An aerial photo shows the nine rentals at Edgewater Cottages, from Beachcomber, Pine Rest, West Wind, Commodore’s Lodge (which contains four units), Rustic, the Sorensen’s home and office, and Sea Vista.
By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/Lincoln Chronicle
Retro, private and right on the ocean’s edge. These terms perfectly describe Edgewater Cottages, an iconic motel just south of Waldport on U.S. Highway 101, originally built in the 1930s. The Sorensen family has owned it since 1962, and Cathy Sorensen continues the tradition. She has managed the cottages since 1986 and now runs it with the help of her husband, Chuck Turpin, and their son, Chris Sorensen Turpin.
Sorensen was just nine years old when her parents, Bob and Joanna Sorensen, bought the cottages, shortly after selling Sorensen’s Variety Store in Waldport, which they had operated for four years. During the time they had the store they also rented out a small cottage they owned near the beach. The cottage was popular with vacationers, and they decided to take a chance when the Edgewater complex went up for sale.
Sorensen was part of the very first kindergarten class offered by the Waldport School District. She was an only child and her parents loved to travel. They expanded her education by taking six-week vacations each year, travelling all over the world. It was their idea that her first year of college should be spent as a student aboard the World Campus Afloat ship, a part of Chapman University. She was on the ship for two semesters, circling the globe each semester, visiting about 15 ports each time.
Entranced with travel, Sorensen spent a semester studying in India and lived in a small village near Mumbai for several years after graduating from the University of Oregon. She eventually settled in Pittsburgh for a few years, working in library science and preparing for a career as a museum curator. But when her mom became ill she took a leave of absence from her job to come home to help her and to run the cottages. She’s been there ever since, and she’s never looked back.
Cathy Sorensen and her husband, Chuck Turpin, own and operate Edgewater Cottages with the help of their son, Chris Sorensen Turpin. (Kathleen O’Connor/Lincoln Chronicle)Question: What was it like to grow up in and around the cottages?
Answer: I started helping at the motel as soon as my parents bought it – cleaning rooms and running errands. Back then there were no phones in the cottages, and they skillfully helped me get over my shyness by sending me to deliver phone messages that had come into the office – to cottages where children were staying with their own parents.
This familiar sign on the west side of U.S. Highway 101 between Waldport and Yachats lets guests know they have arrived at the Edgewater Cottages. (Kathleen O’Connor/Lincoln Chronicle)The beach was my playground, and those kids were my playmates. Adults could see the beach from the cottages, so we were never supervised – they just looked out now and then to see if all of us were in sight. Big Stump was part of that playground; it’s just a few hundred feet down the beach from the cottages. My mom and dad cleaned all the units themselves, and we do that to this day. I had to develop a good work ethic very early. By the time I was 13, I could practically run everything myself, and over the years when I was in college and even while I was living overseas or on the east coast, I came back regularly to help.
Our family was so at home on the coast. We had previously lived in the Willamette Valley where my mom suffered badly from hay fever. We all loved looking for Japanese floats after a storm. Mom would drive my dad and I up to Governor Patterson Park and we’d slosh back home on the beach, wearing our tallest boots so we could get through the creeks, looking for those treasures. I clearly remember the tidal wave in 1964. We have a high bank in front of the cottages, but the recurring high waves definitely lapped over the top that day. After the storm we found seven dead cows on the beach, refrigerators, parts of trailers – all kinds of debris.
Q: Why do people keep returning to Edgewater Cottages?
A: The Edgewater and other small cabin-type motels were built after the coastal bridges were completed in the 1930s. Those bridges made the Oregon coast much more accessible to tourists, and they needed places to stay.
This line drawing of Edgewater Cottages was done by a guest, Matt Shirley, in 1983. Cathy Sorensen made a postcard out of the picture to offer as a memento at the front desk.My parents welcomed everyone warmly. They became close friends with many of their guests and let them run the place when we were off on vacation. Over the years many people got a free week at the beach in exchange for managing the property. Our steps go right onto the beach, and almost every room in every rental unit has a view of the ocean. People come back because it feels secluded, private, low-key, restful. Our guests bring us so much joy – they are gracious, respectful, funny, smart. In the almost 40 years that we’ve been running the business we’ve only had a handful of difficult people.
