Wildlife and Safari

Cannon Beach, located on the Oregon coast, is the perfect place for a weekend family getaway. It lies only 80 miles west of Portland and has a variety of activities anyone could enjoy. You can mosey along the nine-mile stretch of sandy beach, watch the sea creatures in the tide pools or capture some Kodak moments by the famous Haystack Rock.

Boasting a population of just over 1,500 residents the town of Cannon Beach is small, but pulls in quite of number of tourists and beach-goers. The arts are an obvious emphasis in this town with some of the best crafts, shopping and galleries on the coast lining the main street. The city is planned for strolling, and many visitors take advantage of this to visit the quaint bookstores, shops and bistros. Chain businesses have been discouraged from building which has helped Cannon Beach keep its earth-toned, rustic look.

Take the time to fly a kite, build a sandcastle or explore the many nooks and crannies of the coastline. Haystack Rock is one of the most famous beach attractions and towers an impressive 235 feet making it the third largest coastal monolith in the world. The area below the rock is referred to as a Marine Garden where sea stars, anemones, crabs, chitons, sea slugs and many other aquatic creatures can be seen in the large tide pools. However, it is best to view this area during low tide, so take the time to pick up a tide table from a local shop.

Haystack Rock is also a vital habitat for a variety of other mammals. Birdwatchers can gaze at the over 2,000 seabirds that nest on the rock each year such as the tufted puffin, pigeon guillemot, black oystercatcher, pelagic cormorant. In addition to birds, colonies of sea lions, seals and whales swim along the shoreline. During the spring months you can spy gray whales making their way to the Alaskan waters which serve as their calving grounds. Early mornings on clear days is the best time to view these creatures spouting their misty plumes over the rolling waves.

For hikers, there are many trails to wander through in the thick conifer forests of Ecola State Park, just a few miles north of Cannon Beach. The park has a viewpoint and picnic area where you can see the whole panorama of Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock and the Coast Range. This spectacular view is one of the most photographed on the Oregon coast. William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition even wrote in his journal about the view from Ecola calling it “…the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed, in front of a boundless ocean…”

Your family is sure to find something that suits their interests in, or around, this quaint town. If you want to see local culture at its best, then keep in mind the annual gatherings of the Kite Festival in April, Sand Castle Days in June, and the Stormy Weather Festival in November.

Check out these links for hotel ideas:

Cannon Beach Hotels
Portland Hotels

Bookmark to:

While traveling solo for six months around the world things can sometimes get a little boring. One museum blurs into the next after a while. Solution? Scare yourself silly. Adventure travel is on the rise and I made my way through six continents seeking out the fun. I’m talking real no-theme-park-ride excitement, but also activities that allow you to enjoy the beautiful and diverse environments that surround the action. Here are some of the best.

Serengeti Safari, Tanzania - There is absolutely no better way to get the blood pumping than to tick off a napping lion. My camera’s clicks really got on the nerves of the grumpy King until he finally made a commanding roar and short leap at the Land Rover’s pop-up roof that still has my neck hairs standing at attention. Earlier we saw a Cheetah take down a Gazelle to feed her young so it was definitely a purrfect day. Even if you don’t actually experience the threat of being mauled a Serengeti safari will be one of the greatest thrills of your life. Guaranteed.

Abseiling the mystic limestone formations of Yangshou, China - All along the Li River valley jut the remains of an ancient sea. Jagged and surreal pinnacles dot the landscape like hundred meter high quills off a porcupine. The X-Climber guides know a short cut up one rock that only involved two feet and the occasional hand hold so up I went. Rock climbing requires a bit of skill but falling, I mean abseiling down needs only a stout heart and a strong rope. The key is to just swallow hard and take that first step off. After that the belay tool allows you to descend at whatever pace you are comfortable. Before long you’re bouncing yards at a time. Falling off a cliff was never this fun, unless of course you mastered that whole Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon flying thing.

Scuba diving WWII wrecks in Indonesia - Bali is known for world-class surf spots but there’s another way to get stoked in Indo, get under the waves. Just a across the channel lie the Gili Islands of Lombok. Smaller and less developed these serene isles host some serious adrenaline pumps for the underwater inclined. Blue Marlin Dive Center on Gili Trawangan caters to Tech divers with deep wrecks all over the Bali channel. Sounds great but 200 foot descents leave most of us recreational divers out of the fun. Here’s the fix. After a brief 2 hour Nitrox introduction course a recreational certified diver can descend 145 feet upon a Japanese patrol boat that was sunk in combat during WWII. This carefully planned and guided dive from Blue Marlin lets you experience the thrill of technical diving without serious risk and is an absolute blast. Scorpion fish and neon soft coral cover the 40 foot vessel and the shell hole that sunk her is still quite visible. So even if you can’t go big on a board you can go deep in Indo, very deep.

Motorcrossing the Sacred Valley, Peru - First thing you notice upon arrival in Cuzco is the air, or lack there of it. Once you acclimatize you realize there is a ridiculous amount of activities available. Of course you’re probably in town for the Inca trail trek to Machu Pichu, but Cuzco also offers more adventure based fun than any town this side of Queensland, New Zealand. Rapids, jungles, mountain bikes, horses, you name it they have it. What grabbed my attention was the off road motorcycles for hire. Nearby hill climbs, stream crossings and single track riding fill the adventure need quite nicely. Dirt roads and cow trails litter the nearby valley, letting you motocross your way up and through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It wasn’t just sacred because of the nearby ruins. The natural landscape is just breathtaking. As the shocks absorb the bumps and the tires spit mud in your wake you look up just in time to see a valley golden with the morning sun, and the caboose of a train packed with tourists that paid a mint to experience such grandeur from behind glass windows. Too bad for them.

Skiing the Andes - How do you end an around the world adventure based trip? Would skiing and snowboarding the Andes, on opening day at Portillo Chile after they just received four feet of fresh snow work? Yeah, I thought so too. Portillo Ski Resort has a great backpacker deal that makes it affordable to ski some adrenaline pumping chutes, bowls and massive snowfields amongst stunning Andes scenery. It was the perfect cherry atop a thrilling taste of the world’s best action spots. So keep traveling. It’s never boring if you find the right adventure.

Guest writer Bill Benson chronicled his travels around the world and continues to inspire us with his great adventures!

Bookmark to: