Oregon Coast

[CalStateTempe]

Change in fall plans, wife and I have settled on visiting the Oregon coast! November 5-12. Drive from sac, to like Astoria and work our way down. First timers.

I felt this place deserves its own thread rather than a going Portland city thread; and I know there is tons of experiential knowledge among the crew here (wasnt their a recent wedding?).

Any ways, what a must sees, dos, places to eat, etc. we will be with our 2yo and a pregnant wife so unfortunate hi I g will be out of the question for now, but really want to see the charming towns, pristine beaches, and rocky cliffs.

Also open to any tips for beachside, coastal lodging.

Thanks guys, bear down.

[ASUHATER!]

Change in fall plans, wife and I have settled on visiting the Oregon coast! November 5-12. Drive from sac, to like Astoria and work our way down. First timers.

I felt this place deserves its own thread rather than a going Portland city thread; and I know there is tons of experiential knowledge among the crew here (wasnt their a recent wedding?).

Any ways, what a must sees, dos, places to eat, etc. we will be with our 2yo and a pregnant wife so unfortunate hi I g will be out of the question for now, but really want to see the charming towns, pristine beaches, and rocky cliffs.

Also open to any tips for beachside, coastal lodging.

Thanks guys, bear down.

ask sd86 about it, he and the now wife were there for a week in May.

[scumdevils86]

Man, it was the best and most relaxing trip of my life (not many people can say that about their wedding!). No complaints at all. Absolutely consider renting from somewhere like VRBO for sure. We stayed in this little 2 bedroom cottage with a hot tub steps from the beach in Seaside for about $100/night including all fees. I don't know how long you plan on spending in any one place but it is so worth it.

Astoria is cool, had some great seafood from some dive right on the pier and there are a couple of restaurants as well. We mostly just enjoyed driving around in the gorgeous weather, walking along the beach, relaxing in the hot tub, seeing a few sites, eating plenty and drinking plenty.

If you're really into something different, FOR YOURSELF I GUESS*, you HAVE to stop at De Garde Brewing in Tillamook (next door to the air museum). http://www.degardebrewing.com" target="_blank truly unique and exceptional beers. They specifically selected that part of the Oregon coast to natural brew and ferment their wild/sour beers in wooden casks because of the naturally occuring bacteria and stuff in the air there. We waited in line for an hour and it was well worth it.

I'll think of some more and post later.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Spent 10 days in Cannon Beach this summer. I would highly reccomend a day or two (depending on how you want to split time).

In November, it is probably going to be much rainier than when we were there. I'll cut down reccomendations to stuff that doesn't leave you out in the elements too much, but can expand from there.

Astoria:

Didn't do the maritime museum, but did do the Astoria Column. Great 360 degree views and fun to chuck balsa gliders off of it.

Seaside:

Honestly didn't do a ton for me. There's a small aquarium where you can feed seals along the boardwalk. If the family wants to see the seals, it's worth a stop. Easy to walk the boardwalk, weather permitting.

Cannon Beach:

This is where the good stuff started for us. Downtown is small with artsy stores. Pizza a Fetta has good pizza and there's a crepe place my wife loved.
Haystack Rock is a must see, IMO. Just really impressive and cool.
Loved Ecola State Park. It has two pullouts, both of which have spectacular views right off the parking lot.
Hug Point and Arcadia Beach are just south of town and fun to walk around. Cliffs on the beach with little waterfalls and caves.
There's an overlook at the south end of Oswald West State Park that has a stunning view of the coast if you hit it on a clear day. Oswald West itself has nice spots/beaches, but you do have to hike about 1/2 mile through the woods.

We stayed at the Wayside Inn, which is very reasonably priced, nice and clean. Nice staff, we liked it there.

Further south, we went as far as Tillamook. The cheese factory, is fun enough for a family stop. There's a lighthouse on the coast set over the cliffs that is pretty cool (Cape Meares). That's all I can think of for now.

[scumdevils86]

Seaside was definitely really touristy and geared for cheesy stuff but I didn't mind because it was cheaper (and we stayed in a quiet little neighborhood) and Astoria and Cannon beach were both within 20 min drives or so.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Seaside was definitely really touristy and geared for cheesy stuff but I didn't mind because it was cheaper (and we stayed in a quiet little neighborhood) and Astoria and Cannon beach were both within 20 min drives or so.

I agree with that. My wife and I are more into the outdoorsy stuff. I think CB is better for that.

It's a matter of taste on that. Seaside is city/tourist oriented. CB has much better access to natural beauty, IMO.

[scumdevils86]

yup, that's why we got married in Ecola State Park right next to CB.

[Spaceman Spiff]

yup, that's why we got married in Ecola State Park right next to CB.

Congratulations! Ecola is really beautiful. I would think it would be an awesome wedding site. You do it at the overlook or Indian Beach?

