Beering Down Oregon Coast

It’s Spring Break week and social media is filled with pictures of vacations of all sorts. A quick scroll takes me from New Zealand to Japan, from Japan to Germany, from Germany to the Caribbean and finally through Idaho to Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and Mexico. It seems to be the official vacation week in the Greater Seattle area.

We left on Saturday and came back Thursday night. We didn’t fly out, we sat in traffic trying to exit Seattle with everyone else, headed South taking a Starbucks break in Portland. All these years prior we’ve taken a turn toward the ocean in Longview but this year, we decided to try out something new.

We have been to Seaside countless times. We used to go there with friends before the kids were born. We used to stop in Seaside if we were on one of our countless road trips. We have our steady favorites in the area. Restaurants that not everyone knows about, those little hidden secrets. This year we drove through Portland, all the way down to Salem, and from there to the coast. We stayed in Neskowin and drove up and down the coast for four days. 

I think it’s time to introduce our family favorites. Most Oregon coast frequent flyers have their own favorite beaches, coffee shops and restaurants and I admit there is so many places still to be explored but this is what I have liked so far, my best of the best. Yours may be different.

I’ll start from North and go down from there. The list will have totally random things on it, some very touristy, some family friendly, and some just because I like them.

1. Astoria

A small town on the South shore of the Columbia River, where the river finally meets the Pacific Ocean, known for tits harbor pilots and Coast Guard station overlooking the world famous Columbia River Bar and "Graveyard of the Pacific".  It’s not a big town and one might drive through without wasting a thought. However, Astoria is definitely worth a stop or even a longer visit.

For our family, besides the Maritime Museum and the Astoria Column, the town is definitely about beer. The Maritime Museum is a great place to visit with family and even without children as you’ll learn a lot about harbor pilots and the Coast Guard. The Column is a great place to check out the views and whom wouldn’t love climbing the narrow stairs up to the top to gain a sense of adventure and excitement.

But the beer. The beer and the brewpubs are worth visiting more than once. I simply cannot pick my favorite between the Buoy Beer Company, Fort George Brewery and Astoria Brewing Company. I know there’s plenty more and if you are on a beer adventure why not visit them all!

There are plenty of cute little shops in Astoria but as a Finn my personal favorite would be Finn Ware.

2. Gearhart

There isn’t really an overflow of activities in Gearhart, however it is just so very pretty and quaint. If you play golf – I don’t, so don’t blame me – there’s a golf course and my family likes to have lunch at the McMenamin’s Sand Trap Pub. The reason why this place made the list is because this is one of the places along the coast where you can take your car on the beach. A fair word of warning though. Do not attempt without proper 4-wheel-drive (no cute utes!).

3. Seaside

I could/should write a whole post about Seaside but today I will just share a few gems. Places that my family loves. Places that you may not stumble upon, unless you know where to look. So, I won’t be writing about the Aquarium, the bumper cars or the shops and restaurants on Broadway Street. You will find all of those without me as you stroll up and down the sidewalks. If you walk all the way to Hwy 101, you’ll find my favorite Seaside brewery too. Seaside Brewing Company is family friendly and offers great beer for sure.

But I did want to point out the two restaurants that are way down the alphabet of Seaside avenues. If you’ve never been to Seaside, you wouldn’t know that North of downtown they have numbers; 1^st Ave, 2^nd Ave and so on. Whereas on the South side of Broadway you’ll get your alphabet from A all the way to U, and Avenue U is where my favorites lie.

I encourage you to skip the breakfast at Pig N’ Pancakes at least once to try out the mimosas, lattes and fabulous breakfast at Osprey Café. You may have to wait for a bit as this is a rather small place, but I promise the wait is worth your time.

My other favorite is right down the street. It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the food is absolutely fabulous. The U Street Pub has amazing food, the traditional pub favorites are great but so are the mussels.

You may well have your own favorites, but these are ours. And while strolling the Broadway, don’t forget to buy some salty licorice and bulk candy at Schwietert’s. The handmade truffles are to die for. 

