By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Yachats (pronounced Yah-hots) is a Chinook name that means dark water. Nestled at the foot of spruce-sheathed mountains overlooking the wide mouth of a bay where the Yachats River meets the Pacific, it was the site of a thriving village. Today, squealing toddlers play in soft purling waves while parents throw Frisbees to happy dogs on a vast expanse of hard-packed sand. I couldn’t resist wading in the clear water and watching the kaleidoscopic bubble lines kiss the sand as white puffs of clouds overhead morphed into streamers across a brilliant... Read More

Winging It on the Central Coast By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Expert   Morro Bay is a sweet coastal town, situated nicely between spectacular hiking and birding opportunities. To the south, Montana De Oro (mountain of gold), at 8,000 acres, is one of the largest parks in the state and one of its best-kept secrets. Fifty miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails wind through wooded canyons and along hidden coves. To the north rugged, untamed coastline given to the state by the giant Hearst Corporation remains a remnant of the natural splendor that greeted early explorers... Read More