[scumdevils86]

Well sadly the famous overlook that I assume you're referencing was closed and can no longer be accessed because of part of the area collapsing in a storm a year or so ago. we got married in another random spot overlooking the ocean looking west and can see the lighthouse in the background. we took a lot of other pictures with our photographer on indian beach though.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Well sadly the famous overlook that I assume you're referencing was closed and can no longer be accessed because of part of the area collapsing in a storm a year or so ago. we got married in another random spot overlooking the ocean looking west and can see the lighthouse in the background. we took a lot of other pictures with our photographer on indian beach though.

No, I just meant the first pulloff that sits on the cliff and overlooks (as opposed to the beach) the ocean. My wife and I were there in July of this year and it sucks that the platform is gone, but there are still awesome views from the picnic area and down the hill.

Taking pics looking down the beach back towards the town and Haystack Rock on a clear day, all the shots come out looking like postcards.

[beames]

yup, that's why we got married in Ecola State Park right next to CB.

Congrats, from another member of the Oregon Coast Wedding Club!

For coastal destinations, I will break from the rest here and recommend the Central coast. The stretch from Newport to Florence has always been my favorite, with the usual coastal stuff like long, sandy beaches and wooded cliffs, as well as stops that are more rocky, like Yachats (where I tied the knot). More importantly, this area isn't as prone to the gloomy Kindergarten Cop-look that you'll find in and around Astoria. I even had a chance one Christmas eve to take some amazing sunset pictures in Florence because the weather cooperated. Finally, it's nowhere near as crowded as Seaside and Cannon Beach can be.

To be fair, my trip usually was a round one that went from Portland to Roseburg then back to Portland, so you may not feel like going half way down the coast. But from an Oregonian, I have to tell you, cold and dreary is a lot more interesting on the coast than it is in the Willamette Valley so take your time over there!

Edit: just realized you said you're driving from California, so maybe this won't be bad advice after all!

[CalStateTempe]

Thanks for the tips guys! Left Sac at 4am and made it here by 5pm. My 2 year old took the drive up like a champ! part of the early start was to let her sleep in the car seat and she slept till about 9am! Which means we were well past medford before having to make out first stop. The rest of the time wife and I traded off in 1.5-2hr intervals which the other built a "car fort" with blankets (me) in the back seat, sang songs and read.

Again, I really appreciate the tips, we settled on Cannon Beach (w day trips to seaside and astoria on Monday) and will be there till Wed, then Newport for a night, Coo's Bay, for a night, then Eureka, and then back home next sat or sunday depending on how we feel. So far it reminds me a ton of the Sonoma Coast, but with more green coniferous rainforest right up to beaches edge.

From another thread:

Lol, Salud!

I'll be watching an getting wasted on vacation in Cannon Beach OR!

Hell yeah. Did you get a rental from vrbo or something? You're going to love it there. Wife and I were going to go to a restaurant in CB called the Irish Table but didn't make it and it looks fantastic. We ate at a place called Castaways though and it was pretty good but a long wait.

Pelican Brewing in CB had horrifyingly bad service and the beer was just OK.

If you want some superb hole in the wall simple seafood try Northwest Wild Products in Astoria. It is a pain to find but the crab cocktail, oysters and clam chowder were superb. Fort George brewery in Astoria was also pretty awesome. Good food and wonderful beer.

We got a killer off season deal at for a studio vacation rental with Haystack right out the balcony window. I'll try to get a picture to share.

Thanks for the tip on Pelican Brewery, I was planning on going there tomorrow, but I think I'll pass. There are having a BBQ, Beer, and Bluefest at the community center tomorrow that we're gonna check out. Did look at the menu of Irish Table and will go when we want a sit-down meal; tonight we got take out from Mo's which was your standard beach cafe fare, but hit the spot after a long day on the road. (sounds like I didn't miss much from the game )

The place just seems so damn peaceful and not touristy to the gills like Monterey to Big Sur, which is exactly what I need/am looking for with this week away from work.

[scumdevils86]

Good to hear. Cannon beach is obviously built off tourism but it doesn't feel overly touristy. It was so damn relaxing. Though it being my quiet and stress free wedding certainly helped my mood. Hardly anything could have annoyed me that week.

[CalStateTempe]

Thanks Beames, I can confirm it is cold and dreary on the coast, but that is exactly what we were looking for. Wife wanted to travel someplace to experience cold weather and "fall". It we rules out flights cause we didn't want to rent a car.

The one funny memory so far is when my toddler did reach her breaking point for a break where Salam and I looked back and she was sadly signing "baa baa black sheep" with tears rolling down her face. I wish I had video/photo of that. Lol

We choose cannon beach to be near ecola and also this weekend is the stormy weather arts festival with food music and gallery walks. Thought it would be a fun event to see.