Canon Beach Oregon

Cannon Beach homeowner celebrates grand slam book sales

A good book is like a good curveball. It's all about the grip and the delivery.

However, Cannon Beach second-homeowner and author Dan Fost has found, there's no substitute for perfect timing, not matter what it is you're pitching.

The San Francisco-based journalist is celebrating the release (and rerelease) of his first book, "Giants Past & Present," which pays tribute to Major League Baseball team (and his home team) the San Francisco Giants. He's also celebrating their 2010 World Series pennant win. All in all, it's been a good year.

Fost has written for a variety of national publications, but this is his first foray into the book publishing industry. In the most important ways, though, he's been readying himself for the task for decades.

Fost began rooting for the Giants when he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989.

"I found the Giants much more likable than the A's -- from manager Roger Craig and his cheer of ‘Humm Baby,' to stars like Will Clark and Matt Williams," Fost said. "Plus it does not hurt that the Giants wear orange and black, just like the alma mater of my in-laws Louis and Katie Barker, the Oregon State Beavers."

Back in 1989, his newly adopted team was prepping to take on the Oakland A's in the World Series when the Loma Prieta earthquake stopped them short. And, try as they might, a World Series title contined to elude them as the years passed.

The streak of bad luck inspired Fost to write a story chronicling the Giant's curse.

Soon after, publisher MVP Books contacted Fost and asked him to create a book about the Giants as part of a series of books on sports teams. Fost was tasked with writing up 40 chapters on all things Giants, from salaries to nicknames to beloved basemen to team uniforms, as well as covering the team's history from its founding in New York in 1883 to present day.

Fost did some of the writing right here in Cannon Beach, where he, his wife, Betty Barker, and their son Harry spend a month each summer.

On rainy days, he plugged away at the book, enlisting Harry's proofreading services and drawing inspiration from his peaceful surroundings.

"Cannon Beach gave me a place to focus on the project without so many other distractions," he said.

What is it about this little town by the sea that so appeals to writers and other artistic types? It's a place to decompress, to eschew schedules and to move slowly, Fost says: "Writers like to have a place that's calm and peaceful where they can reflect and ruminate on their subject. There's nothing like a walk on the beach to inspire a fresh idea!

Indian Beach Oregon - Indian Beach Cannon Beach

Capture Indian Beach’s dramatic natural beauty on film. More than two decades after these films were made, people still come to see where the movies were made. Plenty more come to experience time in nature away from the hustle and bustle from ordinary life.

As one of the best Oregon beaches , Indian Beach near Cannon Beach is a big draw in every season. One of the most scenic places along the entire Oregon Coast, Ecola State Park lies between Highway 101 and the Pacific Ocean. The famed highway that winds its away along America’s West Coast is home to many interesting places to explore, including Indian Beach Oregon. Cannon Beach is one of the northernmost cities in Oregon, several scenic hours from the California border.

Once you arrive at Indian Beach Oregon, you won’t need to worry about paying a big entry fee or buy a badge. Like many Oregon beaches, Indian Beach is free for everyone to enjoy. A few of the Oregon State Parks charge a day-use fee, but they are few and far between. All you need to do is find a parking spot and stake your claim. While the Cannon Beach beaches are popular, they never seem crowded. You’ll have plenty of room to stretch out, get out your kite, or catch a wave.

Whether you’re looking for adventure or the chance to relax, you’ll find plenty of fun to suit your style. Surfers will appreciate the big waves that crash against the stone. Plenty of surf shops in and around Cannon Beach can equip you with everything you need to ride the waves. Others know Indian Beach Cannon Beach as a fine place for a stroll—the wide stretch of smooth sand is especially well suited to long walks on the beach. Don’t miss the chance to stop and look at the tidepools to see an array of marine life up close.

Indian Beach Cannon Beach also shares a deep connection with history. The Corps of Discovery—led by Lewis and Clark—stopped here on their trek west. Charged by president Jefferson with discovering the vast lands of the Louisiana Purchase, the Corps followed a thick forest in the future Cannon Beach and arrived at the Pacific Coast on the beach now known as Indian Beach. Today, the path to the beach is paved, so it’s a whole lot easier to get there 200 years later. The Clatsop Loop Trail meanders through the park, following in the footsteps of the explorers. This interpretive trail tells the story of Captain Clark and his followers who trekked to the beach in search of a beached whale. This 2.5-mile trail winds from Indian Beach to the overlook for the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.

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Zoning ordinance of Cannon Beach, Oregon, as amended through June 2005 (covering through ordinance 05-07).