Portland, OR

More than 1,000 shovel-wielding, bucket-toting, artistically-inclined sand castle builders descend on Cannon Beach each May. They begin work at dawn, judging begins at noon and by the next day all trace of the event has been washed away by the tide.

The wreck of the Shark at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1846 deposited a cannon on the shore, giving Cannon Beach its name.

The seastacks in Bandon are some of the most interesting on the coast. Their names – which include Elephant, Cat and Kitten, and Face rocks – attest to their unique shapes.

The intertidal zone on the Oregon coast, covered by water only part of the time, is rich in life. It supports starfish, crabs, and myriad other small creatures.

Oregon boasts more than 400 miles of beaches. They are public property, due to a declaration by Goveror George Oswald West. Because there was no complete road system along the coast, he designated the beaches public transportation routes in 1913.

Crashing surf has carved the cliffs of Cape Kiwanda (try to say that 10 times fast!) into erratic shapes. Just off shore, the 327-foot-high Haystack Rock is one of two seastacks that bear this name. The other can be seen off the shore of Cannon Beach.

The Bush House was built in 1877 by banker and newspaper publisher Asahel Bush, one of Salem’s more notorious and outspoken pioneers. The house is now a museum, featuring many of the original furnishings.