Footprints In The Sand

Where ocean and land meet on western edge of Oregon likes a beachfront community where stress doesn't exist and where smiles come to play.
Just a two and half hour drive northwest from Portland, Oregon along the twisting US 26 highway is the village of Cannon Beach.

Rising from the ocean floor is the magnificent Haystack Rock. At 340 feet high this geological formation serves as the unofficial bodyguard to this beachfront paradise. Like the Mona Lisa, travelers have set their gaze upon this gigantic boulder to watch the seagulls fly around its top and nest on it peak. When the tide pulls away, you hike at its base an observe the neon-orange colored starfish that cling to its base or the mussels that collect in the tide pools that surround "The Rock."

Walk along the wide, gray,, sandy beach and you'll feel the cool Pacific Ocean breeze wrap around you like a warm shoulder leading you on an unforgettable journey. Hints of burnt wood from a fire that burned the night before, or caramel corn fill the air as the sun warms your face. This is a magical place.

With a population of less than 2, 000 the town of Cannon Beach may remind some travelers of the Hamptons, but don't be fooled, there is no air of pretense here. Tiny shops offering beach themed trinkets and restaurants offering the freshest fish line main street. A must see is Tom and Larry's candy kitchen. Charlene and Doug Palmer have run the store since 1967. Charlene’s son, Chuck Baliconis, is the fudge maker, and he uses the copper kettle and marble slab method. Visitors can watch him in action.

This is a casual beach town where a dress codes are a foreign language. Here Birkenstocks and flip flops are the footwear of choice. After a long walk on the beach travelers must experience the array of local art galleries. They are a showcase of both beach life and the history of Oregon. Everything from glass to wood art are on display, and at affordable prices.

This breath-taking tiny beach town is where I hope to hang my hat someday. In the meantime, I dream of the next time I dig my toes into the sand, hear the seagulls fly by Haystack rock while I walk in the sun with my box of fudge.