lunabug

I have five days next September to drive the Oregon coast. I would like to divide the trip with a couple of two night stays. Can anyone recommend the 'can't miss' areas on the coast? Some bed and breakfasts?

easytraveler

Yachats, adn the Seevue (Seavue) lodge. Really rustic and right on the ocean.

Bandon Beach.

jgg

The best place to stay is in a lodge called Tu Tu Tun Lodge. It is actually inland about 7-8 miles from Gold Beach (just North of Brookings) right on the Rogue River. It is stunningly gorgeous and the family who runs it is wonderful, and the meals are fabulous. I realize it is not right on the coast, but it is right on the river and you will not regret staying there. We have stayed there 3 times and always find it relaxing and peaceful.

panhandle

If I were to stay two different towns on the coast I would pick Cannon or Seaside on the northern coast. Then head south to Bandon. Lighthouse Bed and BReakfast is nice in Bandon. I do like the Tu Tu Tun Lodge but I am not as fond of Brookings as other towns. Cape Arago Hwy is a great trip from Bandon with quite a few cliffside Hikes(if you dont have little ones) and a worldclass Botanical Garden. Cape Arago HWY is the most underated and undiscovered part of the coast...mainly because it isnt Hwy 101.
By the way which way will you be travelling to the coast??? September is a great time to travel from the I-5 corridor as the trees are in full Fall color during that time. Some drives are better than others though depending on where you are coming from.

beachbum

I would suggest Cannon Beach in the north, and Bandon in the south. If you'd rather a more Coney Island atmosphere, I'd recommend Seaside over Cannon.

Stephanie Inn is an oft recommended B&B in Cannon Beach, and deservedly so; we always enjoy our stays there. Can't really help in Bandon unless you're a golfer (like I). In that case, Bandon Dunes is the only place.

There are a lot of things to do and see on the coast, from jet boats to dune buggy rides, lighthouse visits, spectacular hikes, parasailing, kite flying, and the list goes on. Ask for more specifics if you'd like.

kimamom

Newport would be nice for your first two nights. You may want to check out the Sylvia Beach Hotel, www.sylviabeachotel.com It is a B&B based around a literary theme, Dr. Seuss, Ernest Hemingway, etc. Sounds very interesting.

There is also the aquarium there that would be worth visiting. Hit Tillamook, Cape Lookout State Park is beautiful, then head up north through Nehalem, Manzanita and Cannon Beach.

Seaside/Gearhart/Astoria is a gorgeous area. If you're into history, check out Fort Clastsop. It now offers a shuttle that takes you up to the Fort which is fun and the area around the fort is gorgeous.

Astoria is full of charm and there is the Maritime Museum, old Victoria houses, the Flavel House, Heritage musesum that are really fun to tour.

Also, wine tasting (Shallon) and the Cellar on 10th Street for a nice variety of PNW wines. Astoria has many nice B&B's also, a favorite of mine is Clementine's. We've also stayed at the Franklin St. Station which is very nice. www.oldoregon.com is the website. I would also recommend the Hotel Elliott for lodging, www.hotelelliott.com

They have recently added a wine room in their basement that we missed last time, but I'm excited to visit in March. www.hotelelliott.com Have a wonderful time, September is a very nice month to visit the coast.

Oh, I would also recommend a stop at the Fort Stevens State Park, view the Peter Iredale. ***kim***

kimamom

lunabug, clementines-bb.com is the website. Judith Taylor is an outstanding chef, we used to dine frequently at the Lagniappe Cafe when it was open. She made the best salmon chowder I've ever had! Enjoy! ***kim***

beachbum

Obviously, "highlights" differ from person to person. The one that I failed to mention is THE highlight of the Oregon coast: scenery. You'll get that almost regardless of where you are (except Astoria, which is not on the coast).

And kim reminded me of one of the highlights of our several stays at Sylvia Beach. She's right, it's an interesting place. One of our stays was in the Poe room; there was a pendulum over the bed. But the highlight was dinner in their "restaurant". It was served at tables with settings for eight, so we were seated with people we didn't know, from who knows where. To encourage interaction, we were asked to play a game, Two Truths and a Lie I think it's called. The food, which was very good, ended up being secondary to our enjoyment of the meal. Were they playing that game when you stayed there, kim?

The downside to the Sylvia Beach is it's location, Newport, almost smack-dab in the center of the coast. If you stay there, you're likely to miss a lot of stuff in either direction.

