Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 2021)
2B | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021 | APPEAL TRIBUNE Cobble Beach at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area features tide pools, a unique beach and views of seals. Pairing Continued from Page 1B A fisherman and The Pocket Fisherman HENRY MILLER / SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL Miller Continued from Page 1B Not to mention the po- tential for impalement if there was a hook in- volved in pocketing the device. If you think about it, and engaging viewers in critical thinking is defi- nitely not what infomer- cials are about, a fishing rod is the lightest, easi- est-to-carry piece of fishing tackle. It’s the tackle boxes, cooler, maybe a bucket and a folding chair that make up the bulk – and that’s the operative word – of your gear. Popeil’s perpetual so- lution in search of a problem approach to manufacturing and sales reminds me of an oft-told story. It was told to me by my dad, so it’s probably true. After the Soviet Union came apart with the fall of the Berlin Wall, some Russian and American space-project engineers were sharing stories about their experiences. An American de- scribed in great detail the exhaustive, protracted work and expense in- volved in developing a pen that would write in zero gravity. “How did you solve the problem?” he asked a Soviet scientist, who al- legedly shrugged and smiled. “We gave them pen- cils.” Highlights: clamming tides and tuna within reach Item 1: There is a good minus-tide series in pro- gress during the early morning hours, with the two lowest falling this weekend, Aug. 21 and 22. You can look up the times and tides for the hot spots on the coast online at Tide Location Selec- tion for Oregon (saltwa- tertides.com) And, as al- ways, be sure to check before heading out by calling the Oregon De- partment of Agricul- ture’s toll-free shellfish biotoxin hotline at (800) 448-2474 or go online to the State of Oregon: Due to the holiday, our offi ce hours and obituary placement times may vary. Please contact us at 503-399-6789 or obituary@statesmanjournal.com for further details. Shellfish - Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Clo- sures Item 2: According to reports from charter of- fices, albacore tuna are finally within striking distance off the Oregon coast. You need reliable sea legs for adventures last- ing 12 to 18 hours, and deep pockets for trips that run $250 and up. Didn’t scare you off? For current informa- tion about fishing and ocean conditions, or to make reservations: h Depoe Bay Dock- side Charters: (541) 765- 2545. Website: www.docksidedepoe- bay.com h Tradewinds Char- ters: (800) 445-8730. Website: www.trade- windscharters.com h Newport h Newport Marina Store & Charters: (541) 867-4470. Website: www.nmscharters.com h Newport Trade- winds: (541) 265-2101. Website: www.newport- tradewinds.com h Yaquina Bay Char- ters: (541) 265-6800. Website: www.yaquina- baycharters.com Thought for the week: Experience teach- es that fish don’t care how much you spent for your tackle and gear. Contact Henry via email at Henry MillerSJ@gmail.com OR-GCI0667856-01 Simple Cremation $795 Simple Direct Burial $995 Church Funeral $2965 SALEM 275 Lancaster Drive SE Salem, OR 97317 (503) 581-6265 TUALATIN 8970 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd Tualatin, OR 97062 (503) 885-7800 PORTLAND 832 NE Broadway Portland, OR 97232 (503) 783-3393 TIGARD 12995 SW Pacifi c Hwy Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 783-6869 EASTSIDE 1433 SE 122nd Ave Portland, OR 97233 (503) 783-6865 MILWAUKIE 16475 SE McLoughlin Blvd Milwaukie, OR 97267 (503) 653-7076 “Easy Online Arrangements” OR-GCI0571428-02 www.CrownCremationBurial.com Both places are best explored as part of an overnight trip to Newport — a ref- uge this summer that’s continually had temperatures in the 60s even as the Willamette Valley burns up in triple digits. Oregon Coast Aquarium offers education made fun Nothing quite compares to watching a harbor seal or sea otter swim past the underwater glass windows at the Aquarium’s outdoor exhibits, or look- ing into the octopus cave to see wheth- er you can see two eyes looking back at you. The Coast Aquarium is not cheap at just under $80 for two kids and two adults, but each time we go, the kids are thrilled and willing to stay for 4 to 5 hours. That’s a pretty good return on investment and one I’m willing to make once a year. And look, there’s nowhere else in Oregon you can watch Tufted Puffins dive off a rock and then swim underwater. The “passages of the deep” is prob- ably the biggest showstopper, with fish and sharks swimming above, around and below you. The jellyfish exhibits are always transfixing as well. Masks are currently required for indoor exhib- its, which is smart given it can become crowded in a confined space. The Oregon Coast Aquarium features a great way to interact with undersea life in Newport. Yaquina Head allows watching nature in the wild While it’s one thing to watch a har- bor seal swim underwater through a glass window, it’s probably more thrill- ing for kids to see them in the wild. That’s just one of the opportunities you get at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natu- ral Area on the north side of Newport. It costs $7 per vehicle, but is free if you arrive on a bike. The lighthouse tour and visitor’s center have been closed since the beginning of the pan- demic and remain shuttered, but there’s still plenty to do outdoors. Far more fun are hikes such as Cob- ble Beach, Quarry Cove, Salal Hill and the paved trails around the lighthouse. Cobble Beach Trail Easily my favorite place at Yaquina Head, and one of my favorite beaches in Oregon, everything about Cobble Beach is cool, including the unique greyish blue cobble rocks, the life-filled tidepools, the seals playing nearby and even the helpful volunteers. From the lighthouse parking area, you reach the beach down a set of stairs that’s easy for most. Visitors must leave all the rocks on the beach. On most days you’ll get a talk from a ranger before stepping onto the beach. The tidepools are the main high- light, and they are fantastic, filled with multi-colored anemones, starfish and the ubiquitous purple sea urchin. Friendly rangers ensure people stay off barnacles while explaining to kids the fun facts about how starfish are not really fish but echinoderms — similar to urchins. The beach also offers views of seals playing, splashing and swimming in the cove, with the lighthouse rising overhead. Lighthouse and Salal Hill At the main lighthouse parking lot, a paved path weaves around the Yaquina Head Lighthouse — at 93 feet the tallest on the Coast. There are also great views of the Oregon Islands just offshore cov- Salal Hill is an uphill hike that leads to outstanding views of the Oregon Coast and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. PHOTOS BY ZACH URNESS/STATESMAN JOURNAL ered in hundreds of sea birds — many of the same types you see up close at the Aquarium. Once you’ve circled the lighthouse, head over to Salal Hill, a beautiful and not-too-difficult hike to the top of a hill with knockout views of everything the cape has to offer — the lighthouse, Cob- ble Beach and the beach down into Newport. Quarry Cove Trial A former gravel quarry blasted into the side of the headland, this 1 mile trail travels down to more tide pools and a pretty but unnatural beach. Apparent- ly, a developer at one point planned to blast almost all of Yaquina Head before the federal government stepped in to preserve the area. Communications Hill Another 1 mile hike up to a great viewpoint of the surrounding coast be- gins just behind the Visitor’s Center. For more info on planning a trip to Yaquina Head, call 541-574-3100. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter, photographer and videogra- pher in Oregon for 13 years. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness can be reached at zur ness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.