BANDON, OR — The ocean sweeps Bandon beaches twice every day, revealing a fresh canvas for labyrinth artist Denny Dyke.
What began as a solo pastime has grown to a community experience: Dyke invites the public to share in the design, grooming the paths with a staff and a set of rakes. More than 100 beachgoers walked Dyke’s 2015 New Year labyrinth.
“The more people visit me on the sand, the more it keeps me coming back,” said Dyke.
Labyrinths are an ancient form of walkable art, designed for meditation and reflection. On the Bandon beach, the twisting paths mimic the tidal ebb and flow, turning and returning. No two labyrinths are the same.
When people work to co-create labyrinths, the collaboration can be more meaningful than the walk, observes Michelle Duarte, co owner of WildSpring Guest Habitat in Port Orford. Labyrinths are among the guest amenities at award-winning destinations such as WildSpring and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
At WildSpring, Michelle and Dean Duarte offer guests a unique experience of luxurious lodging within an eco-sensitive wooded hillside retreat overlooking the Pacific.
Together with walking trails and open air sitting rooms, the labyrinth encourages guests to take time for reflection in the out-of-doors.
“We love walking labyrinths,” said Duarte. “It’s just one of the many features that we want guests to enjoy if so moved.”
