AnchorMommy

Typo Patrol: A typo on the trail

September 25, 2009 by Shannon

We did plenty of short, fun hikes during our Oregon Coast vacation. The kind of hikes that inspire peace, reflection, inspiration….and IRRITATION at the most annoying typo of all time!

I certainly delight in discovering typos, but this one just drives me nuts. Nuts! And I encountered it on the Oregon Coast Trail at Cape Perpetua, of all places! A place where I was supposed to be relaxing and breathing the lovely coastal air, not agonizing over errors on the trail map! Cripes.

So by now you’ve probably glanced at the photo to the right. Do you see it? It is almost identical to the Food Network typo I recently pointed out. The sign invites hikers to “play PEAK-a-boo with the ocean.” (Emphasis added, of course.)

Ahem. Let me gather my composure a bit…

PEAK-a-boo?!?!? Really? Okay, one could argue that the writer was trying to be cute or clever. The Oregon Coast is, in fact, known for those tall mountain peaks that stand above the ocean, shrouded in mist. So, yeah. I guess cute and clever intentions are a possible explanation for this error. But if that were truly the case, the sign should look more like this:

Play “peak-a-boo” with the ocean on this coastal forest trail. 

It still doesn’t make a lot of sense, however. And it’s still annoying.