Scarlett

beachbum, did you really find that fun? I think if I knew before hand I would maybe take friends, I don't want to play games with strangers as a part of my meal..do I ?
lunabug, I can only say that the one time we were in Cannon Beach (last Sept) we were charmed and loved it. We drove South and got a small look at the Tillamook area, just as we drove along the highway- it is breathtaking and really makes a person want to move there! So you have been warned

beachbum

Hi Scarlett,
In that the game seemed to fit in with the general informality of the place, we didn't mind playing. A little uncomfortable at first, but it was set up as an ice-breaker where we each learned something about the others, which generated lively conversations for the rest of the evening.

Scarlett

Good, that sounds ok, but I can just imagine the Yankee sitting down at a table with a bunch of strangers then being expected to play a game LOL
You have to know him maybe, but dinner games in a restaurant would send him out to the car right away ..I am laughing here at the look of horror that would be on his face...sorry, I would probably like it, but not him

lunabug

Wow, lots of replies, thank you. Panhandle, I am travelling from the south from Sonoma County back home to ALberta over a week or so. September 10th - 16th. I don't think I will see fall colours in this area at that time ... I am hoping for summer like conditions. Any suggestions for golfing a little less expensive than Bandon Dunes ( I might start saving for that course now.) Has anyone rode the jet boats on the Rogue river?

lunabug

Beachbum, you mentioned spectactular hikes. I am interested. Short to one half day hikes.

panhandle

Luna there is less expensive golf on the coast but if you like to golf Bandon Dunes will be worth every penny. It was truly amazing to see the transformation take place when they built it.
As far as the Jet boats go I have done the trip from both Gold Beach (Jerry's Jet Boats) and from Grants Pass(Hellgate Excursions) both are good trips but I prefered Hellgate overall. BTW

lunabug

Panhandle, Is Grant's Pass inland on the rogue river?
Golfing - If I was to golf Pacific Dunes or Bandon Dunes do you have a recomendation which is the more spectatular couse?

beachbum

lunabug,

Bandon or Pacific Dunes? Coin toss. Each is spectacular. Pacific is shorter and tighter, but is visually more appealing. But I find Bandon more playable; you have a lot better looks from the tees. Both have holes along/above the beach. Seriously, on a nice day, each is on par as a golf experience with Pebble. The other two courses that come to mind are Sand Pines in Florence, and Salishan, south of Lincoln City. Both are nice, but neither is anything close to the Bandon courses.

My favorite short hike on the coast is out Cascade Head. Turn off 101 5-6 miles north of Lincoln City and drive a few miles to the trail head. The trail takes you to the headland, several hundred feet above where the Salmon River flows into the Pacific. Views are eye-popping.

jgg

Grants Pass is pretty far inland, about 2 hours. Hellgate Excursions does the Upper Rogue River and Jerry's JetBoats out of Gold Beach does the ower Rogue River. We have done both and actually preferred Jerry's JetBoats so which ever you do I'm sure you will enjoy it;

If you stay at TuTu Tun Lodge there is a dock there and Jerry's Jet Boats will pick you up right there. Saves you a trip into Gold Beach. Spending time on the Rogue River is really not to be missed if possible.

kimamom

We do the Hellgate Excursion every summer, it's really nice. We've only done the Quick n Scenic trip, which is two hours but you see ospry, bald eagles, deer, sea turtles, etc. It's really quite fun and they do those 360 degree turns, so you'll get wet!

They also offer brunch and dinner excursions which we'll probably try soon. In Grant's Pass, I like the Riverside Inn, www.riverside-inn.com the boats leave from the docks at the hotel there and there is the River Rock Cafe that serves really good strawberry waffles!

If you've never done the jet boats before, I would say go for it, you'll have a great time! Remember the movie The River Wild with Meryl Streep? Scenes from the movie were filmed here and your guide will point that out to you. Have fun! ***kim***

thornphoenix

I would second Beachbum's recommendation for the Cascade Head hike right outside of Lincoln City - fantastic.

Another nice hike is to Cape Lookout, which is farther north near Netarts Bay (about 10-12 miles south of Tillamook).

Have fun on your trip!

Cheers,
Tracey

Orcas

Hi Lunabug.

I haven't taken the Cascade Head Hike, but I have hiked Cape Lookout. It is a beautiful and easy hike through rain forest, onto a cape that juts out into the water.

Another good hike is at the Tillamook Head, from Ecola State Park in Canon Beach. It starts at Indian Point.

We have a book called "Oregon Coast Hikes" by Paul M. Williams, that you might be able to get on-line, or find a similar book. There are many wonderful hikes, at all levels of difficulty.

You might want to bring a pair of shoes that can get muddy, as coastal trails can be wet.