Where would you go? I am totally lost, having spent very little time in this part of the country. We are looking for a place that is easy to get around without a car (we will have a rental car but want to avoid using), has a walkable (ideally) town center with grocery (in case we find a place to stay and can do our own cooking-- this doesn't have to be a full-on grocery store), and in close proximity to the best parks/free natural activities. We are still on the fence about bringing the baby. Will be flying in to Portland; thinking of going in mid-May. I want to stay in Bandon but my husband doesn't want to have to make the drive back and forth from Portland, and we can't afford to fly there. He says Cannon Beach but is that area very touristy?
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Yay, Oregon!!
Cannon Beach is a bit touristy but not bad at all and I think it's easily one of the prettiest parts of the coast! Bandon is really far south and secluded so you'd have to do a lot of driving to get to the other towns that (I think!) are way better/worth your time.
I'd recommend staying somewhere central like Lincoln City - you're not too far from to Portland (and our wine country if you want to do that for a day trip which I'd highly recommend!) and you're within a reasonable drive to other parks, recreation areas, and cities like Newport, Tillamook and Cannon Beach. Let me know if you want any other recs for the coast or Oregon in general - I'm happy to help you out!
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Check out Yachats. Right next to Newport but much prettier. I got married there! There are lots of house/condo rentals, of course, but if you're looking for a super nice splurge-y hotel check out the Overleaf Lodge. There's also a much more affordable hotel right next to it called The Fireside.
I've also stayed in Lincoln City and really liked it there, too, though Yachats is my favorite.
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@fussygal: This is great info, thanks so much! So, which towns are your favorite? We are thinking, stay in one town and then daytrip to others, then end the evening back at the original place.
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Cannon Beach is kind of the Classic Oregon Coast town. It's not really touristy although you can tell it is a tourist destination. My ILs have a place there and I can recommend a few spots if you go!
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Our coast is beautiful! If you're wanting a tourity town then Seaside, Lincoln City, or Newport are your best options. Cannon Beach is gorgeous, we love the bay in Newport (but we stay in Seal Rock). There are a few lighthouses between Newport and Lincoln City that are fun to go see, I honestly can't imagine getting around the coast without a car though, things are pretty spread out.
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: I'd stay in Lincoln City or Yachats like @DigAPony recommended. Yachats has a quiet, small community vibe that is nice for relaxing, but it's just a quick drive away from some of the bigger towns with the activities and amenities. There are a ton of pull-offs and parks to stop at between Newport and Tillamook. I'd highly recommend stopping off at Devil's Punchbowl and Cape Perpetua which are both fun to check out and beautiful. The botanical gardens and tidepools in Coos Bay are great, too. Although, I think there are some good tidepools in Newport if you don't want to drive as far south as Coos Bay.
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I'd say Astoria, for sure. Some of the coastal towns here are a little depressing, but Astoria is fantastic. Not far from Portland, either.
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Thanks to everyone! I will start looking at hotels and come back with more questions I am sure!
@sarac: lol, when I read that my thoughts immediately went to morrissey....a seaside town that they forgot to shut down?
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@StbHisMrs: I saw seal rock and thought it sounded cool. Is that more of a condo or a hotel place? We are good with either just don't know what engine to use to search for accommodations...
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: It is just like that. The Oregon coast used to depend on the timber industry, and as that's faded away, so have a lot of the towns. They're fairly roundly depressing, imho, but there are some bright spots that people have mentioned. But I've lived here for almost 20 years, and I doubt I've been to the coast more than a dozen times.
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@DigAPony: Ok, Yachats sounds kinda awesome. Is it a hotel/B and B place or a condo kind of place?
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I was also going to suggest Lincoln City or Yachats. I also have a soft spot for Depoe Bay.
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: yay, Yachats! We usually stay at the Fireside or Overleaf Lodge there, but I've also seen lots of condo/house rentals in Yachats on vrbo.com.
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I LOVE Bandon! However, it is a long (winding) drive from Portland, though very scenic. Sometimes there is fog which makes the trip especially slow and obscures the view.
