The warmer air brings much to do and see and there is no shortage of great fun for people of all ages. Here are ten things we recommend doing this spring!  Let us know if you have an idea or suggestion on our Facebook Page!

1. Hit the Beaches.

Whether you want to swim, walk, surf, paddle board or just sit watch the tide; Oregon’s Adventure Coast is the most versatile coastal destination on the Oregon Coast! Visitors come to watch the seals and hope to catch a glimpse of migrating whales! Check out our many beaches and choose your own experience!

2. Listen to Live Music!

Our events calendar is a great place to find the most current information on the many events happening all over the South Coast- including music! Don’t miss the many concerts and festivals in Coos Bay & North Bend. Some musical highlights this Spring include:

• Live Music each Friday and Saturday night at Warehouse 101 in the Mill Casino.
• Oregon Coast Lab Band Concert featuring Evolution on May 1 & June 2 at 4pm at Hales Center for the Performing Arts, Southwestern Oregon Community College. For more info, contact Gina at 541-266-8111.
• Lakeside Crawdad Festival May 6-8: Street Fair/Vendors/Food and Music-Jazz/Blues/Zydego! www.lakesideoregonchambers.com
• Second Sunday Sing-Along at Unity by the Bay 2100 Union Ave, North Bend The public is invited to join South Coast Folk Society for 2 hours for joyful harmonizing. singing popular, contemporary, and classic songs. This is a free public event occurring on the second Sunday of every month. For more information call Stacy at 541-756-4701 or Paul at 541-572-5370
• American Idol Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks on May 27 at Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park. This show is SOLD OUT.
• Wind Soloists of New York May 9 7:30pm at Historic Marshfield High School Auditorium.  This concert is brought to you by the Community Concert Association. For more information call Mike Gordon at 541-269-1272. www.cccca.com
• Three Fingered Jack Celtic Concert at Roger’s Zoo downtown North Bend on May 20. Admission is $8, show starts at 7:30pm.

3. Ride the Dunes!

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a favorite among adventure seekers and it is no wonder! This natural wonder extends for 40 miles along the Oregon Coast and is like no other in the world. The Sand Dunes are very popular with sports enthusiasts who enjoy taking on the challenge in an ATV or Dune Buggy, and there are plenty of places who will them to you!

4. Visit Shore Acres State Park.

Thousands of visitors come to Shore Acres each year to take in the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the luxurious gardens featuring trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. This spring we can expect to see thousands of tulips (thru April); Hundreds of rhododendrons and azaleas (April thru mid-May) and 5,000 flowering annuals/perennials (May thru Sept). Event highlights:

• May 8 (Sun.) Rhododendron Sunday-Mother’s Day (11 AM – 4 PM)
• June 4 (Sat.) State Parks Day – Free parking day
• June 19 (Sun.) Rose Sunday-Father’s Day (11 AM – 4 PM)

5. Go Local.

The Downtown Coos Bay Farmers market kicks off this month and is the perfect place to find locally grown fruits and veggies, baked goods, and goods by local artists. Downtown Coos Bay, Every Wed 9am – 3pm through October 26th. Call Coos Bay Visitor Center at 541-269-0215 for general information or visit  coosbaydowntown.org

6. Eat some seafood.

No trip is complete without a seafood meal! There are numerous local restaurants to get a fresh seafood meal to remember, or try catching your own!  Food lovers will enjoy the annual Ahh Shucks! – Oyster Feed festival Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Cafeteria, 63466 Boat Basin, Charleston. There’s no better way to celebrate Oregon’s Bounty!  For more information contact David Ford at 541-888-6871.

7. Go Wine Tasting.

Spend an afternoon tasting wine at some of our one of a kind local wineries including:

• Hawks View Winery & Wild Goose Vineyards (541) 572-0251
• Old Bridge Winery (541) 572-0272
• Old Coyote Winery (541) 572-8090
• Sea Mist Winery (541) 348-2351

Also, don’t miss First Friday Wine Walk the First Friday of every month in Downtown Coos Bay- next one is coming up May 6 from 5-7pm. For more information, contact Cindy Rawlings at The World, 541-269-1222, ext289.

