Oregon Coast Cities-Favorite?
 

You were such a big help for my Portland query, I'm back with another!

I would love your opinion on the pros/cons of staying in the following towns. (Believe it or not, there are still a few rooms to be had in some of the coastal towns.)

Astoria
Seaside
Lincoln City
Cannon Beach

Which town would you suggest staying in? We just want to be able to enjoy wandering the beach and seeing the shops and sights in the the towns, and enjoying a good meal. We'll have a car, so travel between towns is no problem.

We arrive PDX on Thursday afternoon, and return to Vegas on Monday night. We have reservations for the last 2 nights in Portland.

Thank you so much for your expert opinions!
- Kym.

Born and raised in OR...my favorite is Cannon Beach. There is the downtown area that has some fun shops, but overall its not as tacky as other areas. Seaside is our least favorite...its like one big carnival, and just not our style. Even our kids asked us to not take them there again, lol! Lincoln City is somewhere in the middle of these two for me. Astoria, well...have not spent much time there in years so I won't comment.

Astoria and maybe Seaside wiill be clogged with traffic related to big Lewis & Clark festival. However there is a shuttle that goes all around Astoria and Seaside areas. Seaside has a nice "promenade" oceanside walk.
Cannon Beach is very popular and has a lot of "high end"shops but does have a great beach to walk on.
Lincoln City does have a long beach with lots of motels on or 2-3 blocks from beach.
Actually Astoria has no beach unless you drive west toward Ft. Stevens Park
All of these are my "favorites" but I must admit Cannon Beach is top of my list.-crowds andall.
You will love it...
Let us know when you get back your experiences esp. crowds?

I have to agree...Cannon Beach! Hands down, IMHO!

Thanks everybody. If you had a 2nd favorite - what would it be?

Lincoln City has a hotel, O;dysius, that is really intriguing me, but I don't really know if Lincoln City is the place for us. I appreciate the comments about Seaside, though. I originally leaning toward staying there.

IMHO, Lincoln City - the city is three blocks deep and around a hundred miles long (not really, but seems that way.) Strip mall hell IMO.

Seaside - salt water taffy, kiddie arcades, schlunk, but more atmosphere.

Have a look at the Washington side of the river - Ilwaco, Long Beach. More driving but very interesting places.

I realize it's not on your list, but I had a wonderful time in Newport last fall. We stayed at a B&B on the coast, north of town called the Tyee Lodge. The host was great, and made some excellent breakfasts. Our room had lots of windows overlooking the coast.

Some good restaurants in town, and the Rogue brewery is also a plus.

I thought the location was good for exploring parks, and lighthouses, as well as wandering the beach.

Cannon Beach is great, and I agree with syd that Newport is a treat--especially in the Nye Beach neighborhood.

Here's another vote for Cannon Beach, which I suspect is much closer to your mind's eye's picture of a typical coastal town. Lincoln City and (especially) Seaside are too kitschy. And Astoria is too big, with significant non-tourist commercial activity.

If you strike out on all counts, maybe check the Gearhart Ocean Inn, just a few miles north of Seaside (in Gearhart!!). It's a restored old motel on the only real intersection in this small town. Across the street is a wonderful bakery and, I think, one of the better restaurants anywhere on the Oregon coast. Though you're a couple hundred yards away, the beach is long, wide, and relatively quiet. Maybe not enough here to keep you busy, but you do have a car, with Astoria, Seaside, and Cannon Beach all just a short drive away.

I've been in the area for almost three weeks now. We have spent much time in all the places you mention, except Lincoln City which I find to be boring and not very scenic.

Astoria is simply one of the most gorgeous places on the coast. My BIL from CA has been here with us on this trip and he wants to spend the entire summer here. It's just gorgeous.

The nice thing about the coast, is you really can enjoy all three places. Astoria is full of history and charm. www.oldoregon.com We went through the Maritime Museum on Father's Day and it is just amazing.

The climate right now is absolutely perfect, fluffy coulds, cool breezes greenery everywhere.

We were in Cannon Beach for the day yesterday. What do you like? There's some shops and Haystack Rock, the beach was pretty windy and just didn't seem as clean as Seaside to me.

Seaside is gorgeous, there's lots of green sea grass growing on the beach and the views of Tillamook Head are awesome. The sand is white and pretty and the ocean very blue. The main thing is the two mile long prom that runs by the ocean that is so nice for walking, biking,jogging, etc.

