $20 per person, or $35 for an all-day rental. All equipment, including life vests and paddles, is included.

For more information, contact Siletz Moorage, 82 Siletz Hwy., or call 541-996-3671. The moorage is open at 7:30 a.m. daily, with long hours into the early evening to accommodate the tides.

Photo by Brian Gaunt

30

Cascade Head is a grand basalt testament to an ancient, uplifted, underwater volcanic flow. The Nature Conservancy preserve atop Cascade Head encompasses 270 acres of forests and meadows, traversed by The Nature Conservancy Interpretive Trail, which clambers from Knight Park to the south, three and a half miles up toward an elevation of 1,200 feet.

The lower section of trail switches through forests of red alder, Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Here and there the mature understory of red elderberry and salmonberry overreaches the path where sunlight dapples through. Identify yellow monkey flower and stream violets and listen for woodpeckers rapping upon grey snags.

The meadows above are special, predominantly hosting native species, including red fescue, wild rye, Pacific reedgrass, coastal paintbrush, goldenrod, streambank lupine and blushing striped candy flower; and rare western blue violet and hairy-stemmed checkermallow. Cascade Head catchfly is a beautiful plant almost exclusive to Cascade Head. Among flowers currently blooming in the meadows are red paintbrush, purple-blue lupine, yellow buttercup, and brilliant white wild cucumber.

Step softly up the path, wary of sunning garter snakes and butterflies drying their wings. Elk, deer, coyote, snowshoe hare

and the Pacific giant salamander frequent the preserve. Bald eagle, great horned owl, northern harrier, red-tail hawk and peregrine falcon may be spotted flying overhead. Among the many smaller birds such as savannah sparrow racing above, or darting about the meadow, wonder at the aeronautic agility of bank swallows.

Silverspot butterflyListed as threatened under the United

States Endangered Species Act, the Oregon silverspot butterfly frequents the meadows of Cascade Head. The meadows are among a handful of remaining viable habitats for the silverspot in Oregon, Washington and California; development, pesticides, grazing and off-road vehicles continue to threaten the species.

Historically, coastal meadow habitats silverspot shared were maintained in an early successional state by periodic fires, preventing trees and shrubs from overshadowing plants such as western blue violet - from which silverspot larvae and adults feed. Fires have been prevented in recent years, deemed undesirable by developers and environmentalists alike; meadow habitat is gradually replaced by forest. Recognition of the role of fire and other periodic disturbance inspires fire-management strategies conducive to silverspot habitat maintenance.

Photo by eon gd&i

Spectacular views abound on Cascade Head Interpretive Trail

Photo by Jason Evans

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Silverspots have unique orange and brown markings with black veins and black spots on the dorsal or top-sides of the wings, and bright metallic silver spots on the ventral, or undersides. Adults emerge throughout the late summer and early fall to mate; eggs are laid during the fall and hatch shortly thereafter. Larvae feed for a short time in the fall, and then enter a dormant state, in which they spend the winter. In the spring, larvae resume feeding until the late spring or summer when they pupate. Pupation time is short, and adults soon emerge to continue the cycle.

ConservationVolunteers organized an effort to protect

Cascade Head from development in the early 1960s; by 1966 they had raised funds to purchase property, which they gave to The Nature Conservancy. Because of its ecological significance, Cascade Head Preserve and surrounding national forest and other lands have won recognition as a National Scenic Research Area and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve.

On the preserve, researchers are testing methods of maintaining and restoring meadow habitat for the silverspot, including prescribed fire. However, a few years gestation are required for the western blue violet to reach maturity. In the meantime The Nature Conservancy has teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lewis and Clark College, and the Oregon Zoo to gather female silverspots for captive rearing. After being hatched, and raised at the college and zoo, progeny are reintroduced as pupae.

Conservancy ecologists also monitor populations of rare plants throughout the year. In spring and summer volunteers

remove invasive species (such as Himalayan blackberry), maintain trails, assist with research projects and participate in educational outreach. Each year more than 10,000 visitors hike the preserve for the views, wildflowers and wildlife.

The Nature Conservancy is an international nonprofit organization, preserving plants,

animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth, by protecting the lands and water they need to survive. To volunteer at Cascade Head, in support of The Nature Conservancy, call (503) 802-8100.

• • •Cascade Head is located north of Lincoln

City. The Nature Conservancy Interpretive Trail climbs the southern face between two trailheads. The southern trailhead is located at Lincoln County’s Knight Park on the Salmon River Estuary. Turn west onto Three Rocks Road from U.S. Highway 101, just north of the Salmon River, and travel a couple of miles to the park past Savage Road. The two and a half mile hike to the upper viewpoint is a good climb - find the metal stud, a simple survey marker; and space-sufficient for a family to picnic.

From the upper trailhead, seasonally accessible by vehicle July 15 through Dec. 31, enjoy an easy one-mile hike to the upper viewpoint. Drive 2.4 miles north of the Salmon River on Hwy. 101, almost to the summit of Cascade Head. Turn left on Cascade Head Road (USFS Road 1861). Continue shy of 4 miles, bearing left where the road forks. The upper trailhead is marked by a small parking lot and sign.

Access to the preserve is restricted to hikers; dogs are not allowed. Vault toilets and trash facilities are available at Knight Park, and are the only public facilities in the preserve. No potable water is available and visitors are asked to plan accordingly. Sensitive ground nesting birds, and other animals and plants, require visitors to stay on the trail.

Photo by eongdi

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