8. Get Cultured.

There are numerous art exhibits to take in on the South Coast this spring- most notably the Expressions West 2011 exhibit at the Coos Art Museum. This cultural gem is the third oldest art museum in Oregon and it contains six galleries (over 5600 square feet)! The Museum promotes the understanding and appreciation of the visual arts through their exhibits, art classes, workshops, and lectures.  Some other cultural highlights this spring:

• Oliver! The Musical Little Theatre on the Bay April 29 thru May 22.  Call 877-756-4336 for more information.
• Art Walk May 12, 2011 Various locations 5pm – 8pm. Contact Crystal Dolphin for more information, 541-756-1989
• Historic Walking Tour of Downtown Coos Bay May 12, 2011 Noon – 1pm. Call Andrew Locati for more information 541-269-9388
• Chair-ity Event Auction May 7 at Pony Village Mall.  Chairs decorated by local artists have been donated to this event and will be auctioned off to benefit Neighbor to Neighbors.
• BAAA Spring Art Show & Sale May 7-8 Pony Village Mall Join the Bay Area Artist Association for a great display throughout the common area of the mall. Members will be on hand to answer questions. Call 541-756-0433 for more information.

9.   Watch a Race at Coos Speedway!

Whats not to love about Coos Speedway?  This family friendly spot offers a variety of exciting Motorsports. 1/8 mile Drag Strip, High Banked Dirt Oval, Mud Drags AND Special Events.  Check their site for event details!

10. Enjoy the Outdoors!

• Enjoy one of the many  outdoor educational events for the whole family at South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 5,000 acre natural area located south of Charleston, Oregon.
• Seal Watching
• Oregon Coast Fishing

Photo Credit: @Friends of Shore Acres

The brightest and most beautiful place on the West Coast shines as brightly as ever in 2011.

Shore Acres State Park off Cape Arago Hwy will celebrate their 25th annual Holiday Lights display! This has become one of our favorite local holiday traditions, and has captured the attention of media and visitors from all over the country.

This festive display debuts on Thursday, November 25th (Thanksgiving) and is open to the public from 4-9:30 PM each night (including Dec 24 & 25) until December 31, 2011.

Hard to believe that 25 years ago, a group came together and decided to “string a few lights” to help celebrate the holiday.   Who knew back in 1987, this would bloom into one of the most anticipated holiday events on the Oregon Coast!

Where else can you see over 300,000 Lights (almost all L.E.D.) in the shape of sea animals, birds, flowers, ships and more? This magical display is made possible by Friends of Shore Acres, an estimated 1500 volunteers, the park staff and the financial support of local businesses, the community and the visitors who attend each season.

The Holiday Lights at Shore Acres was featured on Travel Oregon’s Grant’s Getaways:

Shore Acres State Park is famous for its beautiful 7 acre botanical gardens Japanese lily pond, and Garden House- and the holiday light display is nothing less than stunning. Visitors can also enjoy a walk-thru display, see the Garden House and enjoy hot cider, punch, coffee and cookies with friends.

For more information and directions visit www.shoreacres.net or call Shore Acres for more information 541-888-3732

The annual Charleston Crab Feed is one of our favorite traditions- and it is hard to believe this event is in their 26th year! This is an unique opportunity to feast on Fresh Dungeness Crab Dinners, whole or half crabs for just $15 &$9, (includes beans, salad, bread and beverage).

This event draws over 1000 people each year for the great food and unique atmosphere (thanks to the “Wild Women of Charleston”) in the Old Charleston School House.

The 26th Annual Charleston Crab Feed is February 12, 2011 from 11am- 4pm in the Old Schoolhouse on Seven Devils road, just off Cape Arago Hwy.  All proceeds help support the Charleston Visitor Center. For more information, call Mel Campbell at 541-888-4875 or the Coos Bay Visitor Center at 541-269-0215

If you want to make a day of it- we think you will enjoy checking out Charleston Harbor- a bustling marina serving charter boat operators, sports fishermen, crabbers and recreational boaters. The harbor offers wonderful views & a variety of shops/restaurants.

You could also treat yourself to a wine and chocolate tasting at Charleytown Market which is located right by the bridge. This is a really great shop that specializes in all things Oregon coast. Browsing through there is always a treat and with wine and chocolate you really can’t go wrong.

IF the weather is rainy, head over to Shore Acres State Park and watch from the safety of the storm watching hut, you’ll get amazing photo ops of the famous crashing waves and you’ll never again question why anyone would go stormwatching. If it’s a clear day, check out Cape Arago State Park.  Its located at the end of the loop of Cape Arago Hwy and there’s a small trailhead that leads down to the beach. There’s hardly ever anyone there and you’ll be blown away by the beauty as you walk down the trail.