You must try Kalypso for a nice meal. It's very nice. Astoria also has many great places to eat, some right on the river. My favorite is the Cannery Cafe, sit outside on the patio.

Fulio's and Silver Salmon Grille are also excellent. You will have the most to do in Astoria, other than the beach. Ride the trolley, many museums, shops, wine tasting, etc., etc.

Go across the bridge to Chinook, WA and dine at The Sanctuary, very good. The swedish meatballs are their speciality. Also, The Shoalwater at the Shelburne Inn is very nice. We recently dined at the Sanctuary, then caught the beautiful sunset in Long Beach.

I've been in all the areas you mention, except LC, so any questons, just ask! I should be in the are another week or two.

We've been to Porland several times this trip. Don't miss the Rose Gardens and go down by the waterfront. We adored our meal at Paley's Place in Portland. Also had lots of fun in Pioneer Square.

We were looking for horses to ride yesterday and went to the CB stables, they have fun rides down to Haystack if you like that kind of thing.

Fort Steven State Park in Warrenton is also very nice. You could easily spend a day there going to the beach, viewing the Peter Iredale, looking at Coffenbury Lake, etc.

If you stay in Astoria The Hotel Elliott is gorgeous, I just took the hotel tour a couple of days ago. www.hotelelliott.com

Ecola State Park is pretty and Cannon Beach has a good fudge place, Bruce's Candy Kitchen where we stocked up on sweet treats.

We were done with CB in a couple of hours. Many art galleries and restaurants are relocating to Seaside and Astoria now. Have a wonerful time in PNW!! You may want to check the PNW chowhound board for good restaurants in the area. ***kim*** :)

One more thought travlhappy: No matter which place you decide on as a home base, make sure you visit the Sunday Market in Astoria, located down by the waterfront. It's a miniature Pike's Place and the flowers they sell will knock your socks off!

I've been three times now, the salmon pate that is sold by the vendor in front of the hotel Elliott is delicious. Also, many local artists that sell beautiful watercolors, photography of the area.

I love the shopping in downtown Astoria, and the Sunday Market is a big hit in the area! Have fun!!! ***kim***

After spending 3 days in Newport & 1 in Cannon Beach I fail to catch the charm of Cannon Beach.
Very nice shops but other than that too crowded and expensive.
Our room at the Shilo in Newport was almost as nice as the Hallmark in Cannon Beach at 1/4 the cost.
The staff was much nicer.

The roar of the ocean put us to sleep each night and only a short walk to the beach.
Our next visit wont include Cannon Beach
Of corse this is just my opinion.

Newport is very nice with the working waterfront. I like white, pretty sand when I sunbathe, the beach at CB just seemed a litle dirty yesterday with that stream of water running through it out in front of Mo's.

There is a gorgeous beach we like to spend the day at called Indian Beach, it's a short hike down but very scenic. Altough, again, you're sitting on mostly rocks there but the surfers love it!

My favorite spot to sit at the beach is in Seaside, by Ave. 12. Very nice parking lot, bathrooms close by and the stretch of beach there is just beautiful. ***kim***

I've been going to Oregon beaches for 50 years. They each have something to offer and a charm and flavor all their own. Cannon Beach is more upscale and quieter than Seaside. There are art galleries, fun shops, wonderful restaurants, and of course a beautiful clean beach. Low tide at Haystack Rock will reveal a variety of interesting marine life including beautiful star fish, sea anenomes, and mussels. My favorite is Cannon, but as I said before, they each have somthing to offer depending on what a person is interested in. I'd stay in Cannon, and do a couple of day drives to the others.

Another vote for Newport. Not as quaint as Cannon Beach but it's bigger and more going on. There's the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the old bayfront, Nye Beach, Yaquina Head with the lighthouse and wildlife...plus the fabulous Yaquina Bay Bridge (OK, I love bridges).

If you do go to Newport and have kids, you might try Izzy's on 101 just north of Newport. It's a Northwest pizza chain - they have a pizza buffet. Not very classy or romantic, but you do get a lot of food. :-) And the pizza is good.

Andrew

The most gorgeous art gallery on the north coast is Valley Bronze, located in Astoria on Twelvth and Commercial. They relocated from CB about seven months ago. [email protected] is the website.

For the best fish and chips on the coast, The Ship Inn on Second Street can't be beat. (Again, Astoria) We have dined there several times in the past couple of weeks. Always wonderful and the views of the river are beautiful.

