NEWPORT, Ore. — Oregon's coast is still wild enough to be a windy wonder, tame enough for the squeamish, surprisingly affordable and uncrowded — yet diverse enough to please at least someone in the car most of the time.

All beaches are public, and access is guaranteed by law.

Because the coastal highway didn't go in until the 1930s, much of the coast remains relatively free of commercial development and some is scarcely developed at all, although that is changing.

You can look for agates, watch whales, deep-sea fish, go crabbing, surf, play golf, explore shipwrecks and fishing fleets, hit the world-class Oregon coast Aquarium and a family-oriented marine science center, try your luck at tribal casinos, poke around for a legendary buried treasure or sit back and watch spectacular surf pound the rocks.

Or you can just stroll the beach, feel the cool, stiff wind on your cheeks and quite possibly see only a handful of people.

Not bad. And a lot of it is free.