Couple visiting Oregon Coast for the first time, advice appreciated! (Portland: hotel, home)

[nu2oregon]

Wasn't quite sure where to look, so I figured I'd post here. Me and my girlfriend are planning on driving down mid-May to the Oregon coast from Vancouver for the week. I've heard great things, and am looking forward to the trip. We are in our late twenties, if needed.

I was thinking of starting on the north coast (either Astoria or Cannon Beach) and then venturing to the central coast (maybe Newport?) before heading back. I'm sure the south coast is great, but I'd like to have more than a week to head all the way down. Anyways, ideally I wouldn't mind camping for a night or two, as well as staying at a hotel for the other couple of nights. Camping I think would be great for the first leg of the trip, as it might be hard on the senses after staying in a hotel for a few nights.

I'm just basically looking for some advice from some local Oregon residents. I'd like to enjoy the beach, do some camping, some sightseeing, and have a town with a pub or restaurant for a night or two as well to sit back and relax with a few drinks.

I'm well aware the weather can be iffy... and WINDY, but I'm from Vancouver and quite used to the rain and dreary days. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

[Nell Plotts]

You really want to drive the coast from north to south because that way when you want to stop to enjoy the view you won't be crossing traffic.

View wise I would start at Cannon Beach.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

View wise I would start at Cannon Beach.

And go as far south as Florence - a little past, actually, to the dunes.

[hamellr]

You could spend your entire trip in Astoria based on your criteria.

But your idea is what I do fairly often for an overnight trip. Astoria, maybe up to Long Beach, then down to Florence. Stop in Seaside, Cannon Beach and Tillamook. Stay the night in Lincoln City and explore the next day. Stop in Depoe Bay and Newport, maybe stay the night in Newport. Then head to Florence, stay the night there and head inland to I-5 before returning home.

[EnricoV]

You might want to reserve a yurt for an overnight stay.

[Larry Caldwell]

Tent camping is available at most coastal campgrounds without reservations, but RV/trailer spots require reservations months in advance. Keep an eye on the weather, and camp if it's nice. If you can afford a room, there's no reason to suffer. Web browse for B&B accommodations. I prefer B&Bs to hotel/motel living, and your hosts will do a good job of pointing you to local attractions.

Since you are young and healthy, don't miss Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler - Guide to the Northern Oregon Coast.

http://www.oregonstateparks.org/imag...west_trail.pdf

[Steve Pickering]

Drive the whole coast from Astoria to Brookings. Before Newport you have several State Parks. After Florence you have several more. Yurts, full hookups, the works. I would go for Devils Lake at Lincoln City or Sunset Beach at Charleston. The entire coast can be driven in about 6 to 8 hours, so with a week even if you camp two days every hundred miles you will have an extra day to spend in a hotel. And you would have all day to drive the hundred miles and sight see. Lincoln City is a good Pub Crawl. So is Old Town Florence and Honeyman has great camping and the largest dunes.

And there is no reason to not see the Redwoods while you're at it. Just return home right up I-5 in 4 hours all the way to Portland.

And don't forget to include Ft. Stevens at the start.

[nu2oregon]

Thanks everyone for the great recommendations.

Those yurts look like a great idea... a little more comfortable than a tent, yet you can save a few bucks by not staying in a hotel. I'm leaning towards a night in Astoria that will encompass visiting Cannon Beach and Seaside, as well as whichever pull-over spots look great. After talking to a co-worker, he highly recommended Lincoln City as well, so I'll plan to stay a night there as well.

Going by everyone's advice, it sounds like Florence will have to be included along with Newport. I'm very excited for the trip, as the coast sounds amazing with a bunch of cool towns along the way.

I'm leaning towards staying in some yurts along the way, as well as a hotel for a night or two near the end of the trip. While I'm down, I may even spend a final night in Portland before heading back (I've heard you have some terrific CRAFT beer down there!).

Going out on a dune-buggy would be a great experience, so I'm going to look into that. Thanks again, it's always great to get a 'locals' perspective on the Coast, rather than just visiting the touristy spots. Any other ideas are as always appreciated!

[rtg143]

In Newport, check out the Aquarium and the free Hatfield Marine Science Center. Very interesting places.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by nu2oregon

Going by everyone's advice, it sounds like Florence will have to be included along with Newport. I'm very excited for the trip, as the coast sounds amazing with a bunch of cool towns along the way.

I can highly recommend the Looking Glass Inn on the south side of Lincoln City. And the Lighthouse Inn in Florence.