Coast Explorer Blog

Graham Kerr, internationally known culinary and television personality and award-winning author, is giving a special presentation at the Liberty Theater on Friday, September 17 as part of the upcoming Commercial Fishermen’s Festival. Graham Kerr, best known for his popular 1970s television show, The Galloping Gourmet, has written several books and is a popular speaker. Tickets for Kerr’s presentation are now available with a $10 donation at www.CommercialFishermensFestival.com or call (503) 325-1010 for more information.

The Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is a regional celebration including the captains and crews from boats featured on “Deadliest Catch” who will compete in the grueling Captain Phil Harris Highliner Competition for the “Highliner of the Year” title.

Cheer on the men that risk their lives to bring us seafood as they compete. See the Maverick made famous on the popular Discovery Channel television series Deadliest Catch. Witness a thrilling Coast Guard helicopter rescue and watch demonstrations of fish filleting, oyster shucking, net mending, crab pot knitting and more. Enjoy live entertainment, great food, craft vendors, and activities for kids. New this year is a seafood culinary stage featuring celebrity chefs demonstrating the best way to select and prepare fresh seafood.


The 2010 Commercial Fishermen’s Festival takes place September 18 & 19 at Pier 1, Port of Astoria (end of Portway Drive off of Marine/Highway 30). For more information, call (503) 325-1010.

THE PACIFIC COASTLINE is dotted with the remains of thousands of ships that succumbed to the power of the ocean. Only a few are visible now, but others show up from time to time when the tides coax them from their sandy sanctuaries. Each skeleton has a story to tell and visitors come from near and far for the chance to regard one of these relics. The Peter Iredale, without a doubt, is the most notable landmark shipwreck on the Oregon coast. The four-masted steel barque ran aground in 1906, but the rusted steel hull can still be seen year-round. The ship was abandoned on Clastop Spit near Fort Stevens in Warrenton making access to this historical remnant easy for most anyone. The Pacific coast occasionally offers up opportunities to catch glimpses of these buried treasures during extreme low tides or after heavy storms. The Bettie M, a tuna seiner wrecked in 1976, is visible during extreme low tides at the junction of Jetty A and Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco. Cannons discovered near Arch Cape, providing inspiration for the city name Cannon Beach, are believed to be from the USS Shark, which sank in 1846 while attempting to cross the Columbia River Bar. In 1910 near the coast of Depoe Bay, an explosion rocked the J. Marhoffer. Boiler Bay was so named for the wreckage of the steam schooner’s boiler that can be approached during low tides. Most recently, the Sujameco was uncovered near Coos Bay after unusually heavy surf. This steamboat ran aground in 1929 and typically is only visible in the winter. There are thousands of stories to be told, and visitors to Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco and the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria will be treated to “Graveyards of the Pacific” this October, a weekend event that includes maritime programs, ranger talks and exhibitions. The museum will also open a new exhibit “Crossing the Bar: Perilous Passage” featuring an interactive shipwreck map of the Columbia River Bar. Treat yourself to a visit of the ghosts of voyages past along the Pacific coastline, where history is right at your fingertips. -Cristine Shade

Three Long Beach Peninsula museums offer a variety of coastal experiences, sharing the colorful worlds of kites, cranberries and the coast’s most famous explorers.

The World Kite Museum in Long Beach houses more than 1500 kites from around the world. Displays examine the 2500-year-old history of kites. Learn many fascinating facts about kites and their unusual uses at this unique museum.

At the Cranberry Museum and farm in Long Beach, operated by the Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Foundation, visitors can tour the bogs and learn about the industry and its products. Watch the harvest in October and participate in the Cranberrian Fair. The gift shop offers many cranberry products and recipes.

At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Cape Disappointment State Park at Ilwaco, you can relive the journey of the explorers’ Corps of Discovery between 1804 and 1806. See the film “Of Dreams and Discovery” in the theater, participate in tours, interpretive programs and guided hikes. From the enclosed viewing room high atop the bluff, enjoy the panoramic ocean view, watch for whales and learn why this stretch of the coast is known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.”

Also in Ilwaco, visit the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum where exhibits include a history of Native Americans, early transportation and local industries of fishing, logging and cranberry farming. See the pioneer village and an exhibit detailing the 1991 adventures of one man’s solo voyage across the Pacific in a kayak. The museum also features seasonal displays and traveling exhibits.

The menu at Grateful Bread Restaurant & Bakery in Pacific City now includes new vegan dishes plus sandwich wraps, breakfast scrambles, gluten-free breads and baked goods. The restaurant is also available for private parties, weddings and group events. Ask about having your special event catered. Open for breakfast and lunch only, Thursday-Monday 8am-4pm, Grateful Bread Bakery & Restaurant, (503) 965-7337.

Open air markets are up and running along the Northwest coast, many of them open through September. Find one near you or take a day trip along the coast to browse the interesting and unique wares and find yourself a little bit of coastal flavor, al fresco style!


From artwork to zucchini, you’ll find an expansive variety of offerings at coastal outdoor markets. Visitors and locals alike can sample bits of the area flavor in food, art and fashion as farmers, artisans and craftspeople present their unique wares for your perusal. Take home a local landscape on canvas or a metal sculpture for your garden. Stock up on wines from regional vintners or cheeses from local dairies. Pick out some ripe tomatoes, fresh garlic or crunchy cucumbers for tonight’s dinner. While most coastal markets are held Saturdays or Sundays, be sure to check dates and times because some are held on week days. The CANNON BEACH FARMER’S MARKET, located at Hemlock and Gower streets, is open on Tuesdays, 2-6pm from the middle of June to late September. At this market you’ll find all-edible fare featuring fresh local meats, cheeses, seafood and baked goods from the area. The MANZANITA FARMER’S MARKET, downtown at 5th and Laneda, is held on Fridays, 5-8pm from the middle of June well into September. Enjoy live entertainment and ready-to-eat foods along with fresh local produce and other farm products. SATURDAY MARKETS AT THE PORT OF ILWACO are held on the waterfront 10am-4pm, May through September. TILLAMOOK FARMER’S MARKET takes place downtown at 2nd and Laurel Avenue from 9am-2pm, from mid-June through September. You’ll find the LINCOLN CITY FARMER’S MARKET open for business 9am-2pm along Highway 101 from May through September. Newport presents the LINCOLN COUNTY SMALL FARMERS’ MARKET 9am-1pm, May through October on Angle Street next to City Hall. YACHATS FARMER’S MARKET takes place from 9am-2pm, May through October on Highway 101 and 4th Street. The ASTORIA SUNDAY MARKET, easily the largest around, is held downtown on 12th Street, open 10am-3pm from early May through early October. Experience outdoor markets and taste the coastal flavors of summer!