Showing posts with label pacific city. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pacific city. Show all posts

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Oregon Coast Weather Looking Great!

Great News! Sunny Warm Beach Weather on Oregon Coast Late Summer & Fall!! Make your reservations now at our Oregon Coast Bed and Breakfast to enjoy the amazing 3 Capes Scenic Loop and Pacific City, Oregon!

Article reprinted from beachconnection.net

'Best Summer Ever' on Oregon Coast Likely to Continue Two Months

Published 08/17/2011

(Oregon Coast) – The statistics are backing it up. The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. Even the National Weather Service has some substantial facts to back it up (above: it's been bikini and cabana weather in Cannon Beach as well as the rest of the coast).

This is not only the sunniest summer in recent memory on the Oregon coast, it’s likely to continue through into the middle of October.

“Basically, people seem to agree this is the best summer weather in Neskowin ever,” said John Forsythe, owner of Proposal Rock Inn in Neskowin. “Since the weather in the valley has not gotten into the upper 80's it has translated into low wind, low fog and clear skies down here. Just ideal. Maybe two or three semi-cloudy days since about July 8.”

Depoe Bay

Forsythe is onto something. Those kind of mellow conditions in the valley do help keep the coast warmer, and they form the basis of a distinctly attractive phenomenon called the “Second Summer” on these beaches – one where September and October have the most inviting weather of the entire year along the coast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) and plenty of other weather reporting agencies are predicting similar conditions to last through Labor Day, which means the coast will likely stay bright, sunny and warm through that time.

Then, as September comes around, you can count on runs of really exceptional weather via this Second Summer. This likely means the Oregon coast will experience mostly beautiful weather straight through into the middle of the October.

At the National Weather Service office in Portland, senior meteorologist Treena Hartley acknowledged the forecast calls for similar conditions on the coast through Labor Day.

“Doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon, so I think safe to say,” Hartley said.

Oceanside

Second Summer usually lasts until the middle of October, sometimes longer. While Hartley couldn’t predict the coast would remain in that pattern throughout the early fall, past years have shown that time of year does have more low winds and sunny skies than any other time of year.

A good example is last year, in 2010, when the coast had just a handful of sunny days during July and August, a dismal, cloudy period that snagged the nickname “the bummer summer.” But when September and October rolled around, the Second Summer fun kicked in.

All this could translate into primarily sunny, dry and warm conditions for the next two months. Rain and clouds will likely appear sometime in September and October, but usually those two months remain mostly lovely.

Lincoln City

Susan Burr, general manager of Lincoln City hotel Inn at Spanish Head, said they have been keeping logs of the weather all summer. Indeed, since August 1, every day has been logged as sunny.

“Every day, with the exception of August 4th, which was described as ‘cloudy, moderate’ - which indicates clear,” Burr said. “I'm betting there was some sunshine that day, too.”

Conditions now are quite similar to those that create that coveted weather in early fall: the temperature differences between the coast and inland Oregon are less, thus allowing winds from the east to permeate.

However, Hartley said the difference between now and the patterns of early fall is that this area has been receiving a series of weather systems that allow warmer east winds to linger at the coast.

The small difference in temperatures between inland and the beaches has been one factor, but not the largest.

Near Yachats

“A bigger factor has been the upper level troughs we’ve come through,” Hartley said. “It’s all tied in, because that’s kept inland temperatures kind’a cool. Because when the inland temperature warms up a lot, the temperature differences between the two get more onshore winds and that creates lower cloud cover that stays there forever. We haven’t been getting that.”

Hartley said the upper level troughs and other systems keep coming, letting the prime conditions remain.

The north coast, from Manzanita and Cannon Beach northward into the Washington coast, has been experiencing more clouds than the central or south coast. But almost uniformly these cloudy moments have been earlier in the day and the clouds burn off in the afternoon.

Monday, June 7, 2010

The Origins of Pacific City's Haystack Rock

This is an article reprinted from Beach Connections

Haystack Rock is located just 8 minutes from our Oregon Coast Bed and Breakfast, Sandlake Country Inn!

Freaky Oregon Coast Facts: Geology of Pacific City's Haystack Rock

Published 06/01/2010

pacific city's haystack rock

(Pacific City, Oregon) – It's been an Oregon landmark for - well, millions of years - scores more decades than Euro-descended tourists have been around to gawk at it or consider it a favorite.

