Lincoln City Live Cam

You can walk on the beach, fly a kite, build a sand castle, everything you already do at the beach. But the Inn at Spanish Head Resort Hotel has so much more to offer. There's great shopping, beautiful golf courses, a world-class aquarium and many scenic hiking trails, just to mention a few. So plan your next coast vacation accordingly because the Inn at Spanish Head is right in the middle of it all.

Whether you're anxious to get away from it all, to it all, or a little bit of both, Oregon has you covered like a down comforter. Destination resorts along the Coast and in the mountains offer almost every form of recreation under the sun. For those who want to specialize in one activity, be it fishing or cattle punching, the lodges and guest ranches here do it to perfection. And did someone ask about golf? Let's put it this way: green just happens to be the state color.

If you haven't heard about all of the outstanding golf courses in Oregon, it's probably because your buddies who've played here don't want the secret to get out. Golf Digest and other trade journals are certainly aware of them. Lately they've touted Sandpines on the Coast, Pumpkin Ridge near Portland, and Broken Top and Crosswater in Central Oregon as some of the nation's top new courses. In fact, the 23 spectacular courses in Central Oregon have made this high-desert area sort of a Northwest version of Palm Springs. Eagle Point Golf Course in Southern Oregon is one of the nation's top new courses.

Many of Oregon's top courses serve as centerpieces for complete resorts. Central Oregon alone features more than a half dozen such destinations with swimming, tennis, biking and hiking, and in some cases, horseback riding, river rafting and fly-fishing to round out the experience. In the winter, most of them transform into lively ski villages with cross-country trails, ice skating, sleigh rides and shuttles to Mt. Bachelor.

Of course, Oregon has dozens of resorts where the lakes and rivers are centerpieces, not just water hazards. Many are year-round family playgrounds where fishing is the first of several activities. Others offer a quiet fishing escape with no outside distractions. If you want isolation, how about a fishing and hunting ranch in Eastern Oregon that can't be reached by car, only by plane or horseback?

Ready for some serious horsing around? You'd be hard-pressed to find more trails and open range to ride. Try saddling up at guest ranches in the Willamette Valley or Southern and Central Oregon that entertain you with heated swimming pools, putting greens and tennis courts. Better yet, why not stay at a working cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon or Southern Oregon, where you can rope and wrangle until the cows come home or just take a ride up the creek bed into the back country for some real solitude.

Either way, at the end of the day you can count on being served one of the heartiest meals you've ever had, taking a hayride or maybe a soak in the hot tub, and sleeping better than you have in years.

Oregon celebrates its rich history and diverse culture unlike any other state. Whether you're interested in Native American History, the Opera or rodeos, Oregon has it all. You can follow the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, check out the still visible wagon wheel ruts of the Oregon Trail or experience one of the hundreds of festivals that celebrate everything from Shakespeare to sauerkraut.

Oregon's Native Americans represent a continuity of culture that spans the centuries. For generations, their art, dances, games and other customs have remained essentially the same. Today, they're eager to share their hospitality, songs and stories, and enchanting territories. Oregon is home to nine different Indian tribes. You're invited to participate in powwows, visit cultural centers, museums and galleries, and enjoy resorts, casinos and campgrounds. The Klamath Tribes Museum in Chiloquin is open to the public. And the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation welcome visitors with a celebrated museum and the refreshing activities of Kah-Nee-Ta Resort.

The hopes and dreams of thousands of Oregon Trail emigrants are etched in the faces of haunting photographs, written in the pages of tattered diaries, and hewn into rutted trails across the landscape. You can relive their tragedy and triumph throughout the state, from the Snake River crossing near Ontario to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City. Southern Oregon cities along the Applegate Trail are commemorating the 150th anniversary of this southerly route to the Willamette Valley. The discoveries of Oregon's earliest pioneers, Lewis & Clark, are brought to life at Fort Clatsop between the northern Coast cities of Astoria and Seaside.

The fascinating remnants of the westward migration are visible in the diverse cultures that make up Oregon's population. African American, Basque Celtic, Chinese, German, Hispanic, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Scandinavian, and other influences are evident in a variety of cultural displays and celebrations.

To name just a few, Portland presents one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations north of the Mexican border in May, and the Scottish Highland Games at Mt. Hood Community College in July. Don't miss the Homowo Festival of African Arts, an annual celebration held in August at Cathedral Park in North Portland. The festival originated in Ghana and features music and dance, African and Caribbean food, arts and crafts, storytelling and children's activities. Eugene offers an Asian Celebration in February and Fiesta Latina in May. Junction City showcases a huge Scandinavian Festival in August, and Mt. Angel puts on the state's largest Oktoberfest in September.

In Portland, the list of year-round attractions features the Oregon History Center, the Portland Art Museum and the Pittock Mansion. Elsewhere, pioneer heritage and high-desert animals come alive at The High Desert Museum in Bend, and the Pacific Northwest Museum of Natural History in Ashland examines Oregon's entire ecosystem.

Artist colonies thrive throughout the state, as evidenced by exciting galleries in Cannon Beach, Ashland, Joseph and Sisters. With 52 districts on the National Historic Register, historic homes, buildings and churches are well preserved in many cities, including Portland, Jacksonville, Astoria, The Dalles, Albany and Baker City.