Many of the people that live full-time in Cannon Beach count on the business brought in by people visiting from out of town. Many of us tend to forget about that while we are driving behind them or have to wait an extra 30 seconds for the crosswalk to be passable. One of the things that I have noticed over the years happens both in and out of the car: I often notice actions that I would interpret as coming from a person who is uptight and unprepared. My favorite example of this is normally observed from my driver's seat on the windy part of the main drag in Cannon Beach that we all call the S-curves. It is a well named part of the road with blind corners and, in some places, no shoulder at all. This is not the best place for a person who is lost to do a U-turn.... But for some people - when they are stressed out and have no idea how small our town really is - apparently it is. It is very hard to get lost in our little town so keep driving until it is safe my friends.
Just a few days ago I was stopped by a woman who was looking for tide pools and a place that she had heard about that "was like a stream or something" where here kids could swim. As I was attempting to guide her in the correct direction, I started to sense the same feeling I get from the U-turn people. She was asking questions like she was afraid she was going to miss Ecola creek and even when I told her that it runs all the way from the mountains to the ocean and that they would run into it if they walked north on the beach, she still seemed stressed out. What kind of vacation is she on? At that point I decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell her about the 27 horses that like just up stream from where her kids would be swimming. She didn't look like she could have handled the task of finding another swimming place for the kiddos.
So here is my advice to people coming to visit my town or maybe before you go on vacation anywhere...
Cannon Beach is a small town and not too complicated in which to get around. Before you make your way out here look us up on Google map and just get an idea of the layout. When you feel like you are getting lost or confused about where you are, just go with it. More than likely you don't really have a time frame for relaxation... and if you do you're not doing it right. Some of the best things done on vacations can be the things you find by accident. Look for a farmers market, too... I hear there are some good eats at those. ;p