There are two Haystack Rocks along the Oregon coast: one at Cannon Beach and a slightly less famous one at Pacific City. They both have their mysteries, but the one at Pacific City is finally seeing the light of day as Oregon Coast Beach Connection went digging for answers with Oregon geologists.

One local tourism entity has claimed the Pacific City seastack is one of the largest in the world. That, if you’ll excuse the pun, is still up in the air.

But just how tall is Pacific City's Haystack Rock?

“The rock has an estimated height of 340.6 feet (103.8 m) as determined from Lidar data collected by our agency last year,” said Jonathan Allan, Coastal Geomorphologist and Coastal Section Team Leader with Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, in their Newport office.

And what is the origin of this grand structure?

Geologists aren’t completely sure – but about 95 percent sure – that it’s part of a massive lava flow that came searing through the northwest millions of years ago. This was the Miocene era, about 23 million years to five million years ago.

They call this the “Columbia River basalts,” which means it’s essentially the same basalt flow that created the Gorge.

“The lithology of the rock is definitely basalt and is probably part of the Grande Ronde basalt formation that is characteristic of Cape Lookout,” Allan said. “However, since we are not aware of any chemical analysis having been done on the basalt, I am not completely sure."

Seaside-based geologist Tom Horning said it’s the “same as nearly all other sea stacks and mountains south of the Columbia River.”

Horning adds:

“I personally believe it is the remains of a canyon-filling lava that followed the ancient Nestucca River to the ocean.”

In other words, there was a canyon in this spot at one time, and the lava flow was so huge it filled it. Eventually, the area that formed that canyon was eroded away, leaving just structures like Cape Lookout and whatever basalt formation was once connected to what we now know as Haystack Rock. Eventually, all that was worn away to leave Haystack and Lookout in their current forms.

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach is actually known as an “instrusive,” meaning the lava flow that it’s a part of shot its way back into the ground, probably in softer ground like mud or such, and then re-erupted again a ways away. This left blob structures that were eventually worn down into shapes we know today like the ones around Cannon Beach.

There may be further investigations into Pacific City’s intriguing monolith, and some more answers.

“I have proposed getting a permit to boat out to the rock and scope it or climb it,” Horning said.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New Restaurants!

I've got 2 new restaurants to tell you about.

Whiskey Creek Barbeque & Grill
Last night we decided give this new place a try. It's been only open a couple of months and it's located on Whiskey Creek Rd (along the 3 capes scenic route). It's only a 15 minute drive from Sandlake Country Inn on your way to Netarts.

The decor is Texas BBQ and quaint. Our waitress was very warm and hospitable and gave us great service. I had the BBQ pork ribs dinner. Their dinners come in 2 sizes, regular and Texas. We decided to get the Texas size so we would be sure to have enough to take home with us for the next days lunch. Ha! There was so much food, I'm sure that even the regular size would have given us enough to take back with us! The ribs had great flavor, but frankly were a little tough for me...next time I'll try the brisket or sausage. You get several choices of sides with your dinner and on the waitress' recommendation I chose the onion rings and coleslaw. Both were wonderful. Ron had the brisket and it was juicy and tender. His sides were fresh homemade french fries and cowboy beans. He gave a thumbs up to both of those.

Their prices are very reasonable with sandwiches in the $7.50-$10.50 range and huge dinners in the $17.00-$20.00 range

We're looking forward to going back to try more!



Ben & Jeff's Burgers and Tacos

We haven't tried this brand new place out yet, but the buzz around town is we're going to be in for some good food. Ben & Jeff's Burgers and Tacos is located in Pacific City, right next to the Pelican Pub. It's a fabulous location and will be a great alternative to the Pub which gets insanely busy and tends to be pricey for pub food. The menu is just as the name says...Burgers and Tacos. Nothing on the menu is more than $6.00 A place like this is definitely much needed in Pacific City. Just a few feet from the beach and Haystack Rock, it would be fun on a sunny day to take your burger & tacos with you, get your toes in the sand and enjoy the amazing view of Haystack Rock.

We're looking forward to trying their food and wish them a lot of success!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Unfamiliar with Our Area? Use our Interactive Map!

Are you someone who is not familiar with our area of the Oregon Coast or where our Oregon Coast Bed and Breakfast is located? Check out our Interactive Google Map on our website.

