A WEEK-DAY GETAWAY

FOR OUR WORLD TUESDAY and NATURE FOOTSTEPS WATERS on Wednesday.    (Thank you to the hosts of both wonderful sharing sites!)

We stayed on the Oregon Coast for a few days last week.   The days were blue and sunny  -- certainly not always the case even in the summer.    Although not the most picturesque place on the coast, our long beach was great for walking and meditating.

 

One of the things I thought about was how lucky Oregon is to have public access to all of its beautiful beaches.   Nearly all of them are also off-limits to vehicles.

 

 

 

Most Oregonians (and people who used to be Oregonians)  know that Oswald West,  Oregon's 14th Governor (serving from 1911-1915) was responsible for this.   

This information is from The online OREGON ENCYCLOPEDIA.  

In his 1913 biennial message to the legislature, West  declared that Oregon's beaches should be declared public domain.  There was no formal action at that time, but it was understood that the Oregon coastline was public property.    The State "Beach Bill" passed in 1967 made public access to the shoreline permanent, but only because the doctrine created by West had delayed private and commercial development of the beaches for more than a half century.  After he left office, West continued to advocate for environmental causes.  He wrote "No selfish interest should be permitted, through politics or otherwise, to destroy or even impair this great birthright of our people."

 These are the stairs at the edge of the beach going up to the lawn of the motel where we stayed.  When I took this picture, I was standing at the edge of the ocean, about 20 feet from the stairs.     We could see the ocean from our room and easily walk to  the public beach.    

A perfect mid-week getaway. 

 

Comments

[lindyloumacinitaly]

I would love to take a long walk on that beach.

[snowwhite]

What a beautiful beach!! Sea and sky are shining and welcoming each other. What we do not have in Nara is sea. Nara is a basin surrounded by mountains. I do hope to see this fabulous scenery someday!
keiko

[joannemo@comcast.net]

so much sea and sky - wonderful pics....empty beaches, too - I'll bet the water is really cold!

[Rita aka Cashjocky]

What lovely shots. This is certainly a place I would enjoy visiting.

The stairs remind me of the ones I saw in Del Mar, Ca. but the beaches there were a lot more rocky, dark and covered in seaweed.

This beach looks so clean and delightful.

[Margot]

Thank Goodness for Oswald West. It sure does make a difference in the beauty of the Oregon coast. All it takes is one trip on US 1 to see it. Beautiful pictures.

[Rambling Woods]

Now I like that..public access..and it is a stunning beach..would love to take a walk with you...

[Halcyon]

Gorgeous beach shots! It seems to extend on forever and ever. I would love to visit Oregon. Must put it on my bucket list. :)

[Penny]

What a beautiful spot to be, Sallie, and what a debt of gratitude is owed to Oswald West in putting the people and their beaches first. What a forward thinking man he was.

[Stewart M]

Hi there - what a great looking beach - its looks like the kind of place where you can set a walk by the time you want to walk "I'll walk for an hour and then turn around!".

Australia is 15 hours from LA and you can always stop for a few days in New Zealand!

Cheers - Stewart M

[Robin from Israel]

All of the beaches are public access? Wow, that is amazing! What a gift he gave everyone.

[Carletta]

A beautiful wide expanse of beach and sky - gorgeous!

[Hildred]

What a lovely place to be spending August, Sallie.

[Lady Fi]

Wonderful beach shots!

[Lesley]

Your beach is gorgeous. (mine pales in comparison!)

[TexWisGirl]

it sounds (and looks) wonderful! :)

[Sandy Carlson (USA)]

I love that beach!

[Gail]

Imagine! A politician that actually cared about something so important to everyone. Color me very impressed. I visited Cannon Beach with my daughter last year and enjoyed it immensely. And I was so amazed that there were volunteers stationed in different places to help identify many of the sea creatures attached to the rocks.

[genie]

I loved reading about the governor and what he did for all Oregonians and visitors. What a wonderful thing to do. As best I remember, In Palm Beach were I grew up, the big estates on the Atlantic (i.e.the Kennedy Compound) basically own the beach, too. That may have changed considering I am as old as I am, but I doubt it. My memories of Canon Beach are so special. What a heavenly place to visit. Your picture of the seashore and the skies are beautiful. I really enjoyed your post and the history you shared with us. genie

[Fun60]

Those long empty beaches look so inviting.

[Joe Todd]

I would love to spend some time there.. Maybe some day.. Hope all is well with you

[Barb]

I love Oregon's shoreline. The beaches are so scenic and wild. Glad the weather cooperated, Sallie!

[Al]

That was a forward-looking man, we need more like him today. Beautiful photos, I'd love to stay at a motel like that and spend time on a sunny beach.

[Eileen]

It is great that the Oregon beaches are public beaches. I found most of the Oregon coast to be beautiful, I loved it there. Great shots, Sallie!

[Sylvia Kirkwood]

It's hard to find any beaches more beautiful that the ones in Oregon! Really terrific captures for the day, Sallie!! And definitely a governor ahead of his time! Thanks for the beauty!! Have a great week!

[Boom & Gary]

He had a smart head on his shoulders!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

[Penelope Postcards]

What a vast and wonderful beach and sky. Just looking at your photos is relaxing. I so admire the Governor who sounds ahead of his time and quite visionary when it comes to respecting the environment.

[EG Wow]

I think all beaches should be off limits to vehicles! These are beautiful beaches!

[Carver]

Beautiful shots of the Oregon coastline.

[Rajesh]

Absolutely beautiful place. Very nice shots of the beach.

[HAZEL]

My sort of beach! It's good that the sun shone for you too; here the Bank Holiday weekend was a washout, cold and windy...