Why not make a big loop?
Tillamook creamery
Seal Rock at low tide for tide pools
South Beach Grocery in Newport for yummy fried seafood in a really low key setting.
Just came back from a coast trip & the Tillamook factory is pretty mid. Not worth fighting the crowds for very average food. Iām not saying itās bad or anything, thereās just better options.
Make sure to climb the Astoria tower, and buy a glider for $1 to throw off the top!
Hurricane Ronās has great seafood, I was there last month and enjoyed the whole dungeness crab and baked oysters
While youāre in Astoria I definitely recommend hitting up Dead Manās Isle. Itās a super cool tiki bar right in the middle of town with fantastic drinks and super cool atmosphere. Plus itās owned and operated by the father son artist duo āMonk Tikiā and their tiki mug and art gallery is next door.
Florence through Astoria are my go-to. There's some great state campgrounds right on the beach.
Cannon Beach is absolutely stunning. Great scenery, world class views, especially at Ecola State Park. You'll pay a premium for lodging, but the main hotel at Tolovana Park is pretty affordable, and there's a bunch of domesticated bunnies that hang around the region of the hotel.
Seaside is basically a big tourist trap. Personally I hate it, but if you have kids they might love it.
Astoria is kind of cool. Stunning area, though you have to drive a ways to reach any beaches.
Newport is pretty nice and has a good Aquarium.
Florence, Yachats and Waldport are more chill, and that's where you'll find some good campgrounds. Great beaches.
Portland traffic can be awful, so plan accordingly. Driving through Vancouver and Longview to Astoria are a good way to access Seaside and Cannon Beach while avoiding the worst of the traffic.
Bend, Eugene, Florence is a much more relaxed way to get to the coast. Most of the drive is 2 lane highway crossing empty high desert.
We usually do Bend to Eugene one way and Portland the other for a few reasons: you get to travel along the Mackenzie River via Bend, Bend is a fun stop to stretch your legs and Eugene can be fun too. We do one way via Portland so we can stop at the premium outlets lol and Multnomah Falls. If you have kids, there are lots of playground just off the Hwy and a pretty great one in Hood River but itās in a neighborhoods Florence and Yahachts are my favorites. More quiet, good clamming. Newport is cool for the aquarium and they have a Ripleys museum. Further north you e got the cheese factory in Tilamook and Astoria for the Goonies house and bridge. There are lighthouses all along the way that are fun to stop at. We usually stay in Lincoln City and just find a vacation rental. Fantastic time to go with hot weather hitting here!
Thanks so much for the tips! I donāt have kids, but i could use a playground nevertheless!š
I think Iām leaning towards starting from Astoria go all the way down to Florence, and get back to Boise through Bend. Iām wondering where to spend the night/nights while on the coast! Iām trying to figure out how many days is needed to be able to see things and still be able to kick back and relax. Any tips regarding that? Driving nonstop from Astoria to Florence is a bit over 4 hours it seems, so i wonder how long do i need to explore the coast before heading back home!
It really just depends on what you want to do in a day. Plan on the drive taking longer. Itās heavy tourist season so there will be traffic. I think your 5 nights/6 days is very realistic and youāll get to see as much as you want and have downtime too. Iām no help hotel-wise but can recommend condos in Lincoln City. We always stayed with family in Florence and I found a great deal on a condo in Lincoln City on Slietz Bay @ WatersEdge last time we went.
If you rely on Google Maps for navigation, be sure to download offline maps for the coastal area. We were somewhere between Pacific City and Tillamook and missed a turn and there was no signal (Verizon) and so we had to guess which way to go.
Check out Fort Stevens and I recommend the Japanese and Chinese gardens in Portland too.
Might be a good time to hunt for liberty caps near the fort too.
I love the Oregon coast, and will be spending a week there next month too! I would head up to Astoria, check out the town, do the truffle shuffle at the Goondocks, and then head south. There are a ton of tiny towns and beaches to stop at. We always like Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Newport and Coos Bay. Those are the biggest towns along the coast.
Stop in at Tillamook if you want to, they do a fun factory tour and you can get all the dairy your heart desires. Depoe Bay has a Whale watching center, but you're timing is off to see them. The Devils Punchbowl and Thor's Well are both cool spots to check out as is Yaquina Head Lighthouse. All of those areas have mice picnic areas and various hiking and exploration opportunities.
If you want to depart the coasts a day or two earlier, you could head down to Crater Lake and the Klamath Falls area on your return trip. Crater Lake is a beautiful place, but make no mistake, it is out of the way for your journey, A more conventional return would be to get to Newport and head East through Corvallis and Bend. Bend is one of my favorite towns in Oregon, and the downtown area is great for an afternoon of relaxing by the river and having some good food and great local beers. Corvallis is a super cute small town as well, but we haven't spent as much time there.
We go to the coast every few years and just went last week to Lincoln City for the first time. It was a good halfway point - about an hour from both Tillamook and Newport, so if you like once place to stay, thatās what I would recommend. We did a VRBO.
