OK, banish the sad thoughts because the drive we took coming home and the whole area of the coast we were at also held lots and lots of happy memories. My brother Ken, and my friend, Camille, used to race hydroplanes, and I was the head scorekeeper/timekeeper for the racing club. We had races all over Western Oregon, and several of them were at the coast.
We drove past Lake Lytle, just north of Rockaway, several times this weekend and I was astonished anew that we were able to have races on that lake for several years - it now seems so small! We used to race at Cullaby Lake near Astoria - we didn't go to the lake this weekend, but we drove by the entrance. We used to race at Waldport - in fact, one of my friends was living there and was renting a beach house right on the beach. It was fantastic to stay there because it was so beautiful. Other racer friends had moved from Rockaway (I never saw the Rockaway house) to Pacific City and Camille and I were able to stay with them a couple of times. They had a large, beautiful house, a bit away from the beach, and we enjoyed them immensely. Camille had a Goldilocks moment there one time when she was staying in the teenage son's room and he unexpectedly came home in the middle of the night - he was at the age when he was pretty unshockable but I think finding Camille in his bed was pretty surprising. Good thing they were friends. He slept in the family room that night and surprised his mother by being there the next morning. I always had lingering suspicions about it though because Camille always liked them young and teachable.............
We also drove past Manzanita, an area where I've stayed many times - there used to be an old but comfortable motel right on the beach, I don't know if it's still there or not but I don't think so. There's been a lot of build-up in that area so it's not as isolated-feeling as it used to be, but it's still pretty nice. I kind of miss the way it used to feel though, like a very small town with few people and just one or two restaurants - it's become a real beach community now.
And then my friend, Barbara, is half-owner of a house at Neahkahnie Beach, just a quarter-mile or so from Manzanita - the house is on the mountain and it's a bit of a hike down to the beach itself, but it has a pretty nice view. I stayed there a few times but, even with the view, it's too much of a hassle to get to the beach and back.
My dream? My dream is to have a beach house of my own. I always liked the Manzanita and Rockaway areas but anywhere with beach front and easy beach access would be fine. I am rejuvinated by the ocean - but unlike this past weekend, I have to be able to SEE it, hear it, touch it, smell it, taste it. I saw a house in Lincoln City this past fall that would be perfect. It was beachfront, about 30 feet up (which would be good for tsunami reasons...), with a sturdy staircase down, a large yard with about 60-70 feet between the house and the cliff, a huge patio/deck, two stories, with walls of windows. Or the Neidermeier house in Seaside, where I stayed once (once, because even in the 80's it rented for about $500 per night - we had a group of about 10 people who split the cost for the weekend) - it was huge and had a large beautiful sunroom facing the beach - which was basically the backyard. Truly, it had decks in the back with about 20 feet of grass/sand which blended to the beach. I wonder if it's still there....so much of the Seaside beachfront has been rebuilt with timeshares and hotels. The county library was bequeathed a beach house in Seaside long ago and library employees were able to reserve it on a limited basis. My friend, Sue, used to reserve it and a bunch of us would go there for long weekends - that house was pretty old, but wonderful, and also fronted the beach - I bet they've sold it by now because the library always needs money and that was an incredibly valuable asset. It's too bad if they sold that wonderful old house and a stupid McHotel went up in its place.
Speaking of Seaside, there's a beautiful old boardwalk and turnaround on the beach at the downtown area. It's pretty much a landmark of Seaside, along with the rides and arcades on Broadway leading to the turnaround. Anyway, years ago Camille's grandfather owned that broadwalk/turnaround property, along with other area businessmen. Unfortunately, they sold it years and years ago - long before it became so bustling and famous and valuable. That's a definite "If only..." moment, because that area is worth a fortune now. Here's another beach anecdote from Camille's family: Her mother's family used to own the property where Beverly Beach is now - again, they sold it long ago. But, when her mother was a little girl she was asked to name that beach area and she chose "Beverly" because that was the name of her favorite doll. And Beverly it is to this day. I always thought that was pretty cool.
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