Oregon Coast Travel Picks, Week of Oct. 9

(Oregon Coast) – This coming week is jam-packed full of interesting and slightly unusual fun on the coast. There’s an old ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie coming to Newport, new adventures in wine tasting, a wild and eccentric kite festival in Lincoln City, and some other fun both esoteric and outdoorsy in nature.

The fall season of classical music from the Neskowin Chamber Music begins on Sunday, October 15, with Turtle Island bringing its heady mix of classical chamber, bluegrass and rock to the Camp Winema venue, off Winema Road, some three miles south of Pacific City. 503-392-3189. And that’s just the beginning of the fun.

Sunset Beach Park and Beaches (near Gearhart). Access to this popular area is about a half mile west of the highway, lying about a half mile south of MP 13. Look for signs to Sunset Beach and the Astoria Golf and Country Club. There’s also a freshwater lake here which is known for its swimming possibilities.

Just like the park, access to this popular beach is about one mile west of the highway along the same road. Vehicles are legal on the beach here as well.

As you drive along Highway 101 in this area between Seaside and Warrenton, be on the lookout for small roadside stands selling the wares of local farmers. Everything from flowers, eggs, honey and produce seems to pop up now and then.

Nearby is Cullaby Lake, which comes complete with picnic tables, boat ramps, a swimming area, stoves and other amenities. Access to the popular lake and a nearby park is via an eastward access, just a tiny bit north of the Del Rey Beach access.

Cannon Beach

“Lend Me a Tenor,” Oct. 13, Cannon Beach. This uproarious farce by the author of Moon Over Buffalo takes place in 1934 on the biggest night in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. World-famous tenor, Tito Merelli, is to perform the title role in "Otello" at the gala season opening. Unfortunately, Tito arrives too late to rehearse with the company and through a series of mishaps, a double dose of tranquilizers and mistaken identity, the Grand Opera Company suddenly has two Otello's. A sensation in both New York and London, Lend Me a Tenor leaves audiences teary-eyed with laughter. 8 p.m. Admission $16 - $14. Coaster Theatre Playhouse, Cannon Beach. http://www.coastertheatre.com

Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival, Oct. 14 & 15. This coming Saturday is the start of hordes of kites and other objects d’air floating about and creating a visual raucous. You’ll find kite buggies, kite surfers, a race of an unusual sort involving doughnut-shaped kites, and a group called iQuad – an international team of flyers who use quad line kites as the mechanism for madness in the air. Then there’s the Mass Ascension, which the public can participate in. Bring your own kite and see how may of them the town can get airborne at once. Launch yours and you might get a unique kite feather made by Deb Cooley. Everyone who signs up and flies in the mass ascension will be entered into a drawing for a glass float. Still, the standby here is the fantastical sights created by some of these truly unusual kites, with some wild and unforgettable designs. It happens at the D River Wayside in Lincoln City, in the middle of town. 800-452-2151.
http://www.oregoncoast.org/kite-festival/kites-fall06.html

Weekly Wine Tasting at Blu Cork Wine Bar, Newport. Each Friday now, Blu Cork will feature a different winery from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., with free samples of wine and a chance to learn much from the wine rep from that winemaker. This week’s winery is Trinity, happening on Friday, October 13. SW Third St., Newport. 541-265-2257.

Tradewinds Motel, Rockaway Beach. If you don’t like expansive ocean views, close proximity to golfing, fishing tours and quick access to seven miles of pristine beaches, the perhaps stay away. Then the good things in life aren’t for you. Otherwise, this quintessential beauty in Rockaway Beach is your ticket to vacation fun for families, couples or large groups. They have some intriguing ways of connecting up their rooms to create larger facilities, perfect for weddings, reunions or just gathering for good times.

Some rooms at the Tradewinds are pet friendly, too. All rooms here come with TV’s, VCR’s and in-room phones with data ports. All oceanfront units have a queen bed, a double hide-a-bed, kitchen, cozy firelog fireplace and a private deck. Some oceanfront units come with all those amenities but the kitchens. Both types sleep up to four people. The non-oceanfront rooms are appointed with a queen bed, small fridge, and coffee maker – sizable for a two-person romantic getaway, yet still perfect for those on a budget. There is an elaborate oceanfront Jacuzzi suite that has two bedrooms, coming with a kitchen, double hide-a-bed, fireplace and private deck, sleeping as many as six. 523 N. Pacific St., Rockaway Beach. (503) 355-2112 - 1-800-824-0938. www.tradewinds-motel.com

Tall Ships Visit Newport, October 12 – 15. One stately spectacle is sure to be this visit by some famous faces in the maritime world of old. The Lady Washington will be on hand – the ship featured in the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” flick, along with the Hawaiian Chieftain, all hanging out at Port Dock 3. The public can tour these ancient beauties, get some hands-on training and demos on deckhand duties, and there’s a mock battle between the two vessels that’s sure to get the blood stirring. Tickets for the battle cruises are $50 adults, $30 kids. 800-200-5239.

Looking Ahead

Talk on Oregon Coast Paranormal Stories, Seaside and Newport. It’s called “Oregon Coast Ghosts and the Paranormal,” an interactive talk about coastal legends and weird tales held on two different ends of the coast, and given by BeachConnection.net editor Andre’ Hagestedt.

Hagestedt

The presentation will include spooky stories about lighthouses, the legends that are simply laughable, and a host of tales that defy category, covering ghosts, poltergeists, UFO’s, spiritual spots, conspiracy theories, sea monsters and myths that were debunked, as well as unusual historical tidbits and weird science that relate to the subject.

Hagestedt will give two talks at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport on October 28, and then one talk at Beach Books in Seaside on October 30. The Newport talk will be especially eerie, as the shark tank is nearby, and the eyes of the sharks become especially bizarre when hit by the nighttime lighting at the aquarium. https://www.beachconnection.net/news/gtalk1006_04111.htm

Click here to hear the funky radio spot for the event from Oregon Coast Aquarium