Matt Love, a local writer, teacher and proprietor of Nestucca Press, describes the birth of and on going struggles to keep Oregon beaches open to the public, instead of permitting hotels and home owners to cordon off their section against the casual visitor, as is done in all other ocean front states, in Grasping Wastrels Vs Beaches Forever, Inc. Matt invested 10 years restoring the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Preserve as related in Gimme Refuge. I share Matt's love of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, the subject of his latest work The Green Lady. He is currently working on a book about the adventures and tales during the filming of the 1970's movie Sometimes A Great Notion with Paul Newman, based on Ken Kesey's novel. Ken Kesey also wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. http://nestuccaspitpress.com/.
Recently, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology hosted paleontologist Kirk Johnson and artist Ray Kroll, whose collaboration Crusin' The Fossil Freeway follows their travels across portions of the west in search of fossils and meeting paleonerds. They are funny and inspiring in person and Ray's paintings are fanciful and colorful, check them out on his webpage. Their current project is sited on the west coast from California to Alaska. http://trollart.com/fossils.html
Many leisurely afternoons are spent on the beach at Taft, virtually across the street from the campground, which is often populated with agate collectors and crabbers.