4. Cannon Beach

It’s fun to stroll the main street and obviously the Haystack Rock is worth the walk. But other than that, I don’t have much to offer aside the Public Coast Brewing Company. We have never stayed in Cannon Beach, so we have never really explored the restaurants but as a beer lover, I have to say the brewery is worth stopping for a pint. In general the town feels a bit fake to me, like Disneyland of beaches, however I know a lot of people swear by Cannon Beach.

5. Tillamook

Most of us drive to Tillamook to stop for ice cream and a tour at the Tillamook Creamery visitor center. However, while visiting Tillamook check out the museum at Hangar B. It’s by no means fancy, actually it’s a bit creepy, and there’s a sense of time standing still inside those walls. The history is interesting and seeing a wooden structure of that size is just plain astonishing. You should also check out Cape Meares lighthouse and the Octopus tree.

6. Cape Kiwanda

Or Camp Kikiwaka as my children like to call this place. It has another haystack rock worth exploring during low tide. The Pelican Brewing Company has a brewpub right at the beach with a beautiful view of the rock. I know Pelican has other locations in Cannon Beach and Tillamook, however this is their very first location. 

7. Neskowin

Neskowin is located between Pacific City and Lincoln City and is where we stayed this time. Neskowin itself has little to offer when it comes to activities outside of the beach, however it is such a quaint little place with well-maintained homes, beautiful yards, and hand painted signs asking to slow down for children and dogs. The Hawk Creek Café is well worth a visit though, even if you’re not staying in Neskowin. We tested both their dinner and breakfast menus and have to say both were excellent. If you like oysters, give the oyster sandwich a go, and I heard the banana bread French toast was amazing.

I knew nothing about Neskowin until someone pointed out that it was well known for the Ghost Forest and the Proposal Rock. Until then it was a name on the map and pretty looking pictures of a nice beach house on Airbnb. 

The origin of the name of the proposal Rock is just as romantic as the name implies, it was named after a sea captain proposed to his loved one on that rock. Needless to say, it has since become a popular place for proposals and weddings as well.

The Ghost Forest raises from the ocean during low tide the entombed 2,000-year old Sitka spruce trees are a beautiful sight and fun to explore as they are covered in mussels and other sea life.  

This beach is made for adventures, exploring the rock and tide pools but it’s also known for sneaker waves and strong rip tides.

8. Depoe Bay

Think big waves and think whales. Depoe Bay is a great place for whale watching and you should stop at the Whale Watching Center as you drive through this town. The lava rock beds create spouting horns for water and as waves run beneath lava beds the pressure builds spouting water as high as 60 feet into the air. 

This is also a great place to stop for a pint and some cheese curds at Depoe Bay Brewing Company. From the second floor, if you’re lucky to get a window table, you can do your wave and whale watching with a pint in front of you. We liked this place enough to stop there twice during our vacation. Oh, and let’s not forget about the world’s smallest natural harbor.

9. Otter Rock

Let’s start with the Otter Crest loop, a magical road winding between trees and opening up breath taking views over the ocean. This road starts you off with the Rocky Creek bridge, then leads you to 500 feet above the ocean at Cape Foulweather, named by Captain Cook after he had hit some rough weather and sea conditions there in 1778.

From Cape Foulweather the road keeps winding and takes you to your next beautiful stop at the Devil’s Punchbowl. During low tide you can explore the churning rock formations and tide pools closer. Talk about beautiful views!

10. Newport

Maybe next time we’ll stay in the Newport area and explore the coast further down South but this time this is where our journey ends. Newport has plenty to offer from a rather touristy yet fun stroll along the Bay Boulevard, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and the OSU Aquarium.

In Newport I finally found what I had been looking for, a feel that reminded me of Seaside, just way bigger. Newport is an awesome place to visit with kids as there is so much fun to and places to explore! Don’t forget to stop at the Rogue World Headquarters for your daily pint of beer. While you sip on your choice of brew you can enjoy the views over the marina.