Trip to the Oregon coast

Posted by Inga August 17, 2010

Trip to the Oregon coast

Better late than never ... right?

For our 5th wedding anniversary, Dave and I took a trip to the Oregon Coast. We flew from SLC to Portland, rented a car, and drove to the coast through Astoria. We stopped in Astoria for lunch - seafood, of course - then continued to Seaside. The weather was perfect until we crossed over the bridge and joined Hwy. 101. But we were prepared for the mist and clouds and did not let that stop us from taking a walk along the Promenade (aka Prom) in Seaside. We spend the night in Seaside. The next day, we had a busy day of lots of sightseeing ... hiking ... and eating. The first stop was Ecola Park (which was probably the highlight of the trip for me). We took a hike, stopping to savor the views and take pictures. The tall trees covered with moss were amazing. We saw a small herd of elk ... a few huge snails and lots of birds. We heard sea lions but were not able to see them.

After Ecola, we continued our trip down the coast through Tillamook ... where we stopped to get some ice cream (for Dave) and a milkshake (for me) ... until Lincoln City, where we stayed for the night. The place where we stayed is called Coho Lodge and it is wonderful. The location is great ... the rooms are nice ... and the ocean view is amazing. After we settled in, we visited a local wine store that is owned & operated by a couple from SLC ... in fact, they used to live in our neighborhood. We felt a bit like locals sipping our wine (beer for Dave) and chatting up with them. Then - on their recommendation - we got pizza from a local pizza place that was only opened for 2 weeks or so ... and it was a good pizza.

The next day, Dave slept in while I took a walk on the beach during a low (negative) tide. I did not bring a camera with me, but regretted it after I saw lots of lots big fat starfish everywhere. After about an hour, it was time for me to return to the hotel ... grab some breakfast (which was yummy!) and continue our trip to Yachats.

On the way to Yachats, we visited Yaquinta Lighthouse ... fed peanuts to a pack (or is it group or something else) of squirrels ... and had more seafood. In Yachats we stayed at Overleaf spa, where Dave enjoyed a massage, and we both enjoyed the hot soaking pools overlooking the ocean. Dave spotted a whale and we watched it until the sun went down.

The next day was our final day on the coast and we took full advantage of it. To my surprise, the beaches are more rocky in this part of Oregon than they are up north ... but there are still some nice stretches of white sand. One such beach we found is located at the end of Hobbit Trail near Haceta Head Lighthouse. We did not hike up to Haceta Lighthouse but did enjoy the views of it from several viewpoints. The last stop along the coast - before we headed back to Portland - was the sea lion cave.

Back in Portland, we checked into our hotel and went to explore the immediate neighborhood along the river. We rented a couple of bikes and rode along the river ... then we settled at an outdoor table at one of the numerous restaurants, had some good food, and people watch.

I can't wait to return and explore the southern Oregon Coast.