Oregon's exciting coast

There's only one Oregon Coast, and if you've been there, you know that. Follow Highway 101 — and with numerous rocky headlands, rugged geography, countless nooks and crannies and oodles of public access, you'll find that this is a sightseer's delight.

There's so much to see and absorb here, you won't have the time or energy to enjoy it all, but that's the beauty of this place — it will beckon you back for future visits.

This is a place where you can wear a car's brakes out, with numerous stops along a coastline that boasts more public access than you can imagine.

Indeed, Diane Reading, spokeswoman for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association in Newport, said, "'The People's Coast' is how the Oregon Coast is going to be promoted in the future. Only Hawaii has as much public access along its coastlines.

"The Oregon Coast is one of those magical places where you can stay for days and spend little money," she said. "There're so many different things to do, tons of stuff."

Reading laughed when I first asked her about the Oregon Coast. She didn't know where to start, she said, there's so much to highlight. So, I said, the "northern half," and that's what this story will focus on — the 170 miles from Florence north along Highway 101 — though rest assured the southern half has just as much to see and do.

The months of September and October might be the best time to visit the Oregon Coast. That's what Reading recommends, because it is still warm, drier on average than just about any other month, and all the crowds are gone.

But she stresses, "in the height of the summer season, you can still find a place along the beach not crowded with people."

With so much public access, people can just spread out.

Notwithstanding, Reading said it is commonly accepted as a rule of thumb that you can drive the entire Oregon Coast — nonstop — in 12 hours. She said that doesn't apply during the months of July and August when many vehicles crowd Highway 101 — the lifeline highway.

To have a truly worthwhile visit, she suggests getting a hold of a free copy of the "Mile-By-Mile Guide to Highway 101 Oregon Coast." Just as the title states, this tells exactly what there is to see or stop at each mile of the entire 363-mile coastal drive.

Reading recommended the Sea Lion Caves, 11 miles north of Florence, as a "must stop" along the north part of the coastal drive. This is the world's largest sea cave. There is an admission fee for the elevator ride down and inside.

Lush, evergreen forests along the coast also may remind Utahns they are somewhere totally different from home.

Cape Perpetua, just south of Yachats, is the highest point for Highway 101 along the coast, and another great place. There's also Devil's Churn and Cook's Chasm, places to see the power of the restless Pacific Ocean up close and personal.

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