We appreciate ALL of our Facebook Page fans; especially the ones who entered and stirred up even more excitement about the festival.  It was so much fun to read everyone’s comments- and we hope you will stay tuned for future contests and try to win more prizes!  Details to come…

Best. Headline. EVER. That was posted on the naturaloregon.org website and on twitter. If that can’t bring a girl back to her blog, then nothing can. Now lets just confess right now, its funny; we all try to be grown ups and pretend we can handle headlines like that, but come on. In my press releases and notices to people I try to be serious, but in the office and among friends, the jokes were flying.

The Booby actually refers to the Brown Booby, a rare bird sighting that occurred on October 29 in Coos Bay; apparently what makes this even more exciting was that the bird doesn’t belong here, its a tropical bird that you’d have to visit the likes of the Galapagos Islands to see.

Now mind you, I personally am not a birdwatcher, not even a little bit. One of the dumbest moments I had was when I sent a photo of a bird to Russ from the Audubon society to try and find out what kind of bird it was, he responded back, you’re joking right? Turns out it was a crow.

But back to the Booby – even a bird-idiot like me can appreciate that over 200 birdwatchers came running this past weekend to try and get a view of this lost little gal. And a press junkie like me loves seeing the numerous stories about Coos Bay. Thanks to some great email alerts from Russ Namitz we were able to post the very first photo taken of a living Brown Booby in Oregon far ahead of any of the traditional media outlets.

And in case you were wondering what my favorite behind the scenes joke was: I forwarded an email from Russ about the Booby alert; a friend responded back: “Are you sure they weren’t referring to you in the Booby sighting email? I could see how you could get confused.”

Oregon’s Days of Culture, a celebration of culture throughout the state sponsored by The Oregon Cultural Trust, is happening this week (October 1-8) and Oregon’s Adventure Coast is getting involved! “Oregon Days of Culture honors the role of the arts, humanities, and heritage in our everyday lives. Celebrate, participate and give to Oregon culture today!”

On October 8, residents  and visitors will have the unusual opportunity to experience a diverse selection of cultural events in one day! Help us support the arts on Oregon’s Coast and help spread the word!

Octoberfish
Starting at noon Oregon Coast Community Action presents the Octoberfish 2011 festival at the Old Charleston School. Octoberfish is sure to have“great food, art, music and family fun” and features Live music, BBQ by the Tuna Guys, vendors, games, raffle prizes and more. The event runs until 7pm.

Coos Art Museum’s Fall Fling for the Arts
All art lovers and Museum supporters are enthusiastically invited to attend this annual autumn fundraiser at the Museum from 5 – 8 pm. The Coos Art Museum’s Fall Fling for the Arts will feature blending delightful socializing, scrumptious gourmet eating, and wonderful art. Benetti’s Italian Restaurant will cater the event and a no host wine service will be offered. The highlight of the night’s celebrations takes place in the Museum’s Maggie Karl Gallery, where a silent auction of fine art will take place. The occasion will be a wonderful opportunity to acquire original art works by many of the finest artists of the South Oregon Coast. A wide variety of other quality goods and services donated by generous local businesses and individuals will also be available for your bid. For ticket information, call 541-267-3901.

The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats
To finish off this wonderful day of culture and art, you might wish to attend a performance of The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats at Marshfield Auditorium. Starting at 7:30 pm the event is sponsored by The Coos County Community Concert Association. This repeat performance is brought back to our area by popular demand and is sure to be enjoyed.

30 Parks by 30 Artists: An Art Exhibit of Our Coos County Parks
The “30 Parks by 30 Artists” project is funded by a grant from the Coos County Cultural Coalition. Artists were given the challenge to create artwork based on thirty of the Coos County Parks over the course of the summer months. Participating artists were provided the same size and quality of paper, used to create a visual documentary of the Coos County Parks unique in its artistic interpretation and execution. Exhibit dates are Sept. 8th – Oct. 8th, 2011 (Thurs. & Fri. 9am – 2pm, and Sat. 1pm – 6pm). For additional information about this project, please visit their Facebook Page or contact the project coordinator, Stephanie (S L) Donaldson at (541)404-9511.

