I grew up going to Seaside, Oregon during the summers. My great-grandparents started taking my grandmother and her siblings back in the 1950′s. In fact, my grandmother has video footage of The Miss Oregon Parade that rolled down Broadway and around the historical turnaround.

The Miss Oregon Parade in the summer of 1950 was a major affair. The pageant had only begun three years earlier in 1947 and the photo here shows the throngs of people out in force to witness the first inaugural Miss Oregon parade. Miss McMinnville, Elizabeth Ann Baker, wowed the judges with her classical piano rendition of “Clair De Lune” and was crowned Miss Oregon amidst throngs of supporters. Oregonians flocked to Seaside that year, and as you can see, folks had to get creative to secure a good view of the festivities. Standing elbow to elbow, some folks had to climb the street lamps (not exactly recommended) to get a decent vantage point. The parade itself featured Miss Oregon contestants from around the state, local dignitaries, as well as the very first Chevrolet convertible off the General Motors assembly line following World War II.

A tradition that’s been going strong for 65 years in Seaside, the Miss Oregon pageant is now held the last week in June every year at the Seaside Civic & Convention Center. You can check out the full schedule of Miss Oregon activities on the official website. This year, the parade will be held this Saturday, June 29 at 2pm and will be followed later that evening by the crowning ceremony at 7pm. For those planning on attending the parade, just make sure to stake out a spot downtown on Broadway a bit beforehand. As this photo demonstrates, the best views of Miss Oregon royalty are rewarded to the early birds.

 

image via seasideor.com

I have fond memories of foggy beach strolls, feeding the seals at the little aquarium, finding sand dollars and splashing in the waves regardless of the weather–something I wouldn’t dream of doing now. That water is cold!

Each summer I had thought about taking the girls to the Oregon Coast so they can start to make memories of their own. But each summer some other trip was more of a priority. The summer of 2013 was finally our year to make the trek west.

An aunt, whom I haven’t seen in too many years, generously invited us to stay with her and her husband at their house in Gleneden Beach. We happily accepted. Gleneden is situated between Lincoln City and Newport.

We got a late start on a Friday afternoon thanks to a sprinkler issue at home. Oh the joys of home ownership. We then hit brutal traffic in the Portland area due to an accident. Eventually we made it to the beach house, just in time for bed. So much for making memories that day.

We woke the next morning to some fog. If you know anything about the Oregon Coast you know that the days often start out foggy but then the fog lifts to reveal blue skies and bright sunshine. The girls were anxious to get to the beach so we walked the few blocks to give them their first glimpse of the Oregon waters. They weren’t disappointed.

The girls with my beautiful aunt. I swear this lady doesn’t age!

I had told the girls that the weather probably wouldn’t be very warm. I told them to pack swimsuits but they probably wouldn’t have the chance to wear them. Boy was I wrong! We went to the beach that first time to get a glimpse. They immediately wanted to go back to the house to change into their suits. The fog lifted that day and the sun came out. The girls were in the water and in the sand as much as we would allow them to be. At one point a seal was swimming in a wave right next to the girls. He was close enough to see his whiskers. The girls were in heaven. In all my years going to the Oregon Coast I have never swam with a seal. I told them that they were very lucky and that it isn’t typical to swim with seals. The next day it happened again. Unbelievable!

Gleneden Beach is stunning! It’s not very populated. It’s incredibly clean. We loved it! We’re thinking about renting a house next summer near my aunt and uncle so that we can bring more family members with us. They have a beautiful vacation community there called Bella Beach. I kicked myself for not bringing my camera with me to capture all the brightly painted doors.

The next day the weather started out beautiful and remained that way all day. The girls splashed and played until lunch time. After lunch we said good-bye to my sweet aunt and uncle and hit the road for a quick stop in Seaside.

Next Stop: Seaside, Oregon