Gallagher's Travels: Letter From the Editor

Letter from the Editor

August 2006

Dear Friends,

Mustard Museum

Summer brings a lot of entertainment choices and one of the more unusual is NATIONAL MUSTARD DAY August 5, 2006 in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Last year, blue skies and yellow mustard were the backdrop for a great National Mustard Day on the streets of historic Mount Horeb, also known as Troll Capital of the World. They had given away 2,000 hot dogs by 2:00 p.m.—a record! All of you who missed your free wiener, there's good news: they'll have even more this year.

Part of the mustard collection

Besides frivolity and mustard spills, the National Mustard Day raises funds for charities like the Madison Youth Performing Arts Foundation through donations for the hot dogs and the many mustard games (mustard ring-toss, mustard spinning wheel, etc). All giving everyone a chance to win great prizes.

The whole event is the brainchild of Barry Levenson, creator of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum & Gourmet Foods Emporium. Barry started collecting mustards in 1986 and now the collection stands at over 4,100 mustards. They are open almost every day of the year for tours.

And when you're asking yourself "How did she know about this event?" Well the Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb was one of the highlights of my whirlwind driving tour of just one section of Wisconsin. It's well worth a visit—the town has lots of antique shops and just great Midwest charm. I even received my degree as a graduate of Poupon U and left their store with great gifts for everyone and a mind full of mustard facts and trivia. http://www.mustardmuseum.com.

Lots of folks live to be at the beach and I'm one of them but the difference is—I want to enjoy the sights and sounds of the water as it changes color, rhythm and texture, swathed in cover-ups, hats and sunscreen, no baking for me.

Here are a few reports on the best beaches for you to peruse for some vacations ideas and that next adventure. The first section is from the editors of Insight Guides, who named their favorite beaches for 2006. The second section covers the Oregon coast.

Miami Beach, FL

Insight Compact Guides Miami—Whether it's parties on South Beach or gazing at the beautiful Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, one thing is consistent in Southern Florida - warm waves and tan bodies.

Malibu, CA

Insight Guides Southern California—Surf's up at this exemplary So Cal beach. Find your inner California girl or surfer dude amid white sand beaches and laid-back lifestyles. Notorious as a celebrity hide-a-way, camp out in the sun for some celebrity spotting.

Pensacola Beach

Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Beach, FL

Insight Guides Florida—More than 600 miles from the crowds and condos of fast-paced Miami, this Gulf Coast beach combines Old South charm, Spanish heritage, and Navy Bravado. Visit the underdeveloped beaches of historic Pensacola, where sand dunes still spiral high above blue seas.

Maui, HI

Insight Compact Guides Maui, Hawaii—There are endless options for every traveler beneath the equator! Whether it's windsurfing among professionals in Ho'okipa Beach, snorkeling in among Maui's reefs at Molokini, or just lying around the black sand beach of Hamoa Beach, Maui satisfies the traveler yearning for fun in the sun.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod, MA

Insight Compact Guides Cape Cod—Take a classic All-American summer vacation in Cape Cod just like America's first family, the Kennedy's. Thrust 70 miles out to sea, Cape Cod offers beach goers generations of American history - from reliving the historical journey of the Pilgrims to cruising down Ocean Drive to Veterans Beach, a past vacation spot of JFK.

Main Beach, East Hampton, NY

Insight Guides New York State—Once described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the Great Gatsby as “that slender, riotous island,” Long Island has established itself as a sanctuary for New York's rich and famous. The small fishing villages of the past still lend their New England charm, next to the summer houses of Jerry Seinfeld and Martha Stewart.

Baker Beach

Baker Beach, San Francisco, CA

Insight Pocket Guides San Francisco—Spend a day sunbathing among the locals, and glance through your shades at an unimpeded view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Or, walk from San Fran to San Mateo County along San Francisco's largest beach, Ocean Beach.

Oak Street Beach, Chicago, IL

Berlitz Pocket Guide Chicago—A few blocks north of Chicago's Navy Pier lays Chi-town's summer oasis of Oak Street Beach. When it's too hot for baseball games at Wrigley Field or experiencing the architecture of Oak Park, Lake Michigan's popular lakeshore beckons you to its' cool waters.

Cape Fear, Wilmington, NC

Insight Guides USA The New South—This is the beach town to visit if you are interested in enjoying a Southern state beach vacation punctuated with ripe American history. In between sunbathing, take the opportunity to visit the Battleship USS North Carolina, a World War II warship, anchored in the Cape Fear harbor.