This Google Map allows you to see not only where we are located, but where all our favorite hikes, outdoor activities, beaches, whale watching sites, restaurants and museums are. You can zoom in and out to view the different areas. Make sure you check out the satellite view!! You can see exactly what kind of area we are in, how close to the beach we are and what an amazing area this section of the Oregon Coast is. Our location is perfect to explore Cape Kiwanda, Cape Lookout, Cape Meares, Tillamook and the Three Capes Scenic Route.

Since this map is personalized just for us, we've added all of our favorite spots, shopping and restaurants. It doesn't mean that you'll find every single restaurant or store on our map and we've only concentrated on areas that can be reached by car within a short period of time.

Once you are on our map and you want to see where all the restaurants are, just click the "on" button in the white "Dining" box. There are separate boxes for "Activities", Dining", "Shopping" and "Museums". The museums category also includes our local art galleries.

If your idea of a getaway or trip is to explore nature at it's finest and get away from the traditional touristy large towns, then Pacific City and Sandlake Country Inn is a perfect fit!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

It's a Beautiful Day in Pacific City!

Grant's Getaways - Three Capes Scenic Drive from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.





The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming (they're a bit confused, they think it's spring!) and there's no Tsunami on the Oregon Coast! Check out the video about the Three Capes Scenic Route.

Sunday's weather should be another spectacular day, so if you're able, come and see what Pacific City and the Three Capes Scenic Route is all about. We have 2 rooms still available, so spend the night and wake up to our 4 course hot breakfast & home roasted coffee.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Pacific City Honors the Dory Fleet

Pacific City honors it's Dory fleet with the 50th Annual Dory Days Festival July 17-19

The Dory Fleet fishermen use this small flat-bottomed boat to crash through the surf headed for the plentiful waters of the Pacific. At day’s end, they ride the waves back to shore and slide onto the beach. The original design of the dory allows it to launch from and land on the shore.

There will be Dory rides, food vendors and arts & craft vendors.

To learn more about the Dory boats and the Dory Fleet, check out this terrific article in Northwest Magazine

Haystack Rock in Pacific City is only minutes from Sandlake Country Inn on the beautiful Oregon Coast. Come and enjoy this Oregon Coast festival and have some of the best fish and chips around!

The Pacific City~Nestucca Valley Chamber and the Pacific City Dorymen's Association are co-sponsors of this event. The Dorymen's Association will have a large booth and a display of Dory Boats at the Cape Kiwanda parking lot. There will be live music throughout the weekend and many exciting activities as follows:

The dedication ceremy for the new Dorymen's Memorial Wall at the Cape be on Sunday, July 19th, time TBA. For more information about the Memorial Wall dedication, call Tom Donohue: donodoc@harborside.com

The Parade will be Saturday, July 18th, starting at 11am. The theme is "Memories of the past, dreams for the future". Parade line-up at the boat ramp on Sunset Drive begins at 8:00am, judging will begin promptly at 9:30am. Tropies and ribbons will be awarded. For questions on the Parade, call Terri Johnston at 541-921-0281 or email her at TJohnston@CapeKiwandaRVResort.com. If you are interested in participating in the parade, please download the application.

The coloring contest is underway and the forms are available at the Chamber offices in Cloverdale and Pacific City, as well as Maintenance & More construction. For more info on the coloring contest, contact Killy Poore at 971-998-6385 or KittyP3519@embarqmail.com

The Fish Fry (fish & chips basket) will be happening at Cape Kiwanda on Saturday from noon to 5pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. For questions about the Fish Fry call Mary Jones at 503-965-7779 or email at MaryJJones@NestuccaRidge.com

There will be a Climbing Wall and a "Surf Machine" at the Cape for kids of all ages to test their skills. For more information on these activities, contact Jeff Schons at 503-965-7779 or Jeff@NestuccaRidge.com

Other Vendor booths at the Cape will be related to Dories, Fishing, Ocean Safety, or other nautical theme items and there will be presentations from the Coast Guard and other agencies. For more infomation on vendor booths at the Cape, contact Mary Jones at 503-965-7779 or MaryJJones@NestuccaRidge.com

There will be an Artisan Fair located at the four-way stop in downtown Pacific City. Contact Maryanne Hoffman at 503-801-1516 or mhoffman@oregoncoast.com for a vendor application for the Artisan Fair.

