This summer, visitors can discover what the life of a lighthouse keeper was like on a lighthouse and keeper’s house tour at Heceta Head. The Heceta Head Lighthouse and the Keeper’s House are both located off Highway 101 between Yachats and Florence. Access to both historic buildings are via a short half-mile trail from the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint parking lot ($5 fee per vehicle is required). Fun Facts: The Heceta lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1894, with a light pattern that flashes white every 10 seconds. Heceta’s first-order Fresnel lens is the only one known ..read more

The Hughes House, located in Cape Blanco State Park near Sixes, and the Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum, located in Port Orford, are now open to the public. The Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS) provides tours at the Hughes House and Lifeboat Station from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays through September. The outside of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, also located in Cape Blanco State Park, is available for viewing during park open hours. Each site is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located in beautiful settings with ocean views and hiking trails. U. S ..read more

This summer, visitors can discover what the life of a lighthouse keeper was like on a lighthouse and keeper’s house tour at Heceta Head. The Heceta Head Lighthouse and the Keeper’s House are both located off Highway 101 between Yachats and Florence. Access to both historic buildings are via a short half-mile trail from the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint parking lot ($5 fee per vehicle is required). Fun Facts: The lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1894, with a light pattern that flashes white every 10 seconds. Heceta’s first-order Fresnel lens is the only one known to exis ..read more

The Yachats Arts Guild (YAG) is having its annual art show, “Spring into Art,” during Memorial Day weekend. The show will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 through Sunday, May 26.  There will be other festivities going on as usual in Yachats, including the Farmers Market right outside the YAG venue on Sunday. YAG’s show will be located inside the Yachats Commons at 441 Hwy 101 N in Yachats. The show features 19 local artists selling their works in watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, sculpture, silk painting, photog ..read more

The O.H. Hinsdale Rhododendron Garden will be open to the public on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Staff from the Bureau of Land Management and the Friends of Hinsdale Garden invite visitors to enjoy hundreds of blooming flowers in the historic garden. The garden is located along the Umpqua River, three miles east of Reedsport, Ore., on Highway 38. The garden contains hundreds of rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas, some over 100 years old. “We look forward to seeing everyone this year and share with visitors the awe of walking through the garden surround by 30-foot-tall rhododend ..read more

The Beach, Bike & Blues Festival returns to Waldport on May 4 for an afternoon and evening filled with live music, brews, and food galore. The Festival welcomes bike racers who participate in the Oregon Coast Gravel Epic, a mountain bike race taking place in the adjacent Siuslaw National Forest the morning of May 4. Bike racer or not, all are welcome to the fest. The fun festival takes place from noon to 7 p.m. at the Alsea Bay Bridge Visitor Center & Museum at 320 NW Highway 101 in Waldport. The venue is dog-friendly and ADA accessible.  Admission is FREE and all ages are welcom ..read more

It’s that time of year again: Seal pups are appearing on beaches along the Oregon coast. Though they may appear to be abandoned, most of the time they are just resting and waiting for mom. Beachgoers are asked to stifle their desire to assist these animals in some way, and instead give them space. Every spring, harbor seals give birth on secluded beaches or reefs along the Pacific coast. According to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the pups are born ready to swim, but cannot tread water for long; they need ample time on shore to rest and stay warm. Concerned observers often report “abandoned” seal ..read more

The O.H. Hinsdale Rhododendron Garden will be open to the public on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Staff from the Bureau of Land Management and the Friends of Hinsdale Garden invite visitors to enjoy hundreds of blooming flowers in the historic garden. The garden is located along the Umpqua River, three miles east of Reedsport, Ore., on Highway 38. The garden contains hundreds of rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas, some over 100 years old. “We look forward to seeing everyone this year and share with visitors the awe of walking through the garden surround by 30-foot-tall rhododend ..read more

The Charleston Marine Life Center is full of stories and exhibits that dive into the world of marine life found on the Oregon Coast. STORY BY EMILY KOLKEMO MY FAMILY IS family is visiting the Charleston Marine Life Center. My two young daughters spend a lot of time at the touch pool, where they are surprised by the feel of a purple urchin and sea cucumber. I watch as they are fascinated with tiny creatures under microscopes. They hover around the tank where the red octopus is playing with a ball, and stand in awe of the very large and well-preserved Humboldt squid specimen. As we visited the ..read more

Don’t miss the gray whales as they blow, breach, and fluke their way from their breeding and birthing grounds near Baja, Mexico, to the feeding areas of the Bering and Chukchi seas off Alaska during Whale Week. This year’s watch week is just in time for Oregon’s spring break, taking place March 23-31. Armed with binoculars, a warm coat, and a little bit of patience, you can watch the whales from any high point with a clear view of the Pacific. But if you’d like to learn a little about the 18,000 gray whales as they make their journey, try watching the whales during the spring Whale Watch Week ..read more