Shore Acres State Park, near Coos Bay, Oregon, was once the estate of Oregon pioneer lumberman and shipbuilder Louis J. Simpson. The day-use park includes a magnificent five-acre garden overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Simpson bought the land in 1906 and built a three-story mansion. Landscape gardener David Masterton designed English-style gardens south of the mansion. In the 1970s, a team of Oregon State Parks landscape architects restored the Shore Acres gardens.
According to one of the interpretive signs at the gardens:
“Simpson’s landscape gardener David Masterton designed English-style gardens south of the mansion, with pergolas for climbing roses and gravel paths leading to beds of flowers and plants. The gardens were often open to visitors, and Simpson and his gardeners gave away seeds and cuttings to enhance the gardens of hundreds of Oregon homes.”
Public Lands
The concept of public lands tends to be abhorred by many Republicans who seem to feel that public lands are somehow socialistic and that land should be available for development by corporations. On the other hand, there are some people who feel that public lands should be open to the public, regardless of their social class. Here are some links to more photo diaries about public lands:
Public Lands: A Dam Day Use Area (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: The Arboretum's Aloe Trail (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: Madagascar Spiny Forest (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: Sunset Bay State Park (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: Cape Arago State Park (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: The Views from Norton Gulch (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: Devils Lake State Park (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: The Columbia Riverfront Trail (Photo Diary)
Public Lands: A Small Urban Park (Photo Diary)