Take the trolley ride along the riverfront at sunset, don't forget your camera. www.old300.org I think is the website to learn more about this cool little trolley car. ***kim*** :)

OK... another vote here for Cannon Beach. I have lived in WA for 5 years now... but lived in Oregon for most of my life. I have spent a lot of time in Cannon Beach, Newport, Lincoln City, Yachats, Waldport, and lived in Coos Bay as a child.

Cannon Beach is definitely the cleanest town and most quaint of all Oregon coastal towns. I am not a fan of Seaside at all. It totally depends on your tastes. Seaside is in my opinion... and many of my friends... a very teenage'd ravaged town... When you drive down the main drag... it's Carousels, Arcades, and lots of kids. Our kids will love to visit when they're older, I'm sure! They have nice beach areas there and some good shops... but just way too dirty feeling to me.

Cannon Beach is very clean and has amazing beaches and the great Haystack Rock to go check out tide pools, ocean life, etc... We love to stay there and do the bon fires at night in front of our hotel, as many visitors do. Ecola Park is a must do... beautiful. I like the quaint shopping atmosphere and the great little restaurants mingled throughout town. We stay at Ocean Lodge now, but use to stay at Hallmark. I won't go back to the Hallmark... it's not worth the price.

I went to college at ORegon STate in the 90's... so spent a great deal of time at Lincoln City then and have been back numerous times since I've been married. I think it has it's ups and downs. If you can go during the Kite Festival, that's a fun event. It's just too commercialized for my tastes now... casino and all!

Astoria I have never stayed at... only driven through. They have some great museums and the Column is a must do! Great views... but lots of steps!

My recommendation... stay in Cannon Beach and drive to Seaside/Astoria for day trips! ;o)
Good luck!
Maria

We were in CB a few days ago and the beach just wasn't as pretty as the Seaside (around Avenue U and Avenue 12) ones. Seaside has the green sea grass, gorgeous white sand and views of Tillamook head. Awesome!!!

We were in front of Mo's and the sand appeared dirty with streams of water running through the beach.

Indian Beach in CB is very scenic, you will have a short hike down, but it is all rocks once you are down there. The surfers like it here.

If you're a foodie, the best restaurants are in the Seaside/Astoria/WA coast area. After dining out 23 consecutive nights in a row, I found some little gems in these areas. Let me know if you're interested in the names!!! ***kim***

Gosh, I keep reading reports running down Cannon Beach and talking about how "dirty" it is. I was there for three days this past weekend, and four days the weekend before. The beach was as clean and beautiful as always. Lowest tide of the summer was a week ago, and Haystack Rock was uncovered to a great extent. Marine life was revealed all around - starfish, sea anenomes, mussels, etc. Wonderful experience for everyone lucky enough to be there. I know we each have our peronal favorites, but running down any beach just because it may not be someones personal favorite seems really out of line to me. Kind of like which do you like better - chocolate or vanilla? Some will pick chocolate, some vanilla - it doesn't mean one is better or worse than the other. As I've said in the past , they each have something to offer.

Did you go to Cafe Mango or the Stephanie Inn? We'll be back in the area the end of the week and I'm hoping to try the Stephanie Inn for dinner this trip!

Where is the Bistro? We tried to find it one night and ended up at Cafe Mango. This was the first trip to CB in over twenty years that we skipped Mo's! My son is bringing his GF (well, fiance as of Sat.night) and I'm sure he will want to take her to Mo's just for the family tradition of it!! ( That's if she says yes, LOL) ***kim***

Cafe Mango just opened a new restaurant several weeks ago. We had lunch there this past weekend - it was wonderful. Several friends had dinner and said it was superb. The Bistro is at the north end of town on the east side of the street. It is small - you may want to make reservations. Palucci's is our current favorite. Wonderful food there also. It is more on the south end of town - beach side of the street. It too is small, but they do take reservations. There is a new restaurant opening in the Cannon Beach Hotel. I believe it will open this coming weekend, but not positive. Did have a chance to look at a sample menu and it looked very good. Wherever you end up, I'm sure it will be delicious!

Yes, our dinner at Cafe Mango was very nice. We sat out on the small deck outdoors by those gorgeous flowers.