Other activiities will include a fishing contest in the morning and a filleting demonstration - both on Sunday, 7/19.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Pacific City Fireworks on 4th of July!!

Join us for the Pacific City/Nestucca Valley Chamber's 4th of July fireworks celebration. The fireworks starts at dusk at Bob Straub beach, but you can get a good view anywhere on the beach from Cape Kiwanda on south. Join us on the Oregon coast to celebrate our country's independence.

In addition to the professional fireworks show, there are many folks who bring elaborate fireworks to set off on the beach and over the ocean and can be as fun and entertaining as the professional show. You can make a fire on the beach, roast some marshmallows and enjoy the show.

Sandlake Country Inn is located just a short drive (8 minutes) from Cape Kiwanda. We're in a perfect location to enjoy the local festivities, yet come back, take a warm bubble bath in a double jacuzzi tub and get out of the busy & noisy town of Pacific City after the fireworks. People tend to shoot off their personal stash of fireworks on the beach all night.

Monday, March 2, 2009


Birding and Blues Festival - For three days discover secrets about the intriguing bird life and wildlife along our spectacular Oregon coast. There will be morning guided field trips and interactive daytime seminars. Then, each evening after an ocean sunset, try some fine restaurant fare, check out the art galleries, and warm your soul with blues in the night. Expect dancing and concerts both Friday and Saturday night plus music around town.
The festival will occur the weekend of Friday, April 3, Saturday April 4 and Sunday, April 5th 2009 in Pacific City. April sits at the front door of the migratory season when birders ready themselves for the wildlife’s seasonal awakening. The weather is starting to include many spring-like days and the birds are become more lively.

Back by popular demand - Nestucca River Boat Tours & Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge


The Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge is now open to visitors! The "Cannery Hill" unit is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife have recently created areas to view and admire this beautiful and important area. The official U.S. Fish and Wildlife website says "There are two parking lots on the Cannery Hill Unit, the Pacific View Parking Area has minimal parking so we encourage you to leave your car at the first parking lot and walk the graveled Christensen Road/Trail which is a moderately difficult, 15 minute one way trip that leads you to the Pacific View Trail. Be mindful that you will be sharing the roadway with cars. On the Pacific View Trail you will experience an easy, 10 minute walk on a paved surface with rest benches. The trail ends at an observation deck where you will be treated to a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean, Haystack Rock, Nestucca Bay, the Coast Range, and the Little Nestucca River".

The refuge habitat includes wooded uplands, riparian wetlands, salt marsh, and open meadows. These habitats provide safe haven for waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, mammals, anadromous fish and amphibians.

The Neskowin Marsh unit of this refuge is the southernmost coastal sphagnum bog on the Pacific Coast. It is a rare and outstanding ecosystem with exceptional biological value. In addition to bird and mammal species, the sphagnum bog is home to many unusual and beautiful plant species such as the carnivorous Round-leaved Sundew.

The refuge supports 10% of the world population of dusky Canada geese, and the world's small population of Semidi Islands Aleutian Cackling geese, a subspecies of the Aleutian Cackling Goose, and the only coastal wintering population of dusky Canada geese.

"Aleutian Canada Goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia) - This subspecies of Canada Goose breeds in the Aleutian and Semidi Islands of Alaska. The Semidi Island group winters on the Oregon coast at Nestucca Bay NWR. This rather small Canada Goose was on the US Endangered Species List until being delisted in March 2001, when the population made a dramatic recovery after having been reduced to less than 1,000 birds. The Aleutian Canada Goose feeds in the pastures at Nestucca Bay and roosts in the ocean or on Haystack Rock in Pacific City. Like other Canada geese, the Aleutian likes pastures where grass and wetlands are present and can also be found in freshwater, bays, and marshes. They will nest on the ground near water in a nest lined with their down. Clutch size is typically four to eight eggs with a month long incubation period. It can take six to ten weeks for the young to fledge. Their diet is mainly plant matter. Aleutian Canada Geese can be seen migrating in a flock from the central coast of Oregon to the Semidi Islands. At night they can be spotted flying to Haystack Rock Pacific City to roost for the evening." (source - www.fws.gov)

Directions: The Refuge is located on the west side of Highway 101 approximately six miles south of Pacific City. To visit the refuge turn west off of Highway 101 onto Christensen Road and proceed a half mile to the parking lot.