I'd still consider it if it's just you and your DH and you have several days... if you bring the baby, I'd skip it (unless baby loves the car). I also like Florence (River House Inn is reasonable and within walking distance to restaurants and stores) and Newport. I can't remember Lincoln City very well, though I know I've been there. There are lots of nice towns to choose from! I don't think I've been to the very north towns like Astoria, so I can't advise you there! Have a great trip!
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Pacific city and Beverly beach are both nice. Pacific city is small and not very touristy.
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Subscribing! We are going to be there this summer and I know nothing.
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Cannon Beach or Manzanita. I'm an Oregonian born and raised (live in WA now), and those two have always been my favorites.
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@fussygal: @DigAPony: @ninja: @erinpye: @jedeve: ok so I am thinking we may need to bring LO on this trip. Does that sound miserable? And if we did, would cannon beach be the smartest choice since it is probably the town most focused on tourists?
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Um, California?
Just kidding. Just want to make sure you are not expecting like a hot lie in the sun type vacay
That happens about two days a year on the Oregon coast.
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@mamimami: I love a sunbathing vacation but it is easy to end up doing that every single time! We are about 5.5 drive from FL so there or GA coast is what everyone always does. It is tempting! I love it but wanted something different. So it was either oregon or maine, and Oregon is cheaper! My ILs usually go to the panhandle once a year so hoping we will do that also and get the best of both worlds!
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: haha well we took our LO to cannon beach this summer and we were miserable but that was because he wouldn't sleep.
It's a small town and it's easily walkable. There is a small but expensive grocery store. Not sure if they would carry baby food or diapers. There are lots of fruit stands on the drive in. There are several good restaurants and coffee shops. Oregon is very laid back and I wouldn't feel uncomfortable taking a baby anywhere.
Cannon Beach is the busiest beach but since people don't really camp out like in warmer beaches the main entertainment is just walking. I think that it would be very hard without a car. You could definitely get around CB without a car but if you wanted to go to other towns or beaches or hikes it would be difficult.
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@jedeve: ours will be 21 months then so hopefully he won't be an awful sleeper! He is usually ok if he has a room to himself but has never done the jet lag thing before so that could have an impact. If we bring him we will probably get a condo. I think we will have a rental car just would rather not spend too much time in it, unless we are day tripping. We are pretty car dependent here so I always try to look for options that aren't totally car dependent so that we have the option to walk to places if we want. Walking is one of the things we really miss about our old lifestyle!
We were hoping to do a little hiking. Are there coastal hikes near CB that are ok to bring a toddler in a backpack?
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: our LO isn't here yet so I can't speak to that with experience, but like PP said, it's super laid back and you shouldn't have any issues bringing LO anywhere or finding supplies when you're in one of the "bigger" towns like Newport, Lincoln City, Coos Bay, etc.
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: I've brought LO to the OR coast a few times, starting at 4 months- no biggie! The beach in the Pac NW isn't really a place to spend all day ON the beach- more for walking/ shopping in the cute towns, going to the aquarium, reading and playing games inside when it's stormy, and playing on the beach in rolled-up jeans and a sweatshirt, looking at tide pools, building sand castles and stuff. There are some great hikes in between Cannon and Manzanita, and both little towns are totally walkable, if you stay close enough to them. If you stay in Cannon and want to drive in, wall me and I'll tell you where a secret parking lot is! There is lots of stuff to keep you and LO busy, just not what people that go to warmer beaches expect
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@erinpye: so encouraging! Thank you! Mine is 16 months and will be 21 when we go. I hope he will still be ok with baby wearing at that point but if not, do you have any suggestions for good walks that he could join us in? I am looking at a condo that is 1 block from the beach I am assuming there is public access?
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My mom and her husband recently went to Bandon and loved it. If you husband golfs, its a must do.
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@MrsMcD: my husband is an avid golfer, but his wallet says no! So sad!
I'm surprised he didn't want to go to bandon for that reason but maybe he didn't want the temptation!
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: Oh man. My husband would give up food for weeks to save to play there. He brings his clubs everywhere we go!