Coos Art Museum has been a cultural focal point of Oregon’s scenic Southern Coast since 1966. It occupies an historic 1936 Art Deco US Federal Building in downtown Coos Bay. The Museum offers a wide range of arts activities including exhibitions, art classes and lectures. Hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm, Tuesday through Friday and 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday. Museum admission: $5 general, $2 students, veterans and seniors, free to Museum members.

If you are visiting the Oregon Coast this month, we invite you to sample our famous chowder by taking advantage of our Chowder Bounty Package before March 1, 2011. Stay 2 nights at a participating hotel and receive $50 in dining gift certificates to sample some of our best!

For those of you who can’t wait to get your hands on some authentic local Oregon Chowder, we have collected some of our favorite local recipes and featured all of them on our Chowder Bounty Recipe page for you to enjoy wherever you are.

Our featured recipe comes to us from Chef Dan Catanio, the Executive Chef at the Mill Casino Hotel in North Bend Oregon. Chef Dan has been an Executive Chef for over 30 years and is the President of the ACF American Culinary Federation Bay Area Chefs Association in North Bend – Coos Bay Oregon.

Chef Dan’s Oregon Coast Clam Chowder

3 dozen- chowder clams

2 ½ cup bottled clam juice, or as needed

2 slices bacon, minced

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 ¼ cups)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

3 cups heavy cream or half & half

6 tablespoons dry sherry, or to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Oyster crackers, as needed

Scrub the clams well under running water. Shuck, reserving the juices. Cut the larger clams in half. Mix the reserved juices with enough bottled clam juice to equal 3 cups.

Cook the bacon slowly in a soup pot over medium heat until lightly crisp, about 7 minutes.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent – 4-6 minutes. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the clam juice, bring to a simmer, and cook, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more clam juice.

Add the potatoes and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the clams and cream in a saucepan and simmer, until the clams are cooked, 5-8 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, add the clams and the cream to the soup base.

Simmer, 5 minutes.

Stir in the sherry. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire.

Serve in heated bowl, with oyster crackers on the side. Serves 8.

Here on Oregon’s Adventure Coast, we happen to think we have some of the best clam chowder you’ll find anywhere. In fact, we’re so confidant we’re putting our money where our mouth is.

Book our Chowder Bounty Lodging Specials at a participating hotel and we’ll give you a Dining Gift Certificate for TWO FREE CUPS OF CHOWDER* to sample some of our best. View Chowder Bounty Lodging Rates.

And just to say thank you, here’s a collection of some of our favorite chowder recipes for you to try out yourself!

Participating Restaurants:

Back Alley Pub & Grill @ North Bend Lanes (bowling alley) ($-$$)

Popular spot for salads, sandwiches & homemade soups. Just for Chowder Bounty we’re bringing back Mom’s Chowder! Beer, wine & microbrew available and full bar. Located in modern bowling center with cosmic bowling!

Coach House ($$-$$$)

A local’s favorite tucked around the bay in the Eastside area. Mesquite BBQ, steaks, ribs, seafood and pasta. BBQ Oysters and chowder made the old fashioned way. Outside dining and catering available.

High Tide Café  ($$-$$$)

Awesome secret-recipe award winning Chowder! Fresh seafood dishes, a variety of sandwiches and salads. Warm coastal feel with fireplace and bay view. Breakfast served until 2pm, lunches and dinners. Beer, wine & cocktails available.

Hilltop House Restaurant & Lounge 
($$$)

Tasty local seafood, steaks, nightly specials, and serving both Manhattan and New England style chowder! Nostalgic setting overlooking the bay.

Miller’s at the Cove 
($$)

Charleston’s newest sports pub, family friendly til 9pm. Warm, fun atmosphere specializing in fish tacos, hand battered fish ‘n chips, and brothy chowder made from scratch and honed to perfection by our own customers.

Outdoor-In ($-$$)

A family friendly experience best described as “eatertainment”. Extensive menu featuring pizza, burgers, specialty sandwiches and the #1 voted Clam Chowder on the South Coast. 2000 sq ft playground & arcade area make for a great place to meet friends and family.

Plank House @ The Mill Casino • Hotel & RV Park ($$$)

Overlooking the peaceful, shimmering waters of Coos Bay. Try one of the Early Bird dinner specials from 4-6pm daily! Always great seafood, steaks and chowder made to perfection.

Shark Bites 
($$)

Seafood Café attached to Waxer’s surfshop. Great coastal ambience, amazing fish tacos and offering a gluten-free chowder that you have to taste to believe!

