seaside, cannon beach or newport
 

Hi Fodorites,
Thanks to this forum we are on our way booking our oregon trip for the end of June. We currently have 3 nights planned for an airbnb in the hood river area, then we are thinking of the coast for 2 nights and then maybe portland for 2 nights before heading home.
We tentatively booked an airbnb in seaside. Basically because it looked like a really nice property... but now I'm worried about the posts about seaside being a coney island like atmosphere. We were thinking we would be close enough to cannon beach and could spend our time there....but now I'm also concerned parking might be a headache. Can someone comment on parking in Cannon Beach?
Thinking of relooking at the properties in cannon beach. I also see newport poping up a lot on the forum. We prefer an airbnb or vrbo being a family of 4 adults.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!!!

Personal views...

Seaside v. Cannon Beach... Seaside is not a "Coney Island" scene, but I'll call it more of a "salt-water-taffy" sort of destination while Cannon Beach is more an "art gallery" one. Once upon a time, Seaside was *slightly* regarded as a spring-break kind of place, but no more; remember it's still Oregon we're talking about. I looked at the Seaside property with the view, and I wouldn't hesitate for a minute. As for Newport, if you don't mind the extra driving, I'd see if there's any space in Yachats ("ya-hots") instead, but I wouldn't be optimistic.

Honestly with just a couple of days I'd settle on Seaside and use the days to explore up and down the coast - south to Cape Meares and north to Cape Disappointment, specifically Ecola State Park (between Seaside and Cannon Beach) and Cape Disappointment itself.

Seaside is well known as the Coney Island of Oregon, for good reason. Some people love it with all the arcades etc. It is more geared towards young kids and big groups with families.

Cannon Beach is only 10 minutes away, but does not have any arcades etc. There are quite a few art galleries in town, but really it just has a good variety of shops and restaurants, but the big draws are Ecola State Park and Haystack Rock. This has been my favorite town since I was a little kid growing up in Oregon, then with our own kids and now as they are adults, it is still their favorite town, FWIW. If you do stay in Seaside, don't worry about visiting CB, there is plenty of parking unless you are arriving say around noon-2pm on a nice day then you may have to drive around a bit. FWIW we have often done day trips there from the Portland area and have ever had parking to be an issue. Depending on where the Airbn B&B is, most of CB is very walkable. If it is on the southern end though, say around Tolovana, you will need to drive to be in the heart of downtown as there are no sidewalks along the way, You can certainly walk along the beach, but it is a ways. Just keep the location in mind in regards to that. If you have questions, just ask, I am very familiar with the town.

Newport is nice and has a lot to offer, but it is huge and spread out. You will be driving to the various sites. Nye Beach there is nice, but gets a bit congested. Both of the lighthouses are fun to explore, the working Bayfront is fun to walk and check out the sea lions but and is chuck all of trinket shops, The aquarium and Hatfield Marine Science Center are excellent and not to be missed if you do come here.

It just depends on what you are looking for:)

i think the beach at CB is superior to Seaside. I also think CB itself is a more pleasant town for adults—It’s an arty village, whereas Seaside is more the commercial hub. It’s not “Coney Island” but I definitely think it’s more “budget family vacation”.

Newport has the aquarium, more options in terms of food, shopping. I think it’s a more “happening” town—better drinking options than CB, if that matters to you.

of the three, CB is the most walkable. 101 doesn’t go straight through it, and that can be a headache in Newport. I’d be inclined to choose CB because what I like about is that it’s walkable. You don’t need to find parking in town, which I do think can be a headache in summer.

other than that—I’m not sure there’s a best pick. You’ve access to the coast from all three. I’ve stayed in all three. If you plan to drive everywhere, you’ve got even more options—for instance, I’d be looking at Airbnb’s in manzanita over Seaside or Newport any day.

Thank you so much Gardyloo and mms!! So mush great info!

Gardyloo, thanks for looking at the seaside airbnb link. Salt & taffy vs. Coney Island definitely helps me relax if we stick with that choice. I looked up Yachats on airbnb and looks like this place is available https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1707747...EZV632BcZMUpuS Do you prefer Yachats to the Cannon beach/Seaside area? I did a quick look on google maps, and it looks like Yachats is about just about 4 hours from hood River. Do you think its worth the extra travel time? What looks interesting to me about it is I read quite a few posts that people like the southern coastline scenery most and I'm wondering if we stay in Seaside/Cannon beach if we would ever get to see it? We have also never seen the redwoods...not quite sure how far south that is....


mms, very good to know about the parking and now I have a better feel for the area. The cannon beach airbnb was this one.... https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16996144?wl_source=list&wl_id=531818901&role=wishl ist_owner&check_in=2019-06-29&check_out=2019-07-01&guests=1&adults=4&source_impression_id=p3_15589 74752_ry8MY4V7WoVCPuDJ
we were between the two. We chose the seaside for the view and figured we could drive to Cannon Beach and spend our time there.