We try to make everyone’s experience personal. We share plant cuttings and recipes and household tips. We’ve had several guests paint pictures for us, and many bring gifts when they come. And we always welcome pets. More than half of the people who stay with us have come before; many year after year, renting the same cabin for the same week each summer.
Q: How did you feel about giving up the international life you experienced to return to Waldport?
Cathy Sorensen stands near the flower box at West Wind Cottage. The newspaper tube is a reminder that The Oregonian used to be delivered daily to each cottage. (Kathleen O’Connor/Lincoln Chronicle)A: I am grateful for all the travel opportunities I had, and I didn’t leave my life in Pittsburgh without considerable thought. My father passed away when he was just 57, and I didn’t have much of an extended family. While I was home helping my mother I realized that all the cottage guests had truly become like family, and I had many friends in Waldport — I decided that my community was here. I’ve never regretted that trade. Eventually, of course, I met Chuck, and we are lucky to have two wonderful sons.
Q: What does the future hold for Edgewater Cottages?
A: Our son, Chris, moved back to Waldport about a year ago. That’s been a tremendous help. We all work together to keep the cottages spotless – we usually leave a day or two free in between guests so we are not rushed. Chuck and Chris take care of most of the minor maintenance issues. But, Chuck and I are indeed getting older. Chris and his brother, Alex, will eventually decide about the future.
Q: How many rental cottages are there now?
A: The number of cottages has varied over time as original buildings were restored and new ones were built and some were sold to private owners. In 1962 there were six cottages and now we have nine rental units.
Tell us a secret.
My parents were always very fun-loving. Once, when I was on the World Campus Afloat ship they met me on the dock in Bangkok by unfurling a banner across 15 feet of the pier saying, “A Career in Motel Management Awaits You”. My name wasn’t on it, but I knew it was one of their pranks, even though I couldn’t see them yet. And yes, I am a motel manager!
- Edgewater Cottage: Website: edgewatercottages.com; Email: [email protected]; Phone: 541-563-2240
Great article, Lincoln Chronicle, and shared for more views by Executive Director Tom Fullmer of Waldport’s Chamber of Commerce! Congratulations, Cathy and family, for successfully sharing your warmth and these special places for visitors to enjoy our beautiful coast line!
Thanks for the article. Cathy was a classmate of mine. I remember going to a junior high party in one of the cottages. It was nice seeing this update.
Every visit to Edgewater is like a coming home event. The cottages are rustic, clean, and have everything you need for a laid back respite at the coast. Beach access is steps away. Cathy and Chuck are phenomenal hosts. Thanks for a wonderful article showcasing the business but most of all for exposing the kind, personable, multitalented, hardworking folks who run it.
I still remember going there every year with my grandmother and our Welch Terriers. Great memories from my times there!!
I grew up in seal Rock . Lived in Yahots later don’t remember Edgewater please tell me more. Would love to move back to the coast but don’t care for heavy populated areas.
I know edgdwater cottages, very well. The first time to the coast we always stayed next door but I wanted to be there. The first time was over 70 yrs ago. I love that area of the Oregon coast.
Your article captured beautifully the essence of Edgewater Cottages, my favorite vacation place on the coast for over 60 years. I first stayed there in my early 20s, with my husband and infant daughter. Now in my mid-80s, I love my wintertime visits there, and especially appreciate a good winter storm. A perfect week at the coast is an Edgewater stay in Rustic Cabin, with meals from the Drift Inn – purchased as take-out from The Mercantile in Yachats. Heaven.
Was there ever a small grocery store there close to the road?
My first trip to stay overnight on the Oregon Coast, was at the Edgewater, in 1987…a new baby, my husband and my mother in law…Such a magical experience. Early in the am, before anyone was awake, including the 4 month old, I slipped out to walk the beach after the nights big storm….I found a wonderful shell fossil washed ashore…I still have it, a testament to still being a beachcomber all these years later…Thank you Edgewater!