The tide was rolling in, erasing an elaborate labyrinth in the sand when we arrived at Face Rock Overlook in Bandon. Had we arrived earlier we could have walked from one end of the art work to the other.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite small town along the Pacific Coast from Central California to Olympic National Park in Washington. The competition is ferocious. Of the ones we have stayed at or visited on this trip, our favorites so far are Point Reyes Station, Mendocino, and Bandon. We could happily live in any of them. Each of these towns are easily walkable, have unique personalities, and feature incredible seashore scenery and wildlife. I might add that both Point Reyes Station and Mendocino have top of the line independent bookstores, a factor that Peggy and I always consider. While Bandon has a small bookstore with a good selection for its size, it is the town’s dedication to public art that stands out. We will be featuring four different aspects today.
Denny Dyke began creating his sand sculptures on the sand near Face Rock over 10 years ago. Peggy and I remember seeing one during one of our first visits to Bandon after we moved to Oregon. Now his project has been adopted and supported by the whole community of Bandon.No two designs are ever the same. This year’s theme is love.We watched as a woman added a heart and filled it with colorful small pebbles.Natural rock forms are worked into the designs.Here the design, now being washed away by the tide, had been worked around what I called the Lion’s Head.Peggy, who can never resist a labyrinth, was walking what had been left of it by the tide. Walks are actually scheduled on days when the labyrinths are created between the time they are finished and before the tide washes them away. The website for Circles in the Sand lists the dates and times and suggests that the walk takes about 20 minutes.A final view looking south along the shore. In ways, creating art to be washed away by the tides reminds me of Burning Man where beautiful works of art are created and then burned.While not part of labyrinth, we thought that this whale that Peggy and I found on the beach made of driftwood and small rocks deserved to be included.I featured this tufted puffin in my last post. It was created from trash gathered along the beaches of Oregon by the organization Washed Ashore. The stated purpose of the organization is: “To build and exhibit aesthetically powerful art to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits.” It has done an amazing job.A close up of the puffin’s head. Washed Ashore sculptures created in Bandon can now be found in locations across the US and around the world, each with its powerful message about trash thrown into the ocean.While we found the puffin along the trail that follows the coast near Face Rock, this fish by Washed Ashore was located down at Bandon’s Marina right next to the town.A frontal view of the fish…And a look into its mouth.Bandon’s Marina also featured several impressive carved wood sculptures such as this octopus…A whale…Pelicans…Fish…A crab…And a seahorse…We also liked this rock snail.While we were visiting, volunteers were busily hanging art for Bandon’s 21st Annual Boardwalk Art Show. Anyone from kids to professional artists was invited to submit a painting. Liking weird (I won’t blame Peggy here) I selected four appropriately strange paintings for today’s post.If you have had much experience with seagulls, it isn’t hard to imagine them pulling a stunt like this. Our next post will wrap-up Bandon with a focus on scenery, seals and sea birds.A creek meanders out to the Pacific Ocean at Devil’s Kitchen, Bandon, Oregon.
Wandering through Time and Place 