Any opinions on Clark's? It looked trendy and nice when we drove by it. ***kim***

to kimamom:

I am so surprised at your comment about the beach at Cannon being "dirty" [you have mentioned it several times]. You particularly mentioned water running down the beach in front of Mo's. That is a small stream & if it bothers you, why don't you just move down the beach a few feet? You will find many small streams crossing the sand along the coast - not a bad thing.

Great idea! A few feet down to Seaside where I can sit on the gorgeous white sand, beautiful green sea grass with gorgeous views of Tillamook head! LOL

CB is great for the shopping and Haystack Rock is beautiful, I especially like the Indian Beach, but again, no white sand that I like for sunbathing. The CB beaches are also a little more windy than the Seaside beach that I like. Avenue U area is so scenic and there are great waves there that we like for boogey-boarding.

We're headed back to the Oregon Coast tomorrow for a couple of weeks. Gee, some day maybe I'll just move there and stop all this back and forth!! :::g:::

My oldest son is propsing marriage in Portland this trip, so this one will be especially memorable for all of us!!

We want to celebrate with a meal at Kalypso, my favorite Seaside restaurant!!!

Travlhappy, I hope you have a great time on the OC, no matter which place you home-base in!!! You will be in one of the most gorgeous areas in the country! ***kim***

Maxter... funny you should bring that up... (the streams)...My two son's LOVE the stream that comes out between the Stephanie Inn and the Ocean Lodge... they've even affectionately named it "The Barrett river" after our last name! They rush to it the second we get to The Ocean Lodge and live there for the entire time. My husband and I have joked about bringing a porta-potty and then we'd just be able to live on the beach all day! (With a 7 and 4 year old... we have to make frequent trips back to the room!) ;o)

Those two little guys will spend all day making dams and digging with their shovels, filling their Tonka trucks, bulldozing, etc... It's a boy's paradise! It is very clean water too! We were just in Florence the other day and I wouldn't let them touch the stream there... rust and algae built up... yuck!

Balitrav... you are totally right... Each coastal town has something to offer... Some towns are better suited to people's tastes than others... As I said earlier, I prefer Cannon Beach. I probably wouldn't mind Seaside so much if I could just delete the image of the arcades, tons of kids, and downtown area out of my mind... it just won't go away though! I just think that we are very fortunate to have such a great coastline in Oregon!!! The Washington Coast is not nearly as scenic, in my opinion, and I would rather drive back to the Oregon coast to stay in Cannon Beach or Waldport/Yachats than go to the WA coast.

Kimamom... We should both be paid as spokeswomen for these two towns we love so dearly... Think they'd buy it??? ;o)

Maria ;o)

LOL! Yes, we're very fortunate to have properties in Seaside and Astoria, I'm sure our next venture will be something in CB! But not for awhile!

We're headed to the coast today for a couple of weeks, again. I hope the weather is as nice as it was last trip.

I'll do all my sunbathing, beaching, in Seaside and go to CB for the shops! I hope to try The Stephanie Inn for dinner, I hope it lives up to the hype!

I can't wait to start enjoying the wonderful seafood in the area. As far as the WA coast, I like it for the great restaurants. The Shoalwater (four-star), The Ark (four-star), 42 Street Cafe and my latest gem of a find, the Sanctuary in Chinook, WA. They have some excellent swedish meatballs there that I want to have again.

Of course I love the Pinots throughout the entire state. Raptor Ridge produces the best Pinto Gris, IMO.

The beach cottage is complete, now working on furnishing and decorating and getting listed with a great vacation rental agency. Any suggestions, anyone? ***kim***

I agree with all the posts--the Oregon Coasst is great but you MUST have an ocean front room. Do not get side tracked elsewhere! My teens enjoy Cannon, Rockaway and Seaside beaches.

Brantley... I agree whole-heartedly!!! I refuse to settle for anything less... My thought on this is... I drive 4-4 1/2 hours to CB from Seattle area... why would I settle for staring at the street or the back of another house? I get that everyday where I live now!!!HA!

Kimamom... I have heard wonderful things about Stephanie Inn and plan on going back with just my hubby to stay there and enjoy their wonderful dinners we all keep hearing about. I toured it when I stayed at Ocean Lodge the 1st time and thought it was lovely... very charming and warm. Same location as Ocean Lodge... great beachfront... very close! ;o)

Maria ;o)

I'm back on the coast right now! It's gorgeous as always. Stephanie Inn planned for Wed. night and off to the Cannery Cafe for crab melts for lunch today, then to the gorgeous beach in Seaside! ***kim***