Hug Point 

18 X 36 Inches 

Acrylic on Canvas 

I am continually in awe at how gorgeous the Oregon Coast is. On the coast there is so much to cherish, and so much worth protecting for future generations to enjoy. Even on a stormy January day, the shoreline is alive with breathtaking views and hidden surprises. 

This January I set out to explore a small section of beach five miles south of Cannon Beach off Highway  101. Jamieson (my Great Dane) and I checked the tide schedule, loaded up our gear, and headed out. It was a beautiful drizly Northwest day, the kind day where the sky pitches a tent draped with ribbons of deep blues hues above our heads, the kinds of blues that have a way of transforming into shades of gold when the sun breaks through. Under this tent of clouds we walked down to the beach, toward a large black cliff jetting out, and into the waves. Looking out,  it quickly became clear how Hug Point got its name. Even at low tide, Jamieson and I had to time the waves just right to get around the point. In other words we literally had to “Hug the Point.” Before HWY 101, settlers and native tribes used Oregon’s beaches to travel between Oregon’s coastal communities. In this particular spot one could get stuck for hours waiting for the tide to go down before you could continue on your journey. Eventually someone worked to extend the passable window by blasting a road up off the beach and onto the Basalt Rock cliff-line to get around the corner. 

In 1913 and 1967 two pieces of legislation were passed that deemed the state’s beaches as “public highways.” These bills not only allowed all people free, public access but also protected Oregon’s beaches from privatization. This is why Oregonians refer to Oregon’s shoreline as “The People's Coast.” It is also what makes it possible for anyone to visit the old road, the secret sea caves, majestic waterfalls, tide pools, and ancient petrified forests that make up Hug Point for free 365 days a year. 

As Jamieson and I danced between the waterfall and the waves, moving in and out of sandstone caves, I was filled with gratefulness and a deep sense of connection to all who have visited and those who have yet to visit these ordinary sacred places.

In this moment of joy I chose to reflect, and that reflection took the form of both a painting and a poem.

Oregon’s Original Coastal HWY

By: Kathryn Ann Myers 

Low tide?

Let’s take a ride

Past Haystack Rock, 

Through Tolvana’s seagull flock.

Stay close to shore

Many have gotten stuck here before.

Up we go 

Heave ho! 

Hug the point.

Down again through rocky turns,

Taking notes for our return.

By sea caves and through a waterfall

Stop. Listen to the ocean’s call

We join in, offering songs of gratitude for these timeless places 

For these ordinary sacred spaces, 

That has awakened us for generations 

to the revelation that lives in all creation.