Great. It's hard enough keeping that place a secret from locals, let alone some NY retirees.

I was in the San Dune the night they were taking pictures. The band is the Oysters Shooters. Great band and a better group of guys. I gathered up a few locals and in true Gov. Tom McCall/Oregon fashion, we scared them off. But first, we made them clear their table and put their trash in the proper recycling containers.

My first visit to Manzanita was in the early ninties as a freshman in high school. It's changed a lot, even since then but these things are inevitable. Only a few years ago the Sand Dune was a little blue collar bar. Now I guess it's a microbrewery.

At the very least, Manzanita isn't likely to become another Seaside. Condo towers don't lay in its future. It'll probably follow in the footsteps of Cannon Beach and become a psuedo-gated community. It's great news if you own property there, not so great if you can only afford the occassional visit. I guess there's always a chance I could track down that legendary Nehakanie mountain pirate treasure. Maybe then I could buy a place.

Last time I was there (not recently), I noticed huge "headlights" on the beach-front houses, facing the ocean. What's that about? Tsunami watch?