The Coos Bay – North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau wants visitors to discover our hidden treasures and taste the world’s best Clam Chowder during Chowder Bounty 2011.

Book our Chowder Bounty Lodging Specials at a participating hotel and give you a Dining Gift Certificate for TWO FREE CUPS OF CHOWDER to sample some of our best from participating restaurants. (1 Night Minimum Stay)

We have collected our favorite chowder recipes from the locals and we are sharing them with you to show you why we’re prouder of our chowder!  Here is one of our featured recipes!  Visit our Chowder Bounty Recipe Page to view and download more!

Adventure Coast Clam Chowder

Recipe is courtesy the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute

• 2 qt canned, minced clams, with their juice; OR fresh shucked clams, with their juice.
• 1 ½ qt clam juice
• 10 oz salt pork, ground or fine diced
• 1 lb onions, small dice
• 4 oz flour
• 2 lb potatoes, small dice
• 2 ½ qt milk, hot
• 1 cup heavy cream, hot
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Drain the clams reserving the juice. If you are using fresh clams, chop them, being sure to save the juice. Combine the reserved clam juice and 1 ½ qt clam juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and keep the liquid hot for later.

In a heavy saucepot or stockpot, render the salt pork over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly until soft. Be careful not to brown them. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook the roux slowly for 3-4 minutes, but do not let it brown. Using a wire whip, slowly stir the hot clam juice liquid into the roux. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure the liquid is smooth. Add the potatoes. Simmer until tender.

Stir in the clams and hot milk and cream. Heat gently, but do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fishing Oregon’s Adventure Coast is a fantastic resource for locals and tourists to get tips and valuable information about fishing, clamming, crabbing and boating in and around Coos Bay. Since this is still a great time to go Crabbing- we wanted to share their tips:

Fall is typically the best time to crab. Beginning in September, crabs tend to be more “filled out”, meaning there is a higher percentage of meat. This is determined by the condition of the shell. Hard-shelled crabs contain 20 to 30 percent meat by weight, compared to soft-shelled crabs which can be as low as 12 percent.

At times after heavy rainfall crab tend to be less abundant in the bays.

Slack water (the time around high or low tide) are the best times to crab. During slack water, crabs are generally walking around and foraging since they are not getting pushed around by tidal exchange.

Businesses in Coos Bay, North Bend and Charleston Oregon rent crab pots and crab rings. Please see the boating and supplies page on this website for contact information.

Preparing for crabbing: Make sure you have your shellfish license (people 14 and older require a shellfish license for crabbing), crab measuring tool, pots or rings, cooler, gloves, bait holders and bait supply. Check all lines on pots or rings for knots or kinks to ensure they are durable and will allow gear to work correctly. Make sure your pots are properly marked.

Baiting your gear – Many different types of bait are used for crabbing: turkey, chicken, minx, fish carcass, shad, herring, clams, etc. Fresh bait is best. Keep in mind that seals and sea lions will eat attractive bait that they can access. You can avoid this problem by using a bait bag or avoiding areas where they are prevalent.

Setting your gear and soak time – Tie the end of your crab line to the dock or pier where you are crabbing. Throw your pot or ring into the water. Allow between one and two hours before retrieving your gear if you are crabbing with crab pots and 15 to 30 minutes if you are crabbing with rings.

Sorting crabs – Quickly sort through the crab, being careful not to break crab legs off or get your fingers pinched. An experienced crab handler will sort crabs by keeping them at ease. They want to get out, but they don’t want to be forcefully grabbed. A quick shake of the pot is often more effective than reaching directly for them. Be sure to carefully and quickly release the crab, do not throw them from heights as this will often crack their carapace and kill them. It is illegal to retain only the claws on all species.

(Male on left, Female on right)

Making sure your crabs are legal – With a crab gauge, measure all male Dungeness crab retained. Retain no more than 12 male Dungeness crab per shellfish license that are 5 3/4″ across (NOT including points) or wider. Female crabs are illegal and must be released immediately.

Keeping your crab quality – Store legal-sized (keeper) crabs in a cooler with ice or ice packs or in a bucket or cooler with water. If you keep your crabs in a bucket or cooler with water, make sure to change the water frequently to keep the water cool and oxygenated. And make sure the water is seawater – freshwater will kill crabs. (This information came from the ODFW shellfish section).