Hello!

I was hoping someone could help give me an idea about the best places to stop along the Oregon coast.

I am starting my trip in Portland in early June (spending the weekend) and then figured I would head up to Astoria and work my way south beginning on Monday morning.

I have 4 days/3 nights to spend on the coast, but I have no idea where to break the trip up. If I start out in Portland and head to Astoria, how far south should I plan on going that day? Is the northern part of the coast the most beautiful? How should I break up my time? Any help on which three towns to pick to spend the night would be great. I would like to end up in Crescent City, CA on the last evening.

I am traveling with three people and we just like to leisurely explore shops, enjoy scenery, and eat good seafood!

Thanks for your help!

Astoria, Yachats, & Gold Beach/Brookings are our 3 usual stops along the Coast. The South Oregon Coast is the most rugged and beautiful, but also remote. I would not stay in Crescent City, as you never actually get there before heading eats the 10 miles to 199.
Get up, eat Breakfast and hit Jed Smith
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413
in the Morning, then head back to I 5 on 199, making a stop at Taylor Sausage. Yum.
An alternative would be 1 less day in Portland, and
ending up in the Rogue Valley for your last night.
It has shops scenery and seafood, for sure.
http://www.sova.org

My choices would be Cannon Beach, then Newport or Yachats, then Bandon or Gold Beach. http://www.visittheoregoncoast.com/ has lots of info.

Honestly, every part of the beach is beautiful. Some cities (Lincoln City in my opinion, as an example) not great, but most are beautiful.

My favorite part of the coast is between
Lincoln City and just south of Florence_
There is a lot of beautiful scenery that can be seen from the Hwy where as the northern part is enough inland that you dont see a lot as you are driving.
Yachats is also a favorite of mine- you could stay at the Adobe- right on the beach great views- restaurant.

We are doing this same trip in reverse but with an RV instead of a car. From my research I have found that Astoria is one of the best places to go. We are planning 2 days there. We will start in Brookings and stopping at Harris Beach. Then we will go to South Beach for 2 days. We are planning a side trip to Corvallis to visit the city for a future possible relocation. Back up to Astoria to stay at Fort Stevens State Park. The state of Oregon has a website that will give you more information on coastal Oregon Travel. The places we chose to stop all have side trips that were suggested on the Oregon State site. Good luck and if you need anymore information, please let me know.

Thank you everyone for your help!

Does anyone know anything about Depoe Bay? Is it worth spending the night there? So far I think Bandon, Newport, and Astoria are looking good for spending the night. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I think the MOST important thing that appeals to us is natural beauty and spectacular views. So, if anyone can steer me in that direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

Another place I love on the coast is Lincoln City...The Inn at Spanish Head is an absolutely beautiful place to stay...great views!

Depoe Bay is cute- but its not really a beach destination- its a good place to go whale watching as a resident pod live there all year - The harbor at Depoe Bay and the bridge is the one filmed in the movie "One flew over the Cuckoos Nest with Jack Nicholson- the scene where they all escaped from the mental hospital and went fishing for the day.
I havent stayed there but Channel House comes with great recommendations - you can get a room with a hot tub on the deck overlooking the ocean.

I would highly suggest you check out the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria. We have a home there, so don't need lodging but did tour the hotel last month. It's beautifully decorated, has gorgeous views of the river, and is in the process of opening up a restaurant there. There is also a full-service day spa and art gallery. They have a website to view, also.

Cannon Beach is a great place. Lots of nice shops, galleries and restaurants. Ecola State Park is also worth seeing and don't forget your camera here! ***kim***

Our family enjoys Cannon Beach, which is just 90 minutes or so outside of Portland.

I just saw this in our local newspaper the other day. From now til June 30th, several coastal hotels are having a nice promotion. Stay one night and the second night is free. The ad says Friday arrivals are excluded and there are some restrictions, but none are listed so you would have to call the hotels directly to find out.

Anyway, the hotels participating in this are:

Embarcadero in Newport 800-547-4779 www.embarcadero-resort.com

Elizabeth Street Inn in Newport 877-265-9400 www.elizabethstreetinn.com

The Inn At Otter Crest between Depoe Bay and Newport 800-452-2101 www.innatottercrest.com

Adobe Resort in Yachats 800-522-3623 www.adoberesort.com

Inn At Spanish Head in Lincoln City 800-452-8127 www.spanishhead.com

Enjoy your time here

That is great, mms, thank you !

I took a look at the Cannery Pier Hotel too a few weeks ago in Astoria and it is pretty nice. Between Tillamook and Lincoln City there isn't a lot of scenery, you are largely inland. Cannon Beach is a popular, beautiful place to stop but it's not far from Astoria so you would be spending a lot of time in the area. Newport is a good place to stop and is only maybe 2.5 hours drive on 101 from Astoria. I agree with the assessment above that the scenery between Lincoln City and Florence is superb, and if you make the drive, I would plan for a lot of stops in between those spots on your drive down.

I recommend getting an Oregon Coast tour map from AAA; it breaks down the coast pretty well with the major highlights shown in each of four sections of the coast.

Andrew

Another great resource for you would be Oregon Coast magazine. For great seafood in Astoria, check out either the Silver Salmon Grille or the Cannery Cafe. ***kim***

I enjoy Astoria so probably wouldn't get any further than Cannon Beach the first night. Then Newport then Bandon. Florence is a nice town too (either Newport or Florence would be nice). Not sure why everyone likes Yachats so much (no beach - lots of rocks) but that is an option.

Sunbum is correct the best views from the hwy are between Lincoln City and Florence. South of Florence the highway goes inland.

Enjoy!!
Sara

It looks like I may be in the minority, but I prefer the coast south of Florence. There are several wonderful views, lighthouses, and rocky beaches. The area between Gold Beach and Brookings is especially striking. Bandon is a wonderful stop. If you do, eat the the Wild Rose. Gold Beach has the added attraction of being able to take the jet boat up the Rogue. If you stay there, try Ireland's. Whereever you stay, you'll have a great trip, although June can be a foggy month.

Thanks everyone for your input! I will research the hotels mentioned and break out the map again. That's why I love this site! Everyone is so helpful and makes trip planning that much easier!!