Glass Float Hunt

Lincoln City runs a year-round programme called Finders Keepers: local glassblowers produce hand-blown glass floats and city staff hide them on the beach for visitors to find and keep. The floats are placed on the beach between Roads End in the north and the Siletz Bay area in the south, usually in the early morning. Each float is signed by the artist and registered; finders can also check online to see what they've got.

The hunt is free and gives otherwise aimless beach walks a purpose. Floats are harder to find in summer when the beach is busy and they disappear quickly; shoulder season mornings give you the best odds. About 3,000 floats are placed per year.

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The glass float tradition began in 2000 as a way to revive a historic connection to the sea. Before plastic came along, Japanese fishing fleets used hand-blown glass balls to keep their nets afloat — and these glass floats would wash up on Oregon beaches after long Pacific crossings. Lincoln City now makes its own, hiring local glassblowers to produce the floats that are hidden across the beach.