The Texas Gulf Coast

Insight Guides Texas—The Texas coastline encompasses 367 miles of countless unspoiled beaches, several wildlife sanctuaries, and the historic island city of Galveston. From Corpus Christi to South Padre Island you'll find unmatched deep-sea fishing, balmy, tropical temperatures, and the finest stretch of natural beach in America.

A complete catalog is available at www.langenscheidt.com. Containing over 3,000 U.S. and international street maps, road maps, atlases, travel guides, language-learning guides, and bilingual dictionaries.

Now we switch to the Pacific coast of Oregon and the best beaches listed by the Oregon Coast Visitors and Conventions Bureau office. I'm listing just seven of the 16 they have on their informative website at www.VisitTheOregonCoast.com.** I took a most memorable trip along the Oregon coast a few years ago. It was difficult driving while trying not to miss any of the spectacular scenery as well as staying on schedule when every curve was a photo opportunity. Take the trip when you can.

Oregon Beach Advice

Oregon Coast Map

Wind is great for flying a kite or windsurfing, but if you want to walk along the beach, catch some rays, have a picnic, wade in the surf, or build a sandcastle, a really windy day is not so great. On those sunny-but windy-days, it would be good to know of a sheltered beach nearby to escape to. Basically any beach tucked into the south side of a headland provides some protection from the north winds of summer. (In winter, it's just the opposite because storms generally come out of the south.) Listed here are recommendations by locals of where to find sheltered beaches. Since some are only accessible at low tide, consult a tide table. These are usually available at local businesses-especially sporting goods.

North Coast

Crescent Beach: Located at Ecola State Park
This is one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast. Follow the trail from the Ecola Point parking area to the beach. Farther north, also within the park, is Indian Beach. Although, it's south of Tillamook Head and somewhat protected, Indian Beach receives more wind than Crescent Beach.
Hug Point: Located between Cannon Beach and Arch Rock. Besides being sheltered, Hug Point is a part of Oregon Coast history. The name came from the old wagon roadbed that was blasted in the face of the rock to get around the point, which you can only do at low tide. Once around the point check out the cave, but get back before the tide returns. A small waterfall also adds to this interesting beach.

Oregon Shore

Short Sand Beach: Located within Oswald West State Park. Short Sand Beach is fairly enclosed, which makes it a rarity because it's sheltered summer and winter. It's one of the most beautiful beaches along the coast and is also popular with surfers.
Cape Lookout (south side): Located within Cape Lookout State Park on the Three Capes Loop. The late Jason F Jensen, formerly an editor at Oregon Coast magazine who walked the entire coast in 1998 said, "The south side of Cape Lookout has water that is tropical, Caribbean like." He recommended parking at the top and hiking down as the best way to get there, even though it's steep.

Central Coast

Hidden Cove: Located north end of Lincoln City within Roads End State Park. Hidden Cove is a minus-tide beach, which means that it's hidden most of the time. To find this elusive gem, park at the state park, hike north to the end of the more populated Roads End Beach, and-if the tide is out-go around Roads End Knob to get to Hidden Cove. Keep an eye out for the returning tide.
Fogarty Creek State Park: Located 3 miles south of Gleneden Beach. Fogarty Creek is popular partially because of its sheltered picnic area on the east side of Highway 101. A trail goes under the highway to a scenic beach with rock formations offshore. The beach provides some shelter in summer but more in winter.
Cape Cove Beach, Cape Perpetua: Located almost 2 miles south of Yachats. Photographer Potts says, "When the north wind blows, the lee side of Cape Perpetua is one spot you can depend on to be warm when everywhere else is cold because of the wind." Cape Perpetua's beach is a small low-tide beach that disappears at high tide and is directly below the Visitor Center. It can be reached by parking right off the highway or by parking at the Visitor Center and taking the Cape Cove Trail.

The link below will lead you directly to the information on sixteen beaches
http://www.visittheoregoncoast.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=49169.

We've been traveling a bit by car the last few weeks (over 2000 miles), exploring Long Island, New York and several cities and small towns in Maine. Then more of historic Virginia in Loudon County and as always checking out the scene in Washington, DC. You'll be hearing about all these adventures soon.

Happy Trails!

Mary E. Gallagher

mary@gallagherstravels.com

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August 2006

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