A Real Sand Blast in the Northwest

FLORENCE, Ore. — The roller coaster swooped and climbed, carrying us over mountains of sand stretching toward the horizon. At least that’s what it felt like, bumping along in the dune buggy, up and down the massive sand dunes--some more than 400 feet high--in the middle of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Everywhere we looked were sand dunes. Locals refer to dune activities as dancing with the wind, and they move as much as 12 feet inland every year. Children like to sled on them on round plastic discs, writing their names in giant letters in the sand where they stop.

Best of all, according to our bunch, were the dune buggy rides. Kids over 10 may drive their own for roughly $30 an hour for a single-seat vehicle; an hourlong guided trip averages $25 a person. We thought the thrill was worth the price. (Try Sandland Adventures in Florence at 503-997-8087.)

Nearby, just south of Florence, is Honeyman State Park. With its freshwater lake, Honeyman is a perfect place for a picnic or a lazy afternoon. But none of the kids wasted any time relaxing. They were busy sliding down the sand dunes into the water.

There are more than 40 miles of dunes to explore at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, about halfway up the 400-mile-long Oregon coast. (Call the Recreation Area at 503-271-3611 or drop by the visitors center at Reedsport.)

However, it wasn’t just the dunes that endeared the Oregon coast to us as a travel destination.

All along the coast are near-empty beaches ripe with sea life and birds, including pelicans, gulls and egrets. There is the first-rate Oregon Coast Aquarium; the town of Lincoln City promotes itself as a mecca for kite enthusiasts; there are 10 historic lighthouses, including the much-photographed Heceta Lighthouse, and picturesque beach resort towns such as Seaside.

It’s impossible to count all of the rocky coves and caves, including one just north of Florence that about 200 Stellar sea lions call home. At the Sea Lion Caves, we took an elevator down 208 feet into their lair and watched dozens of the huge creatures, some weighing a ton, stretched out on the rocks. (Call the caves at 503-547-3111.)

Another day, we spent a couple of hours crabbing with a metal ring net we’d rented for $5 at a nearby bait shop. No fishing license was required. The kids used some cut fish for bait and had a wonderful time throwing out the ring and hauling it in to see their catch. They were having too much fun to be disappointed when none were big enough to keep.

Oregon’s coast is a vacation spot parents will enjoy as much as children. It’s funky and beautiful, affordable and not terribly crowded.

You can visit the tiny harbor at Depoe Bay, or watch huge waves from a place called Devil’s Punch Bowl or simply spend an afternoon building a giant sandcastle.

There are four state-designated marine gardens along the coast, at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach; Otter Rock and Yaquina Head, north of Newport, and Cape Perpetua, south of Yachats. There, naturalists can help the kids understand what they’re seeing in the tide pools.

Wherever we wandered along the Oregon coast there were opportunities to teach the kids about the ocean and the creatures that call it home. One winner was the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport on Yaquina Bay.

The aquarium has designed four acres to represent coastal life, complete with tide pools, sea caves and many of the animals that live there, including harbor seals, sea otters and birds such as tufted puffins and auklets.

A short drive up the coast, amble down the wheelchair- and stroller-accessible Quarry Cove tide pool area at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. There’s also a huge natural tide pool, as well as an old historic lighthouse to explore. (Call 503-265-2863 for more information.)