Oregon Coast 101
As of 11:00 am July 2, 2004 my sweetie had never been to the Oregon Coast before. We remedied that situation over two days of a five day roadtrip (the 2nd annual 4th of July Minor League Baseball roadtrip to be exact). Given the time constraints we were working around - baseball games in Washington on the 1st and a game in Eugene on the evening of the 3rd - it required careful consideration of what sites to see and what speed to move, and if I do say so myself it turned out PERFECTLY with one minor caveat. So, if you've got a limited amount of time to expolore the Oregon Coast, or simply want to see the highlights, might I suggest the following itinerary:
1. Climb the Astor Column in Astoria. If you can't handle the climb or the claustrophobic space, just stand at the bottom, but it really is an incredible view from the top. Also, the spectacular overview it gives you of the northern Oregon coastline will help inspire you for the day ahead.
2. Get a taste of history at either Fort Clastop or Fort Stevens. Fort Clatsop is where Lewis and Clark spent the winter after their trek to the Pacific before returning home. Fort Stevens was a defense installtion from the Civil War through WWII. We chose Ft. Clatsop because it is the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark this year and seemed somehow fitting, but I've been to Ft. Stevens before and it is also worthy of your time. If you DO go to Ft. Clatsop during the bicentennial ignore all the information on the website about taking the shuttles to the park -- they're inconvenient, and with underuse make it a waste of fossil fuels, rather than helping out the environment.
3. For the kid in you, stop in Seaside. Walk down Broadway to the beach, then walk up to the arcade where you can play Skee Ball and Fascination for cool prizes. My sweetie won me a Princess lanyard at Skee Ball, and I won a John Deere Spoon Rest playing Fascination.
4. To recover from the carnival feeling of Seaside, drive South to Cannon Beach and take a stroll out to the beach to sink your toes in the sand and look at Haystack Rock. This is the yin to Seaside's yang.
5. Dinner at Mo's in Lincoln City on Siletz Bay. Mo's is an Oregon Coast institution and you really must sample their chowder. Don't be discouraged if there's a line outside -- it moves fast, and you'll spend a good chunk of time wandering through the "gift shop" of gifts you don't want to buy, but are amusing to play with while standing in line. If you're a beer drinker, definitely order a pint of Mo Ale to go with your chowder. It's a yummy beer in its own right, and perfectly compliments the seafood.
6. If it's still light out and high tide, stop south of Depot Bay at Devil's Punchbowl for a spectacular sight. If it's dark or foggy you can easily double-back from Newport the next morning. However, BE SURE TO CHECK THE TIDE TABLES, because if you come at low tide it is a completely underwhelming site.
6. Spend the night in Newport at the Sylvia Beach Hotel. We stayed in the Hemmingway room, which was quite lovely, but you can pick whatever author you like. Whatever room you stay in, a visit to the attic library is a must. The hotel has the same ownership as Rimsky Korsakoffee House in Portland. Anoter must-visit locale, but on a different journey.
7. Spend some time the next morning spend some time along the historic bayfront. It offers everything a coastal town can offer in one small area. While down here make sure you check out Wyland's Whaling Wall, visit with the Sea Lions lying out on the piers, and buy salt water taffy from the candy store on the west end of the bay that features a rowboat full of taffy inside (I can't remember the name, but look inside and you'll know what I mean).
8. If it's a holiday weekend, there's a decent chance the Rogue Brewery will be holding a Garage Sale. If they are, it's well worth a stop to pick up some reasonably-priced super-yummy beer. Simply follow the signs to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
9. Take a stop at the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It's a bit of a hike from the parking lot to the lighthouse, but it's a gorgeous view. The tour of the lighthouse is free (donations accepted) and very interesting.
10. Last, but not least, pay a trip to the Oregon Dunes just south of Florence. (We also stopped for more chowder at Mo's in Florence, but some people may consider that overdoing it.)
Don't forget to pack your sunscreen!
1. Climb the Astor Column in Astoria. If you can't handle the climb or the claustrophobic space, just stand at the bottom, but it really is an incredible view from the top. Also, the spectacular overview it gives you of the northern Oregon coastline will help inspire you for the day ahead.
2. Get a taste of history at either Fort Clastop or Fort Stevens. Fort Clatsop is where Lewis and Clark spent the winter after their trek to the Pacific before returning home. Fort Stevens was a defense installtion from the Civil War through WWII. We chose Ft. Clatsop because it is the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark this year and seemed somehow fitting, but I've been to Ft. Stevens before and it is also worthy of your time. If you DO go to Ft. Clatsop during the bicentennial ignore all the information on the website about taking the shuttles to the park -- they're inconvenient, and with underuse make it a waste of fossil fuels, rather than helping out the environment.
3. For the kid in you, stop in Seaside. Walk down Broadway to the beach, then walk up to the arcade where you can play Skee Ball and Fascination for cool prizes. My sweetie won me a Princess lanyard at Skee Ball, and I won a John Deere Spoon Rest playing Fascination.
4. To recover from the carnival feeling of Seaside, drive South to Cannon Beach and take a stroll out to the beach to sink your toes in the sand and look at Haystack Rock. This is the yin to Seaside's yang.
5. Dinner at Mo's in Lincoln City on Siletz Bay. Mo's is an Oregon Coast institution and you really must sample their chowder. Don't be discouraged if there's a line outside -- it moves fast, and you'll spend a good chunk of time wandering through the "gift shop" of gifts you don't want to buy, but are amusing to play with while standing in line. If you're a beer drinker, definitely order a pint of Mo Ale to go with your chowder. It's a yummy beer in its own right, and perfectly compliments the seafood.
6. If it's still light out and high tide, stop south of Depot Bay at Devil's Punchbowl for a spectacular sight. If it's dark or foggy you can easily double-back from Newport the next morning. However, BE SURE TO CHECK THE TIDE TABLES, because if you come at low tide it is a completely underwhelming site.
6. Spend the night in Newport at the Sylvia Beach Hotel. We stayed in the Hemmingway room, which was quite lovely, but you can pick whatever author you like. Whatever room you stay in, a visit to the attic library is a must. The hotel has the same ownership as Rimsky Korsakoffee House in Portland. Anoter must-visit locale, but on a different journey.
7. Spend some time the next morning spend some time along the historic bayfront. It offers everything a coastal town can offer in one small area. While down here make sure you check out Wyland's Whaling Wall, visit with the Sea Lions lying out on the piers, and buy salt water taffy from the candy store on the west end of the bay that features a rowboat full of taffy inside (I can't remember the name, but look inside and you'll know what I mean).
8. If it's a holiday weekend, there's a decent chance the Rogue Brewery will be holding a Garage Sale. If they are, it's well worth a stop to pick up some reasonably-priced super-yummy beer. Simply follow the signs to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
9. Take a stop at the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It's a bit of a hike from the parking lot to the lighthouse, but it's a gorgeous view. The tour of the lighthouse is free (donations accepted) and very interesting.
10. Last, but not least, pay a trip to the Oregon Dunes just south of Florence. (We also stopped for more chowder at Mo's in Florence, but some people may consider that overdoing it.)
Don't forget to pack your sunscreen!
posted by Swankette at 8:37 PM
1 Comments:
A John Deere spoon rest?! I wanna John Deere spoon rest! How cool!
kaphine
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