Skip to content

Seaside Stories

Seaside: More Than Just a Resort Town

September 23, 2010 | by Gini Dideum

I was reminded again this week that Seaside is more than a resort town.  It’s not all about pronto pups and beach mementos.  It is a small community made up of people who open their town to visitors year round, particularly in the summer.

During the summer, we deal with overcrowded highways, surreys being pedaled slowly down Broadway, and waiting lines at our favorite dining places.  And, yet, we take it in stride.  We take back roads when we have to travel north or south, we give the surreys room because we can see that the pedalers are having fun, and we eat at home more frequently.  We park our cars and walk or bike to the stores.  The trade-off is that we get to live in a beautiful part of the country, see the most awesome fireworks display on the 4th of July from our front windows,  and attend pumpkin weigh-offs, Miss Oregon pageants, and cat fancier conventions.

What happened last week?  I went to two breakfasts—one was for the Seaside Downtown Development Association (SDDA) and one was for the Chamber of Commerce.  They were both packed and featured the same speaker, Seaside’s new tourism director.  He spoke about what the Visitors Bureau is doing to promote Seaside as a vacation destination.   At both of the breakfasts, there were managers and owners with businesses that are directly involved in tourism but there were others, too.  Retired residents, insurance agents, business journal writers, city officials, and state employment representatives attended.  We all work together, sometimes loudly, and sometimes quietly.

The other reminder was bell choir practice.  I haven’t played bells in years but I got up my nerve (and received several reminders of when practice started) and went to the church down the street.  The first person to meet me was a lady that owns her own marketing company who wanted to make sure I knew which door was unlocked.  The next person I met was a lady whose husband is a well-known artist.  Then there was the director, a retired music teacher that moved to Seaside from somewhere else.  I was introduced to two other women but don’t know their story yet.  Two that didn’t make the practice were the assistant to the director of SDDA and her daughter.  We had an hour of laughter as we struggled to play the right bell on the right beat.  By the end, we were nearly able to recognize the piece as a minuet by Bach.

The real sound of Seaside isn’t the ocean, or the arcade, or the seagulls squawking.  It is the sound of laughter, with a little bell thrown in here and there.

Leave a Reply

and so much more!

Klootchy Park's Sitka Spruce Tree
Near Seaside: Reviewing Klootchy Creek Park

Located adjacent to U.S. Highway 26, about 2.5 miles east of U.S. Highway 101, is the famous and previous national-record-breaking...

Learn More
COVID: What to Expect at Hotels and Vacation Rentals

Great news for those craving the revitalizing sea air and the sounds of the crashing surf from your balcony: Seaside’s hotels an...

Learn More
Broadway Retro

A look at downtown Seaside during the 1960s

Learn More
How to Build a Beach Campfire

It’s a longstanding Seaside tradition: listening to a crackling fire in concert with the crashing of the ocean waves. Campfires ...

Learn More
The Iron Horse Comes to Town

A look at the train that connected Seaside to Portland in 1898

Learn More
The Pacific Pier

A look at the old Pacific Pier in Seaside, Oregon

Learn More
Top Things to Do With Young Kids

Seaside has long been a favorite family retreat, but it’s an especially good choice for families with young children. Why? Becau...

Learn More
Supersize Me!

A brief look at Seaside's past sweets and treats

Learn More
We’re Getting Crabby on the Coast

Dungeness crab season on the Oregon coast

Learn More
Antiquing in Seaside

Antique shopping in Seaside, Oregon

Learn More
How to Treasure the Beach

No one owns the Oregon Coast — it belongs to everyone. Thanks to 1967’s landmark Beach Bill, Oregon has some of the most prote...

Learn More
A Seaside Jewel

Library in Seaside is a popular jewel for small community

Learn More
Northwest Travel Magazine: The Fresh Side of Seaside, Oregon

Feature story on Seaside Oregon, highlighting top attractions in Seaside OR

Learn More
View from the North Prom

Beautiful view from Seaside's north promenade.

Learn More
Going for a Dip in the 1920s

Seaside ocean antics in the late 1920s

Learn More
Top Selfie Spots in Seaside

What’s a stay at the Coast without a selfie or two? Whether you’re posing with your family on the beach, with your sweetie at ...

Learn More
Beach Books is an independent book store in Seaside, Oregon.
Where to Shop for Souvenirs in Seaside

Hunting for bargains? Searching for Seaside souvenirs? Seeking one-of-a-kind gifts? You’ve come to the right place. To your deli...

Learn More