ETA: Oregon is beautiful. That's awesome you are headed there.
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We've only been to Cannon Beach and Manzanita ever since we started living in the area. We've enjoyed both. We first brought our son here when he was around one. Now our kids are 2 and 4. We actually really love the beaches in the PNW. The water is a little cold for bathing but I like that we can spend all day comfortably on the beach without getting too hot. The kids just love running around, dipping their feet in the water and playing on the sand. We stayed at Surf Sand in Cannon Beach. Great location (right by the rock) and pretty inexpensive. We rented a house in Manzanita this past summer. It was the weekend after labor day so we got a pretty good deal on the house. We found this really nice beach nearby (i'll have to ask my husband for the name). You have to hike a little bit to get to it - we brought a wagon for the kids but they just ended up walking. The beach was really pretty. Our friends have gone camping on nahelem and really enjoyed it.
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@BoogieBea: yes, this sounds perfect! Being in GA, we don't get things like this on our coast. .
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: I think Seal Rock is more of a rental house town, we stay there because a family member has a house there, not a very good walking town. I'd rather stay in Yachats, Newport, Gold Beach (far away), near Seaside, or Warrenton (very close to Astoria) Fort Stevens is in Astoria, and has miles and miles of walking paths and of course the old military fort.
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: I love our coast with such a passion
I think you get the drift about no sunbathing, but we have AMAZING hikes. The Forset Service or State Parks websites are both great ways to find out about more hiking trails. The coastal highway is beautiful, so don't be afraid of taking a few day trips. My personal favorite is Newport, they have a small, down town tourist area that can be seen in a day. Their down town area is also right on the water and you can get pretty close to some sea lions. Stop at Moe's for lunch and get the clam chowder. We always stay in a vacation house in Waldport, which is maybe 10 mins for newport, but you can there are a ton of homes where you can walk to the beach that are pretty affordable. VRBO is great for finding a place, or wall me if you want the name of our contact. I don't have a LO, but will totally take my kids to the coast! There is a pretty good aquarium in Newport, The Oregon Coast Aquarium that is good for most of a day if you like animals. Also, there is a light house just outside of Newport. You can climb down some stairs to a rocky beach that is AWESOME for tidepooling We've spent some time in Florida on both coasts and I've been to the coast in Spain and Italy. While it may not be sunbathing weather, I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful places in the world! When we go to the coast we spend some time doing touristy things, and tons in nature. In addition to tide pooling, you can also go out on the water on different tours, there are a couple of good businesses in Newport that do the tours. You can also go crabbing in the bay (so much fun!) and comb the shoreline for aggates and sea shells.
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@Mrs. Sketchbook: walking into and through town, on the beach (yes public access), and I don't know their names, but look up the hikes between cannon and arch cape. There's a parking lot on one side of the highway, and the hiking trails on the other. Beautiful, relatively short and flat hikes, that end up with you looking out over the ocean. Enjoy it so much! The OR coast is such a great place to relax.
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I will definitely write more when I'm not in the car but I would definitely recommend Seaside. There is so much to do and everything is within walking distance. I like Lincoln city and Pacific city to but they seem more spread out and not great for walking to me. Newport isn't bad either.
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@marionberry: We really like Cannon Beach but I didn't want to pay for the extra $40 to stay in Cannon Beach, so we are going to Seaside.
We've stayed a few times up and down the OR coast Lincoln City/ Depot Bay (just to sleep during our road trip to explore rt 101), and passed through Astoria.
Not a beach town, but Crater lake which is south central OR ( I think) is a great place to visit. So beautiful.
Would love to hear some other beach towns that are popular.
I'd still consider it if it's just you and your DH and you have several days... if you bring the baby, I'd skip it (unless baby loves the car). I also like Florence (River House Inn is reasonable and within walking distance to restaurants and stores) and Newport. I can't remember Lincoln City very well, though I know I've been there. There are lots of nice towns to choose from! I don't think I've been to the very north towns like Astoria, so I can't advise you there! Have a great trip!
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