Y'know, I'd probably just stick with the Seaside place and drive to Cannon Beach for beach walks or to shop for driftwood seagulls at the various galleries. It really does depend on what you want out of these days. The Oregon coast is known for its natural scenery, not so much for its towns, and that's where I'd keep my focus. I suspect people who say Seaside is like Coney Island have probably never been to Coney Island.

We could have more days if we change from hood river to the coast.... but we would have to do that very soon if so....

I know Im sorry im actually confusing myself.
Just getting to portland for us is a lot more difficult than San Francisco I realize. And second, Im concerned about hood river....
Seems that everyone that goes there is heavily into hiking, rafting, etc....
We generally love the beach, cute towns and good food, nice views. Loved the drive from San Francisco to San Diego...

Stupid site erased my nice long answer. Okay. First, tell me some things:

Do you have any interest in actually seeing the Redwoods NP?
What attracts you to PDX and Hood River?
Where are you coming from? PDX is usually pretty easy to fly into, so I'm curious about that, I guess.
What kind of lodging are you looking for in these places? What's your budget?

as someone else mentioned, the OR coast isn't really about the cute towns. And the drive from SF to SD is not very similar to the drive from SF to SD. I've done both.

Hood River IS cute, but I guess I assumed you were into the sailing/hiking/etc. So, if not, I'd be curious as to why you're spending three days there. It's worth it. I'm just not sure it's the best use of your time.

Hey, I actually posted on your first thread a couple of days ago now. And I since figured out... The reason you're having so much trouble finding a beach place is not just because you are late to the game. You are booking the weekend before the 4th.

On my other thread, I suggested a couple of hotels for you in Portland. They appear to both be open on booking.com.

Mouse, this is Lasagna's second thread. There was a pretty long conversation that helped her narrow down where she wanted to go. I think they do like the scenery but not necessarily long hikes.

I am thinking in Hood RIver, I know it's three nights, but they're coming from the airport, so it is really just two full days and then they leave for the coast. That is not a lot of time.
Gardyloo helped with the details. To summarize...
I think she wanted to

• see Mount Hood (lunch at Timberline Lodge and maybe ride the lift up?)
• The historic Columbia River Highway with all the turnouts
• Maryhill Museum
• I do think Hood River is a charmer and there's some shops and restaurants there.
• To which I would suggest that if you enjoy going to wineries, the ones in Lyle Washington are great. Just over the Columbia at the Dalles and maybe 3-5 miles from the bridge.

Everyone's heavily into hiking and rafting? Hell, no.

- Cute towns - Hood River qualifies, so does White Salmon (a little) and Trout Lake (a lot.)

- Good food - Discover the Fruit Loop - http://hoodriverfruitloop.com/ . Here's an article about the loop - https://www.savoredjourneys.com/a-fo...er-fruit-loop/ . Or here - https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-rest...er-gorge-guide . Have breakfast at Shirley's Tippy Canoe (an old diner along the historic Columbia River Highway just outside Troutdale) and you're good for the whole day. The area is actually becoming something of a foodie destination (already one for beer and wine lovers.)

- Nice views. Google these places, all easily reached and visited by car, no hiking needed.

Portland Women's Forum (Chanticleer Point) viewpoint

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7b260dc3a6.jpg

Latourell Falls

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60479960fe.jpg

Panorama Point in Hood River -

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc4667fa97.jpg

Lost Lake

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba00092d60.jpg

Stonehenge

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ac7a025f8.jpg

I wouldn't change plans. Stick with your priorities - beach towns, Hood River/Columbia Gorge.

Thank you all! I'll try to explain...

Marvelous Mouse - When thinking about Portland I was attracted to being out of the city to relax a bit with my family. I started off with thinking of a trip in california. We don't do many outdoor sports....we like biking and walking. Love nice views and eating in nice outdoor cute places.
Some of us are coming from Mexico. Have to leave at 3am in the morning and layover in san francisco. Then on to Mt. hood.... Long day...
We basically nixed the idea of flying into San francisco now.... for the reasons you mention.

5alive - thank you so much for your hotel recommendations in Portland. I was thinking at looking at them for the last 2 nights of our trip.
Husband and kids don't drink wine but seeing a winery could be fun.
Question: is the lift to the timberline lodge closed on the sides? If so, I could probably do it. Im scared of heights and couldn't go on a regular ski lift...
I don't think my kids will want to go to a museum but seeing the beautiful nature of oregon will be awesome.
Renting bikes somewhere would be nice for us.....

Gardyloo - Glad to hear everyone isn't heavily into rafting and hiking..... Personally, City girl... I'm so excited to hear that the area is becoming a foodie destination! Thats right up our alley! I can't wait to check out your links.

