Oregon Coast Elopement - Tara and Joe

I was on day 3 of a cross-country drive from Seattle to Dallas, when I got a message from Tara.

"So this is very last minute... We are having a family vacation in Yachats [in 3 weeks] and I’m just wondering if it’s even possible to plan a wedding during that time. Yachats is one of our favorite places to go, with a lot of special meaning. It would just be us, my mom, his dad, our 4 kids and son-in-law. I know it’s last minute… just trying to see if this is even possible."

When I called Tara, she told me that she hadn't even mentioned it to her fiancé, Joe. They had been planning a destination wedding in Hawaii, where they got engaged in 2019, but life had just gotten in the way. Between Covid, and a move from Arizona back to Oregon where Tara was originally from, there just never seemed to be a good time.

Within a couple of days, we were sitting down on a zoom call together, going over the possibilities and logistics for their elopement.

The couple had already booked the perfect AirBnb in Yachats for their family vacation, and it turned out to be really perfect for their elopement as well. Beautiful views, beach access, room for their families, a charming lighthouse vibe, warm wooden interior details... even a game room and a hot tub. They decided to start the day at the house, with a ceremony on the lawn between the house and the ocean. The house made everything so incredibly easy. Food was prepared inside and brought out to a table on the lawn. Floral details didnt have to be transported. Parents and kids had a place to relax before and after the ceremony. And the beach in front of the airbnb was empty, creating a perfect place for the two to share cake and champagne after their vows.

Yachats (pronounced YAH-hahts) has been one of top 3 favorite coastal towns since I can remember. The residents are kind. The town is charming. The surrounding trails are some of my favorites. And it's the home of my favorite Oregon coffee shop, The Green Salmon. But more importantly, the history of the area is one of many that should not be forgotten. Before getting into their elopement day details, I think it's important to share the history of places like this in an effort to spread awareness of our history. I really believe that understanding our country's history, the good and the bad, is crucial in fostering a greater sense of empathy in our society.

Here's a brief summary of the areas history, along with a link to more details at Yachats.org

"Archeological studies have shown that the Yachats area has been inhabited for at least 1,500 years. Remains of a pit-house in Yachats have been radiocarbon dated at approximately 570 AD. Yachats is built on seashell middens and numerous graves left by its past inhabitants. Excavations for construction of buildings and U.S. Route 101 uncovered a great many skeletons and artifacts. Most of these became part of the fill dirt forming the base of the current highway and city.

For many centuries the Native Americans in this area were hunter-gathererswho migrated between summer camps and winter residences. The Alsea Tribehad as many as 20 permanent villages (used on an annually rotating basis) on the Alsea River and the central Oregon coast. Archeological and linguistic evidence support the existence of a southern Alsea village known as the Yahuch band, located on the coast at the Yachats River. By 1860, the Yahuchband was extinct, many having succumbed to European diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis.

In order to open up land in the Coos Bay area for homesteading in the early 1860s, the U.S. Army forcibly marched the Coos and Lower Umpqua Indians 80 miles (130 km) north over rugged terrain to the Alsea Sub-Agency reservation in Yachats where the peaceful Indians, treated by the Army as though they were prisoners of war, were incarcerated. Amanda's Trail, named for a blind Indian woman who suffered greatly on the march, was dedicated on July 19, 2009. The trail climbs 800 feet (240 m) from downtown Yachats to the summit of Cape Perpetua where it links with the extensive trail system of the Siuslaw National Forest.

In Yachats the hunter-gatherer tribes were forced to learn to make a living by agriculture. Crops planted near the ocean failed, resulting in many deaths from starvation. Approximately 300 Indians died in just 10 years. Twelve years after the Alsea Sub-Agency had opened, the Indians were allowed to establish a trail and develop agricultural plots up the Yachats River Valley, where they were able to grow potatoes, oats, wheat, and corn. They were also allowed to return to hunting. Once the Indians had built a new life there, the U.S. government opened up the area for homesteading in 1875, and once again, forced the Indians to move—some returned to their ancestral homelands, others went 40 miles (64 km) north to the Siletz Reservation. Many of the Indians died during this relocation..."

If you ever get a chance to visit this incredible town, it's definitely worth making plans to walk the sacred Amanda Trail, and visit the Amanda statue on the footbridge over Amanda Creek.