The Seaside Visitors Bureau is a future-forward institution. From our many branding projects to our annual grant program, I think it’s pretty easy to see we have a habit of embracing change and development.

So I was pleased to learn about the Seaside Museum and Historical Society’s ambitious plans to transform themselves into a history hub attraction for Seaside and the North Coast. I’ve reviewed the extensive planning document the museum developed and I look forward to supporting in ways that enrich the visitor experience and make sense for promoting tourism.

One immediate way that came to mind was to bring some of their historical items — maybe a revolving exhibit — from the museum to the Visitors Bureau front-and-center to share in addition to our magazines, brochures, and maps. Turns out, that’s one of the key ways the museum is looking to add value to and increase visibility in the community.

If you have a business and a small space to host items, I highly recommend setting up an appointment to review the back-room archives at the museum. At the very least, you’ll be moved by the enormity of Seaside’s historical legacy.

Seaside in the news

From a press perspective, the last month has been good. There were several far-reaching stories connected to the city in one way or another. Here’s a selected overview in case you missed it:

California dailies

A daily newspaper in the Bay Area of California, the Mercury News republished a recent OC Register article in their travel section titled “8 Must-Stop Beer Spots for an Oregon Coast Road Trip” on Feb. 11. Seaside was home to two of those eight stops: Seaside Brewery and The Wine and Beer Haus.

USA Today

A somewhat smaller mention on a much larger scale, Interstate Amusement in Seaside got props (plus a photo) for maintaining a solid fleet of antique Lusse bumper cars in a USA Today feature called “Bumper Cars: A Crash Course on the Classic Amusement Park Ride” on Feb. 21. This article had a readership reach up to 23 million!

The Oregonian

Reporter Jamie Hale wrote a March 3 feature article on the Tillamook Head hike that focused on exploring the “rugged” and “wild side” of the trail by beginning in the Elmer Feldenheimer Forest Preserve in Seaside instead of via Cannon Beach. Then on March 9 he followed it up with an article on why the Oregon Coast from Newport up to Astoria is a beer lover’s paradise. Seaside Brewery is again featured with a photo, a nice write-up, and recommendations for the writer’s favorite drink onsite.

Ch-ch-changes

We have some staffing changes in the works at the Visitors Bureau. Visitor information specialist Chelsea Harper moved into a program manager role with Clatsop Court Appointed Special Advocates in Astoria this month. Clatsop CASA is an organization she has been passionate about supporting for a long time and we wish her well in her professional development. She’s been a great resource and a friendly presence at the Visitors Bureau in the last two years.

While we were sad to see Chelsea go, we’re excited for her next steps and equally excited to welcome long-time VB part-timer Josh Garhofer into the vacant full-time, front-desk role. From Monday through Friday, Josh can be reached via email at jgarhofer@cityofseaside.us or by calling 503-738-3097. Welcome, Josh!

If that’s not enough change for one column, these two staffing adjustments also mean the Visitors Bureau will be hiring another part-time visitor information specialist in April. Interviews are ongoing. As always, more to come.

Got a tourism-related comment or question? I’d love to hear from you. Write me at jheineman@cityofseaside.us.