Have a ball

Become a card-carrying nature lover with outdoor bingo

Story & photos by Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

To encourage more people to explore the outdoors and engage in healthy habits, Tillamook County Wellness came up with 24 local day trips and outings and then made a game of it.

Since most of the activity suggestions are things I like doing anyway, I figured I could easily complete at least one row of the bingo cards that they had created for the game, and submit my entry for a chance at one of the prizes donated by local businesses.

For reasons best left unexplained, I haven’t yet been able to complete any of the rows, much less do the “blackout,” which can win you the big prizes like a Pendleton blanket. But I ended winning something much more; I learned about places and resources that, two decades into my Central Coast residency, I had no idea existed.

Square one on the row I chose to tackle first said “PC Pathway.”

Huh?

I got online and discovered a jewel. Right across from the bustling crowds at Cape Kiwanda, the Pacific City Pathway is an easy loop hike through towering trees. The result of a partnership between the BLM and the Pacific City Joint Water-Sanitary Authority, the trail is closed to horses, bikes and motorized vehicles, but is open to dogs, which I just happened to have one of with me.

Scout and I had scouted around a bit before we found the trailhead, which is through a gated fence on the edge of an ample parking area close to Doryland Pizza. It is best found by looking for the “Overflow Parking” sign on Cape Kiwanda Drive.

Parking is by a suggested donation of $10, which goes to an ongoing fundraiser that has been collecting money to build a skatepark, playground and other improvements to give local and visiting kids a safe place to burn off some energy.

Surrounded by signs of wildlife and the sound of the swaying trees above, it is hard to believe that this little respite area is so close to the homes and businesses nearby.

Another discovery I made as a result of trying to check off bingo boxes was the Tillamook Water Trail. The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and restoring county waterways, has created a website that has a map of the county with each watershed highlighted in a different color. An interactive legend lets you screen for your activities and preferences.

Need to know there’s a restroom nearby? Want to hunt with only your camera? Can’t do without a boat launch? The legend gives you the opportunity to find the perfect place to paddle, float or birdwatch.

I used the site to plan a SUP paddle on the Little Nestucca River. I arrived early, but not so early I didn’t surprise two poor fishermen with a bellowing rendition of a Grateful Dead song as I came around a turn. They looked more amused than annoyed that I was likely scaring away any slow fish.

There were plenty of fast juvenile fish though, frequently leaving the water in tiny arcs, which, for some reason, made me laugh out loud. I spied at least 10 different species of water fowl, too, including some jaded sandpipers who weren’t even slightly bothered as I paddled close to them to capture a photo.

At one point, I was in water shallow and clear enough to see a frog the size of my hand just hanging out on an underwater rock. Later though, I began to get a little worried that the little dude wasn’t actually chilling but was experiencing a final rest, which led me to learning something else new thanks to the internet. Frogs, it turns out, can hold their breath underwater for from four to seven hours. Nature is amazing.

On my way to the river that morning, a Saturday, I had passed the sign for the Neskowin Farmers Market, which I hadn’t planned as part of my day. Visiting a farmers market, or the Food Roots FarmTable Store in Tillamook, is actually one of the squares on the bingo card, since walking around in the fresh air and buying produce fresh from a farm definitely qualifies as a healthy activity.

So, after my paddle, I stopped at the market, which has been temporarily held this summer at the Neskowin Valley School instead of the previous location at the Neskowin Beach Wayside. I confirmed that it will continue there for the rest of the season, through Saturday, Sept. 26.

I bought some dried morels from Colomo Wild Mushrooms, a basket of gorgeous yellow tomatoes from Mama Tee’s Farm and some homemade jam from Walker Family Farms then headed home.

There is still a chance I can finish a bingo row, as the contest doesn’t end until Friday, Sept. 25. Until that date, there will be one giveaway drawing weekly, which you can enter online or at one of three sites listed on the bingo card. A minimum of two prizes will be given out each week.

Most locations, which include state parks and community trails, are family-friendly and accessible for people of all abilities. Game information and materials are available in both English and Spanish.

You can find more information about the contest and a printable bingo card at www.tillamookcountywellness.org/bingo.