If you're looking for a short side-trip from Portland, the Oregon Coast is a must-see! You can get to the famous 235 foot high Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach in less than 90 minutes by car. Highway 26 is a beautiful drive, up and over the Coastal Range directly down to the coast. Here is a short list of our favorites:

1) Netarts Bay and Cape Lookout State Park:

The Schooner Lounge in Netarts Bay has some of the most delicious clam chowder and fresh-that-day crab! Grab some grub and local brew there after checking out the gorgeous Cape Lookout State Park where Casey and I often bike into camp. Their hike & bike campsites are incredible. Old growth forest steps away from sandy beach with classic haystack rocks and dunes! Little fact: Cape Lookout is where we began our cross-country ride by dipping our wheels in the Pacific:)

2) Manzanita:

Manzanita is a classic Oregon Coast town. For those guests who want to stroll for some hand-made crafts after a walk on the beach, this town is for you! This is the town my mother, Anne continuously promises she will retire to. That will either attract or detract you.

3) Gearheart Elk:

Go see the huge and beautiful elk in Gearheart! For those guests with little kids, this would be a really fun activity. To be honest, Casey and I haven't gone yet but we just recently watched on OPB special on these incredible creatures. This is basically a very wealthy second-home kind of town. The people are relatively conscientious, environmental do-gooders. They are working with these beauties so that people and large elk can live in peace. Again, if you have little kids, this would be a memory for them to cherish!

4) Astoria:

From Gearheart, Astoria is very close. You could do both in one day or two. Astoria is at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. It is a very special place indeed. There is a plethora of micro-breweries, rowdy sea lions will sing at you while you imbibe on local seafood. Also, from the historic Astoria Column--the lighthouse in town you can see Cape Disappointment where Lewis & Clark became...disappointed??? You can also see Mount St. Helen's and Mt. Hood from the top on a really clear day. August should be clear but with the coast you never can tell.

Finally, while Casey and I have done some exploring out there we have really only scratched the surface. I found a really awesome website with lots of great articles that highlight specific road trip to the coast. I have included the link below. Have fun!

http://traveloregon.com/trip-ideas/listing/page/2/?type%5B%5D=All&location_text=&latLng=&location%5B%5D=oregon-coast&location%5B%5D=All&from=&to=&type%5B0%5D=All&location%5B0%5D=oregon-coast&location%5B1%5D=All

Our Story

Our Story