Like most towns along Oregon's central coast, beaches are the primary draw,
particularly in the summer when Lincoln City joins many of the shoreline
villages in hosting tourists attracted to the coastline's crashing waves and
massive headlands reaching out to the sea. Whale watching eats up hours of free
time as people stare at the sea pensively waiting for the awesome moment when
spray from a blowhole breaks the water's surface. It is reassuring knowing they
are out there: orcas and gray whales have repopulated the area, thanks to
on-going conservation efforts. Sea lion numbers are also up, and these mammoth
sun-loving mammals are easy to find when they start clambering on docks, barking
like air horns while nosing each other for a coveted spot.
Officially, the central Oregon coast is Lincoln County, and it stretches from Lincoln City to 60 miles (96 km) south in Walport. Within this boundary, all beaches are public. Owning a slice of the sand is not legal, as settlers first used the shore as a primary (and therefore public) transportation route long before the roads pushed through the sea-ridge forests.
Lincoln County is the warm-weather playground of urbanites retreating from the daily grind but wanting the dependability of three- or four- star accommodations. Residents from nearby Portland and Salem, and some from California and Washington states, head to Highway 101, running the length of the county, in search of meandering coastal tranquility. Any of the small towns that dot the historic byway offers all the creature comforts visitors expect from a quaint coastal community.
But Lincoln City needed something more. It needed a distinction from other former fishing villages competing for tourist dollars, especially after Labor Day.
Enter the Finders Keepers event. From October to May, special blown-glass float "faries" hide colorful glass balls between the high tide line and the ocean all along Lincoln City beaches. The number of floats distributed reflects the year - in 2007, 2,007 floats are scattered along the beach during an eighth month period. The rules are simple: If you find one, you keep it.
Floats are decorative hand-blown balls of colored glass commissioned by local artists. Each one-of-a-kind glass globe is numbered, signed and dated.
The hand-crafted art pieces are modeled after Asian fishing boat glass floats used to give buoyancy to fishing nets along the coast of Japan. Sometimes these opaque green balls come loose and slowly make their way on a 10- to 30-year journey across the Pacific Ocean, eventually landing on Oregon's shores.
Finding one of these authentic floats is exciting but rare, which led to the idea of planting a few thousand local treasures. Of course, finding an artist-made float is also fun, but never guaranteed!
If you don't luck out, you can always make your own at the Jennifer Sears Glass Foundry in Lincoln City from Wednesday through Sunday, although it's best to make an appointment before you arrive. The city's most hands-on tourist stop opened in 2004. Here, three large kilns burn like gateways to the underworld, and professionals demonstrate the art of glass blowing. For $65, any of three artisans will assist visitors who want to make their own float. Take it home the next day, or have it shipped.
If getting swelteringly close to glass-melting heat isn't your cup of tea, you can always buy a float ready made. Glass floats ranging in price from $40 to $75 are for sale at almost every gallery and shop along the state's coast, so few seekers go home empty handed.
Officially, the central Oregon coast is Lincoln County, and it stretches from Lincoln City to 60 miles (96 km) south in Walport. Within this boundary, all beaches are public. Owning a slice of the sand is not legal, as settlers first used the shore as a primary (and therefore public) transportation route long before the roads pushed through the sea-ridge forests.
Lincoln County is the warm-weather playground of urbanites retreating from the daily grind but wanting the dependability of three- or four- star accommodations. Residents from nearby Portland and Salem, and some from California and Washington states, head to Highway 101, running the length of the county, in search of meandering coastal tranquility. Any of the small towns that dot the historic byway offers all the creature comforts visitors expect from a quaint coastal community.
But Lincoln City needed something more. It needed a distinction from other former fishing villages competing for tourist dollars, especially after Labor Day.
Enter the Finders Keepers event. From October to May, special blown-glass float "faries" hide colorful glass balls between the high tide line and the ocean all along Lincoln City beaches. The number of floats distributed reflects the year - in 2007, 2,007 floats are scattered along the beach during an eighth month period. The rules are simple: If you find one, you keep it.
Floats are decorative hand-blown balls of colored glass commissioned by local artists. Each one-of-a-kind glass globe is numbered, signed and dated.
The hand-crafted art pieces are modeled after Asian fishing boat glass floats used to give buoyancy to fishing nets along the coast of Japan. Sometimes these opaque green balls come loose and slowly make their way on a 10- to 30-year journey across the Pacific Ocean, eventually landing on Oregon's shores.
Finding one of these authentic floats is exciting but rare, which led to the idea of planting a few thousand local treasures. Of course, finding an artist-made float is also fun, but never guaranteed!
If you don't luck out, you can always make your own at the Jennifer Sears Glass Foundry in Lincoln City from Wednesday through Sunday, although it's best to make an appointment before you arrive. The city's most hands-on tourist stop opened in 2004. Here, three large kilns burn like gateways to the underworld, and professionals demonstrate the art of glass blowing. For $65, any of three artisans will assist visitors who want to make their own float. Take it home the next day, or have it shipped.
If getting swelteringly close to glass-melting heat isn't your cup of tea, you can always buy a float ready made. Glass floats ranging in price from $40 to $75 are for sale at almost every gallery and shop along the state's coast, so few seekers go home empty handed.
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