Nehalem

One of the greatest things about the Oregon Coast is that everyone has their spots that no one else knows about, where you can still find a little quiet even though it's Saturday in August.  So while everyone under 30 is on the boardwalk in Seaside and everyone over 30 is pretending to be able to taste wine in Cannon Beach, you can find me in Nehalem*.  

So when Mayor Shirley Kalkhoven autographed my map and I said that Nehalem was probably one of my top 5 cities on the coast I'm pretty sure she thought I was being a suck-up.  I only spoke with her for a few seconds so I didn't have time to state my case, so in case she's reading this I'll do so now:

• I've kayaked around Deer Island at least a dozen times.
  
• I've almost sleep-walked off the back deck of the floating hotel into the river.
  
• My son found a caterpillar at Nehalem City Park up on the hill.
  
• I've suffered a hangover from the blackberry wine at the Nehalem Bay Winery.
  
• The first place my wife and I went camping together was Nehalem Falls.
  
• Wanda's cafe is probably the best place to get breakfast between Neskowin and Astoria.
  

I'm a little conflicted here though:  On the one hand, I'm compelled as an Oregonian to invite people to stop and visit places like Nehalem instead of just going straight to the obvious places--you'll never find me at the Seaside Pig N' Pancake, for example.  But on the other hand I don't really want a whole crowd of people there mucking it up for me and my family.  If you do go, you gotta check out that grove of old growth sitka spruce up by the falls.  Just leave campsite T1 open for me.  

Eight down, 234 to go.

*People that know me may wonder why I didn't include the story about the camping margarita girls here.  Feel free to tell your version in the comments.