Oregon Coast

At the end of July, I visited the northern part of the Oregon coast with my friends from Washington. We had a blast running around the beaches and finding hidden gems! It is important to find out when low tide is so you can spot the aquatic life on the rocks!

Significant Places to Stop (South to North)

Tillamook Creamery

Tillamook Creamery is about halfway up the Oregon Coast. I went here with my Washington friends as well as during my cross-country road trip with my aunt. The creamery was designed to look like a modern barn, and it feels like just that. Inside, you can watch the cheese being processed in the factory, enjoy their cheesy meals and delicious ice cream, and go into their amazingly-cheesy store. And, if you were wondering, I absolutely now have that T-shirt… see below….

Rockaway Beach

We arrived here for sunset and had fun running along the flat, beautiful beach with a rock formation in the distance. We also found a hot dog shop that was flat out fun!

Arcadia State Park

This state park is filled with large rock formations with beautiful sea creatures scattered around them at low tide. We thought this place would be great for an early picnic lunch before the crowds hit.

Cannon Beach

The most iconic beach on the Oregon Coast is Cannon Beach. It was one of the National Geographic's top 100 places to see in the world in 2013 and it makes sense why; Cannon Beach has a dramatic coastline with a magical sunset, and lots of hidden aquatic life around the rocks during low tide. The houses surrounding Cannon Beach are also stunning! We can dream, right? I went here twice, once with my aunt on my cross-country road-trip in February, and another time with my friends from Washington in July 2022. It is much less-busy in the winter months so it gave us a little more freedom to explore. Cannon Beach also has an adorable downtown area. It gets very busy during the summer so we chose to drive through this part.

Seaside

North of Cannon Beach is a beach town called Seaside, which reminded me a lot of a smaller version of Maryland’s Ocean City with its boardwalk and many blocks of shops and restaurants. Here was Sea Star Gelato, one of the best ice cream/gelato shops I’ve ever been to. It is a must on your to-do list when exploring the Oregon coast!

Astoria

Known for being in such films as The Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, and Free Willy, the town of Astoria is on the water with cliffs and a very steep bridge. We enjoyed Astoria for dinner at the Bridgewater Bistro before heading back to Washington. Here we had picturesque views of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, and one of the best fish and chips I had during my time in Washington! All of us enjoyed every bite of our meals…

Where to Stay

Wheeler on the Bay

We stayed at the affordable Wheeler on the Bay lodge which is just north of Rockaway Beach and south of Arcadia State Park. It might seem like it’s not fancy, but let me tell you, every little detail has been accounted for, even down to the fluffiest, softest bath towels, and the comfiest mattress and blankets. The TV has specifically written directions so you won’t have even the slightest worry in the world. And the sunset here… spectacular. Since Wheeler is very close to Astoria, be sure to use their DVD room to rent out (for free) Kindergarten Cop, The Goonies, and Free Willy which were filmed there! We were very pleased with our overnight stay in Wheeler. Across the street is a coffee shop called The Roost that we really liked. The breakfast looked really good as well but we had our breakfast at the hotel.

North of Wheeler there is a really good hike according to one of my patients. Since it was cloudy and cold when we visited in July, we decided against the hike. But if it is a nice day out, I would highly recommend you try the Neahkahnie Mountain trail via the South Traillhead. It is a hard 3.9 miles with a great view at the top.