Enjoying Oregon's 'Ocean Beaches' and Dungeness Crab

In the 13 months Scott and I have lived in Oregon, we've done our best to visit the varied landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.

To mark our 12th wedding anniversary in April, we chose the coast. Or, as the highway signs here redundantly declare, "the Ocean Beaches." We've twice day-tripped to Astoria, camped at Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, and spent a terrific weekend in Pacific City. On that last trip, we visited Neskowin's Ghost Forest on one of the lowest tides of the year, and we were eager to return. 

We tend to be procrastinating trip planners, so we we decided to go about 10 days before our anniversary, which fell on the Easter holiday. A quick Airbnb search later, we had a condo with a kitchenette reserved at Proposal Rock Inn in Neskowin, a funky creekside condo complex with views of the Pacific Ocean and, of course, Proposal Rock. The Inn allows dogs, so our pup Loretta came with us.   

The view from the condo balcony

As a Southerner, going to the coast means swimming in warm waters, getting sand out of all the uncomfortable crannies of your bathing suit, and eating too much fried fish and shrimp. Yet in Oregon, the waters are in the mid-50-degrees during summer's peak, thus the only swimwear you might don is a dry suit for diving or surfing, and you'll commonly see people in jeans and hoodies on the beach. 

Fried fish and chips are popular, as is clam chowder (the Mo's franchise is nearly in every coastal town), topped with the tiny bay, or pink, shrimp that look like shriveled sea monkeys. Larger shrimp are called "spot prawns" and aren't as prevalent on menus in Oregon.

Scott is a huge fan of Dungeness crab, the official state crustacean of Oregon, and when he saw a sign advertising a crab feast while scouting a spot for lunch, I knew dinner plans were handled. Yes, we're always thinking about our next meals.

We stopped for lunch at Grateful Bread Bakery in Pacific City and mentioned the crab feast to our server. Of course one of the crab feast's organizers worked at the bakery, and of course she and her husband own the seafood operation providing the crab. She warned us only a few tickets remained for the feast, so we quickly finished our sandwiches and drove over to the Kiawanda Community Center.

 Was it anniversary or Easter luck that we scored the last two tickets? Bellies full of sandwiches at 1:30pm, yet we were more than eager to get to the crab feast at 5pm promptly, per the community center staff's recommendation. In the meantime, we drove down the coast to Bob Straub State Park and Nestucca Bay to admire tidepools, walk the beach, laugh at Loretta barking at the waves, and watch a set of paragliders fruitlessly try to harness the coastal winds. 

At 5pm, we arrived at the community center and the parking lot was nearly full. Inside I secured two seats at a table where two senior women were seated, and we visited the cash bar for wine and beer. Drinks in hand, we toured the silent auction tables (Scott debated bidding on a pocket knife) while waiting semi-impatiently for the main event - the big-ass crabs!  

After sitting through the long list of welcoming remarks, we joined an equally long line, cafeteria-style, to turn in our feast tickets and receive a tray for our plate of crab, baked potato, roll, and coleslaw. Scott wished for all-you-can-eat crab, but alas one plate was all we received. It turns out one large crab is PLENTY, especially when you have to work for every shred of slightly-sweet meat. Luckily the gills and other non-edible bits were removed for us, and crab crackers helped to shimmy the good stuff out of the claws. Comically large bibs shielded us from all the debris flying around. Crab-cracking is a full-contact sport!

The feast didn't end there - dessert was Tillamook ice cream - strawberry for Scott, vanilla for me. In between bites, we made small talk with our tablemates: two young couples from the area, and the two older women. The woman next to me told me all about growing up in Taos, New Mexico on her family's original Spanish land grant, and how she couldn't wait to give her grandchildren the Easter egg toys she'd purchased that day. It was sweet all around.  

The next day, on our anniversary on Easter Sunday, we ate Dungeness crab again at Tidal Raves down the coast on Highway 101 in Depoe Bay. I'd made reservations a week or so prior, since I'd eaten there last summer with my mom and it had a perfect ocean view. Our lunch of crab cakes, Cioppino, and Pacific Rockfish with a smoked salmon potato cake, was wonderful. Tiramisu, Scott's favorite, topped it off. 

Which meal was better? I prefer not to compare them, but to appreciate both. The first meal, the community crab feast, was more "us" - a spontaneous opportunity to meet the locals and experience a big, communal meal. You can get a table for two anytime, anywhere.