Sorry gardyloo I wan't finished. You now made me feel so much better about this trip!! Many many thanks! I was overthinking everything....

Can one see the Latourell Falls with only a short hike?

lasagna--I did not know about your other thread, but just read it. Anyway, I agree with 5alive's suggestion of the Inn at Northrup Station. Fantastic location and it is well regarded. I have not stayed there since we lived nearby, but I have only heard good things about it and have walked past it numerous times. The rates are better than a lot of other Portland hotels, and Portland is not cheap like a lot of people think it is. If they have availability for your dates, I would snag it.

Gardyloo, you mentioned Troutlake..... do you think we should reconsider staying there (instead of the place in Hood River )or just go over to visit and check it out?

Yes, Latourell Falls is a short hike, just over a mile each way. Super easy:)

I would not stay at Trout Lake. It is really tiny and is mostly used as a jumping off point for hiking etc. Hood River has way more to offer, especially for what you say you are looking for.

Also, need to make a quick decision between manzanita and cannon beach. I just found Manzanita on this forum and it looks very cute. Shops and restaurants with less tourists...

lasagna--FWIW I much prefer CB over Manzanita. Manzanita has an ok beach, but nothing exciting about it, just a flat beach. The downtown is fine, but is very limited. I think you will find yourselves driving to CB for things to do. We have stayed there, so I am speaking from experience. There is nothing wrong with it, just very limited that is all.

Sounds like you are making progress....

I had also suggested Arch Cape, Tolovana, Manzanita as alternatives because Lasagna was discussing staying in Seaside. Manzanita is indeed smaller than Cannon Beach and would not be my first choice for this poster.

Hi All,
Im sorry to say I switched to manzanita last night before seeing the last two posts. My fault I should have checked. Its OK though....We looked at photos of Manzanita and it reminded us of a beach town we like and the airbnb was very pretty and got good reviews. We will have a car and will travel.

Hey, if you like the feel of the city and your lodgings, just go with it. it's not that far from Cannon Beach. And I do like Manzanita, better than MMS apparently. I just thought you'd want to be by more shopping and restaurants.

A few positives: With the cape at the north end of town, you get a little less wind when on the beach. It feels tucked away from the world. Small but well-stocked grocery store with high quality wine, cheese, produce, meat, one of the best on the coast. (although like everything it's a little spendy).

5alive--I was merely mentioning that there isn't as much there as in CB, mentioning its limitations so they knew what to expect. I didn't say it was bad or anything, but was just looking at what they were looking for.

Many many thanks for all the posts. I do indeed think that Manzanita may well be an odd choice for us coming from so far, but on the upside it does look very cute and we will have a car and can travel. Curious what is the grocery store you are referring to? Any other restaurant recommendations or things to do in the area? I remember there was a post mentioning cape disappointment and ebola state park. Will go back and check...
Once again thank you!!

So lucky to have booked Northup station for Portland!!! Thank You Fivealive and mms.....

Oh, it's the main grocery store in Manzanita. You won't miss it. Looking right now on Google Maps, it's Manzanita Grocery.

Ebola State Park... now that WOULD be disappointing to visit. It's Ecola State Park. I definitely agree withy a run up to Astoria (Astor Column, Fort Astoria and the bridge are all cool).

To the point: I do like Ecola. You are going on a weekend. When it's empty, Ecola can be lovely. But... The line to go to the beach there there can really back up. There's only this small parking lot. When it fills, the ranger stops traffic and you just wait until they start letting more people pay the $5 and go through. And then you have about a mile on a very slow little road to park. So...early in the morning or late in the day, Ecola gets a thumbs up from me. But otherwise, I'm not sure it's worth your limited time.

Instead consider:
1. Oswald West. State Park. You park by 101. If it's full, you know right away.
2. Hug Point State Recreation Area You park by 101. If it's full, you know right away.
3. Some beach time at Manzanita itself.
4. Walking the beach at Cannon and see the tide pools there

PS MMS--I was just joking around.... I almost always agree with your advice:)

Sorry just seeing this now....thanks 5alive! I can't believe I put EBOLA! Thats so absurd!
Great tips for the parks thanks! Certainly don't want to spend our time waiting in lines. Just wondering now, if we spend one day hanging around cannon beach and manzanita, what is actually best/doable for the 2nd day. Would driving north or south be more scenic? We love scenic rides.... with places to stop along the way. You mentioned Astoria would be worth the trip. If so, should we try to get up to cape disappointment as well?
Sorry for all the quesitons, Its challenging not knowing anything about the area.
Many thanks!

5alive--oops:)

lasagna--honestly, you could go either north or south. That's the problem, there are great places to visit all up and down the coast. You really can't go wrong :)

Definitely. Also check out Ilwaco, a surprisingly attractive fishing town.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e4ff10d79d.jpg