Come, play on any of the many beaches I own!

No, I'm not wealthy. But I am a citizen of Oregon where the public owns EVERY beach. This article was inspired when I posted a picture of the beach at Cape Lookout (left), and Elaine M. asked "Is that beach open to the public?" Yes, Elaine, it is! Come visit! While, by Oregon's standards, the beach in busy "tourist spots" like Seaside is crowded during warmer months, there are plenty of beaches that are never crowded.

You can dip your toes in the water. It's usually a little cold and rough for swimming, but there are people who surf! The sand isn't really green. Old photo. Bad scan.

There are places to sun and lots of room for flying a kite, tossing a Frisbee, searching for sand dollars or going for a beach stroll.

There's no shortage of sand. The beach is owned by the public, so go ahead and build your own castle of sand...or just dig, dig, dig.

There are spectacular trails to hike where you can sit and enjoy the view when you get to the top.

The little town of Seaside has an arcade and a promenade that runs along the beach. Pick up a game of volleyball in the summer. If you like a festive atmosphere with people, this is the place to come during the summer. Here I am sitting along the Prom in September. I don't like crowds.

There are lighthouses that you can visit. But not this one. Tillamook Lighthouse is out there in the ocean on a rock! Do you see it?

Get up early in the morning and go for a stroll and watch the birds. Come back at night and watch the sun sink into the Pacific.

There are dramatic things to see. This beach is rocky. A great place to sit and ponder.

You can drive and stop at any of the parks or viepoints along Highway 101. Even if you tour by car and motel, you will enjoy your visit to my beaches.

Some places are rocky and rugged.

There are campgrounds where you can leave your "city style" behind. The pounding surf is just a stroll down the path. This serious businessman was my father-in-law. We always celebrated his birthday at Cape Lookout and took in the parade they had in one of the little towns. Then we watached the fireworks. The Fourth of July is a good day for a birthday.

Come in the winter if you want! This is Thanksgiving. Winter storms can be dramatic. But you had best check into one of the many motels. Many have ocean-front views.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE LONG VERSION, HERE IT IS:

Like it was in the 1800s, the beach is a popular recreation destination for Oregonians. By 1890, railroads carried people from the populated Willamette Valley (Portland, Salem, Eugene) through the mountains to coast resorts.

With cars, going to the beach became even more popular and, in the late 1800s, long stretches of some Oregon beaches were designated as public roads. Old photographs even show horse-drawn stages avoiding the incoming surf. I've seen pictures of old cars driving over this rock where I'm standing in the picture below.

After Oregon started selling public tidelands of estuaries and ocean shore to private owners, Oregonians objected. In 1911, they banded together and elected Governor Oswald West on the promise that he would put an end to the practice. He was successful in convincing the legislature to declare the ocean shore tideland as a public highway from California to the Washington State line. They also created the State Highway Commission, which started buying land for parks and scenic viewpoints. By 1950 there were 36 state parks along the coast, an average of one every 10 miles!

In 1965, the Oregon legislature changed the designation of the beaches from a state highway to a state recreation area. Most people assumed that that meant "the beach" was public. It's no surprise that Oregonians were outraged when, in 1966, a motel owner put a log barricade on dry sand above the high tide line to mark off an area for exclusive use of his guests.

Governor Tom McCall who was famous for telling people to "visit, but don't move here," lead the search for a solution. In June, 1967, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill which guarantees public access to all of Oregon's beaches between the low water mark and the vegetation line.

Come enjoy! Even where there are beach-front homes, there are paths between them and wide-open beaches to roam.