Lots of areas need improvement on the Oregon Coast (Portland: appliances, hotels)

[Oregon Transplant]

Now that I have finally made the move to Oregon I have finally done the drive from Astoria to Brookings on the Oregon Coast.

I left on a beautiful day in Portland and was saddened when a low cloud bank hit all of a sudden once I got to the coast. It lowered my mood because the weather people on TV had promised sun.

My feedback on the Oregon coast was it must of been really nice 30 years ago but now it is kind of tacky. Sure there are some nice areas and State Parks but so much of highway 101 goes through some of the ugliest towns in America. They include: Seaside, Lincoln City, Newport, Reasport, Coos Bay, etc. All of these towns seem to have little in the way of zoning, landscaping or architectural controls. The tacky strips seemed to go on forever with heavy traffic.

Does anyone else feel that the Oregon Coast is over rated due to the long ugly strips and over development?

[nanannie]

There are some ugly areas in those towns you mentioned. But it doesnt take away from the splendor of the Oregon Coast, and it is gorgeous.The cloud cover, well, its the oregon coast. Its to be expected. No one goes to the oregon coast for the sunshine, it aint southern california. I think some of those areas did not go downhill but looked the same 30 years ago. You get the beautiful with the tacky on the coast. I always dwelled on the beautiful.

[Oregonbeachlover]

After all these years, driving along the Oregon coast still takes my breath away. Literally. What you may see as "tacky", I view as quaint and "beachy" and that is what makes beach towns appealing to me. Beauty must be most definitely in the "eye of the beholder", because I see the Oregon coast as beautiful. I also love watching the cloud formations over the ocean. They change so fast. I'm sorry if you didn't see a completely sunny day. We have it all.

[tablemtn]

Why would you take 101 through a town like Newport? Why wouldn't you turn right (if you were headed southbound) and hug the coast?

[Nina-in-Ashland]

Originally Posted by Oregonbeachlover

After all these years, driving along the Oregon coast still takes my breath away. Literally. What you may see as "tacky", I view as quaint and "beachy" and that is what makes beach towns appealing to me. Beauty must be most definitely in the "eye of the beholder", because I see the Oregon coast as beautiful. I also love watching the cloud formations over the ocean. They change so fast. I'm sorry if you didn't see a completely sunny day. We have it all.

Have to strongly agree - I think the Oregon coast is one of the most beautiful sights in this country!

[tiffela74]

Heres my thoughts on the drive...
5% ugly/tacky
95% stunning/beautiful/incredible.
but, I know that everyone has different ideas of what is beautiful. Maybe some people look at our more wild rugged coastline, and think "ick..." but maybe they feel the popular beaches of So. Cal w/the people out sunbathing, playing beach volleyball, driving on the beach, maybe where I think thats tacky and blah, they find incredible beauty.

I'll agree, hwy 101 through NorthBend, Ick. But I think the little town of Cannon Beach is lovely. And for places like in Coos Bay, did you get off the hwy and go up Cape Arago to Shore Acres? Or to see the Sea Lions? What about that whole stretch from Florence to Newport? Didnt you find it jaw dropping and just amazing?

I have to agree with the above posts. I too think the Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful sights in the country too! I feel very blessed to live here.
Tiffany

[illinoisboy]

I had been to many places, and I can honestly say that my trip to the Oregon Coast was the most fun vacation I had ever taken! We drove from Brookings to Astoria, too, (on the 101) and I didn't notice much tackiness going on. Of course, I may have been too distracted by the absolute stunning beauty of the coast, but we made plenty of stops in most of the little towns along the coast. I loved the little fishing village feel to almost all of them, and not a single town seemed too big. Although, yes, there were plenty of newer strip malls and stores and such, the quaint feeling of the rest of the city deffinatly over-powered it.

I appreciate how undeveloped the Oregon coast is, compared to California and all the tiny beach shacks crammed right next to each other. That really takes away from the natural beauty.

[Kathleenh54]

The original poster didn't say the scenery wasn't beautiful; it is. He said the towns were tacky and I have to agree. There's quite a bit of blight along the coast. Tumbledown shacks, old appliances and rusted-out cars/boats remind me of pictures of Appalachia.

I love Oregon and love the coast but have my blinders off. Towns along the coast look rundown.

[scone]

Originally Posted by Kathleenh54

The original poster didn't say the scenery wasn't beautiful; it is. He said the towns were tacky and I have to agree. There's quite a bit of blight along the coast. Tumbledown shacks, old appliances and rusted-out cars/boats remind me of pictures of Appalachia.

I love Oregon and love the coast but have my blinders off. Towns along the coast look rundown.

The coastal towns have taken a huge hit due to the decline of fishing and logging, and haven't figured out a new economy. Nantucket was the same way after whale oil was replaced with petroleum. It took about 75 years for it to come back, and the new tourist economy was totally different.

[DavePautsch]

We just came back from a week at the coast. My family and I actually stayed in Waldport, but traveled from there up to Newport and then down to Coos Bay.

As we were driving we had this EXACT conversation...how there really wasn't much there any more and I don't know how some of these little businesses are making it. Without the infrastructure to bring business and people (tourism) to the coast in the numbers needed to really bolster the economy there it is going to stay "stuck" in its current state. It's sad really because the Oregon coast is phenomenally beautiful.

Of course, if you build bigger roads and airports to make it easier for all the tourists...that means that everyone comes...and then prices go up and eventually hotels and resorts will take over the coastline - detracting from the natural beauty that is drawing people there in the first place...how do we find the balance?

There is a quaintness that exists now...and I can see why some would call it tacky and run-down...it kind of is, but I'm not sure I like the alternative more.

DaveP