By Laura Swanson
Good Morning Sunshine! With coffee and double dark chocolate zucchini muffins (I’ll post that recipe next), we decided to check out the parking lots at Oswald West this morning. By 10 am the parking lots – from Short Sands to Arcadia were FULL. There are reader boards announcing NO PARKING ON HIGHWAY SHOULDERS as well as signage and cones to discourage the parking along 101. It remains to be seen if the shoulders will remain clear as the day goes on, but that will be when the ticketing and towing will commence. We witnessed various parking violations and pedestrians (with dog, cooler and gear) attempting to negotiate the Highway shoulder at Hug Point.
This message – PARKING LOTS FULL- needs to be on reader boards (and on ODOT TripCheck, Google maps, etc.) on the main highways to truly alleviate the congestion and frustration that will come later today and this afternoon. We have the technology to notify folks about other options, and to educate them to “move on, find another location” if the parking lot is full.
“If you love the coast, show it,” said Lisa Sumption, Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. Director. “Take care of it and yourselves with some very simple steps.”
Visitors play a key role in protecting parks from damage. In addition to preparing for a safe visit using the guidelines posted online at https://stateparks.oregon.gov, each visitor can help by:
- Only parking in designated stalls,
- Bypassing full parks and going someplace else,
- Packing out anything brought in and leaving no trash,
- Using restrooms before arriving or after leaving.
- Visiting mid-week early in the day.
