Fogarty Beach

I talk about certain places being a happy place. Fogarty Beach is one of those locations. I always find cool rocks there and the people I meet there are always so friendly. Rock people can be a peculiar bunch. They don’t like to give away their secrets when it comes to rockhounding. Once they hear my Cajun accent and realize I’m not going to be in Oregon to take all their rocks, they gladly give me little hints about collecting on the beaches.

I always go out to Fogarty fairly early in the morning, but it’s important to check the tide tables. I like to go out right after high tide so that while I’m there,the tide is continually getting lower and showing more rocks. As far as Fogarty goes, I’ve found if you walk along the tide lines there’s a lot of easy pickings. Also, have the sun work to your advantage. Walk facing the sun. It will illuminate the agates and make them easier to spot.

Ive found most of my rocks on the main beach area, however many swear by the more northern part by the cliff with the big rocks. Be careful in that area because when the tide comes up, you can get stranded in that area. Maybe that’s why I don’t spend much time there. I know I lose track of time when searching for rocks. I don’t want to have to worry about getting stuck there and needing to be rescued. I see those people on the news and social media all the time. I don’t want to be one of them. I’ve also seen people sit in the sand and just sift through the gravel, finding lots of goodies that way. I might try that next time I visit Fogarty.  That’s how I do it back home in Louisiana. It’s much colder on the Oregon coast even in the middle of the summer. I would have to pick a really sunny day to sit and sift through rocks on the beach.

For all you non-rock people, Fogarty has more than rocks. There’s a nice sandy beach you can sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean. I’ve seen that people make small fires there at night. That’s on my bucket list. A beach fire. There’s also a large rocky area at the southern end of the beach where Fogarty Creek meets the ocean. It’s really nice for exploring the rocks, tide pooling, and bird watching.

I like that’s there’s a large, safe parking area with picnic tables, and decent bathrooms. Near the doggy bag area there’s also a faucet (I’m assuming it’s used to give dogs water to drink). I use the faucet to wash the sand from my feet before getting in my car.

Here are some handy beach hints:

• Wear your keys on a lanyard around your neck so you don’t lose them.
• Same for your phone. Get a waterproof cellphone holder. I put my drivers license, auto insurance card, and a few bucks in there too that way I don’t have to worry about a purse.
• I’ve found the best shoes for walking on the gravely beaches are pool shoes. They are easy to rinse off before getting back in your car. I like to take them off and put in a grocery bag or doggy doo bag for the drive home.  
• Never, NeVeR, NEVER leave anything visible in your car! I mean nothing at all. People have been known to smash a window to grab just about anything in view. 

When the tide is out, this thing is visible. I don’t know what it is or why it’s here. It’s some piece of machinery and it’s set in concrete. Any ideas, readers?