Sunday, June 28, 2009

R.I.P. Cannon Beach and Manzanita


Yogi Berra once said, “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.” I totally get it, and it was part of the sadness I felt when I had the occasion to go to Manzanita and Cannon Beach on Saturday.

I’ve written about how suburban sprawl has taken a toll on my home in the country. Trees have been cut and there are several new homes within eyesight and they leave their light on 24 hours a day and make lots of noise. However, the sprawl that I suffer is nothing compared to what the long term residents of Cannon Beach and Manzanita must endure with the over-commercialization and over-development of their once quiet beach towns.

The old charm is totally gone from both towns. For you old-times, remember having a meatloaf sandwich on the porch at the Log Cabin in Manzanita? Remember the Round Table in Cannon Beach, or the bar at The Whaler? Remember having a burger at Bills by the pot belly stove? It’s sad all those things are gone forever. It’s sad how the house lights in my neighborhood take away from star gazing on clear nights.

10 Comments:

Blogger JustRex said...

Unfortunately, when you find a good place to live, you discover that other people want to live there too. The selfish swine. Why can't they just let a man alone?

6:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Move to Naselle!

7:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I still sort'a go into shock when passing through Cannon Beach...God, what a mess...I remember renting a place there in 1970 for 50 bucks a month...and the crowds were nothing like they are now...can you believe they even have a jail there now? Damn

10:08 AM  
Blogger Siempre he sido yo said...

Manzanita, beautiful name. It means "little apple" in Spanish. :-)

1:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I find I can still have a pretty good time at those joints when I go before Memorial and after Labor day.

1:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

...Remember having a burger at Bills by the pot belly stove?

I remember back in the '60s all you could get at Bills was beer and wine and their was plenty of that. There was also "Cathy" the manager/bartender who was some sort of institution in her own right. Crazier than hell and a dead ringer for actress Bette Davis if she was coming off a week long binge. When you were under 21 but could charm Cathy she didn't give a damn how old you were she'd set you up all night if you behaved yourself. It was very cool-down there.... the Summer Of '67 the place to be was Short Sands by day and Cannon Beach at night-was like that for a couple of years

1:26 PM  
Anonymous Auntie said...

Dang, #2 should have his own blog by now, dontcha think?

6:00 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Darev, Death by 1000 cuts.

Auntie, Gulls fly upside down over Naselle because it isn't worth shitting on.

Anon#2, the jail makes it more convenient when you are in town, drunk and all the hotels are full.

Esther, Our little apple is taking on the character of the Big Apple.

Anon, the places I wrote about are old hang-outs that are now gone, except Bill's hat turned an Yuppie Hell Tavern.

Anon, You a surfer? I haven't been to Short Sands in years. Good summer surfing.

Auntie, if #2 is who we think he is.

6:15 PM  
Blogger Tango's Going Ons said...

I left Manassas, VA in 1975 and came back in 1997. I had to call my sister to come and get me because I didn't recognize anything. Nothing at all!!!

It was hard to believe the town had changed that much.

Now everywhere you look, you see mega mansions. :( What happened to the cute little houses that once were being built?

6:56 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

I hear I wouldn't recognize my home town any more either.

5:34 AM  

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