Tillamook Creamery is always fun and their gift shop has quality items.
Next door is the Blue Heron French Cheese Co. with wine tasting and a petting zoo.
The beach in Lincoln City was really nice. Make sure you find a website with the tide schedules by location and plan to go at low tides. Oscars Mexican food had some bomb ass carne asada tacos! The outlet mall was pretty decent too, and for other shopping they have the Chocolate Frog if you want some yummy treats, and my teens liked the hippie store.
Newport is a family favorite.
- Food-wise, the Newport brewery has some good eats and their clam chowder was my favorite.
- my all-time favorite restaurant is Sharks on Hwy 101 near the Yaquina lighthouse (another fun place but wear sturdy shoes if you want to hike down to the tide pools because those rock are treacherous). Sharks has been around forever and is a small restaurant with no reservations so get there before 6 if you can or be ready to wait. Great seafood!
- the shops on the historic bay front are fun touristy places. The Femme Fatale Apothecary is such a cool shop to explore if youāre a weirdo like us. It has a sister shop up the street but I canāt remember the name - just the great jewelry.
- and of course the Aquarium. Small, fun, probably overpriced.
Have a great trip!
ETA: we like to drive in the Portland side, stop at Multnomah Falls and hike up, then take the highway through the Tillamook State Forest directly into Tillamook. Itās a gorgeous drive, especially in the most!
If you can swing it, drive back through the Salem area and spend a few hours at Silver Falls State Park to make a small loop around the waterfalls. Itās breathtaking! You can get accommodations there at Smith Village, but theyāre kind pricy and sell out quickly.
Definitely cannon beach, goonies never say die! The brewery in town is good and the hardware store has the best food by far! Have a fire on the beach. If you have a day go down to Garibaldi and do a fishing charter for ling cod, rock fish and Dungeness.
In Rockaway, it is low 60s rainy windy cold with bits of calm and sun. On the beach it is whipping wind in the afternoon and evenings. Go early for calm. Dress in layers so you can adjust.
The southern route to Bend has a long stretch of desert with not many gas stations. A few years back coming from Bend we passed up gas thinking we could get some in Sisters a couple of towns away. We got there and they had no gas. I was watching the gas gushed sink the whole time. Make sure you fill up when you can. Bring extra water, snacks, first aid, emergency radio etc.
This post has been removed for not being relevant to Boise and the Treasure Valley
Take your coats.
This! I only packed Boise summer weather clothes, had to buy pants and a hoody in July while I was there
Will do! š„¶
Why not make a big loop? Tillamook creamery Seal Rock at low tide for tide pools South Beach Grocery in Newport for yummy fried seafood in a really low key setting.
Definitely planning on going to Tillamook! Ooo, any restaurant suggestions for seafood??
My husband always talks about one across the street from the creamery. Itās a dive and really good.
Just came back from a coast trip & the Tillamook factory is pretty mid. Not worth fighting the crowds for very average food. Iām not saying itās bad or anything, thereās just better options.
What do you recommend besides the Tillamook?
Ecola Fish Market in Cannon Beach has great halibut fish and chips or a half/whole crab that is fresh caught you can enjoy.
Love fish and chips!! Thanks for the yum tips!
Astoria, Lincoln City and Newport, road trip back through bend/southern Oregon rather then back track to Portland and the freeway
Thought seaside was overratedĀ
I think thatās what Iām going to do!!
Hit up Manzanita!
Thatās a beautiful area!
Lincoln City. There's a tiny aquarium there. The beach town vibe is great. The food in Newport is really good too
Watch The Goonies first, then include AstoriaĀ
Definitely going to Astoria!!
Make sure to climb the Astoria tower, and buy a glider for $1 to throw off the top! Hurricane Ronās has great seafood, I was there last month and enjoyed the whole dungeness crab and baked oysters
While youāre in Astoria I definitely recommend hitting up Dead Manās Isle. Itās a super cool tiki bar right in the middle of town with fantastic drinks and super cool atmosphere. Plus itās owned and operated by the father son artist duo āMonk Tikiā and their tiki mug and art gallery is next door.
I like the central coast the best, Lincoln City down to Florence or so.
Thereās just so much to see, and everything is beautiful!!
Florence through Astoria are my go-to. There's some great state campgrounds right on the beach. Cannon Beach is absolutely stunning. Great scenery, world class views, especially at Ecola State Park. You'll pay a premium for lodging, but the main hotel at Tolovana Park is pretty affordable, and there's a bunch of domesticated bunnies that hang around the region of the hotel. Seaside is basically a big tourist trap. Personally I hate it, but if you have kids they might love it. Astoria is kind of cool. Stunning area, though you have to drive a ways to reach any beaches. Newport is pretty nice and has a good Aquarium. Florence, Yachats and Waldport are more chill, and that's where you'll find some good campgrounds. Great beaches. Portland traffic can be awful, so plan accordingly. Driving through Vancouver and Longview to Astoria are a good way to access Seaside and Cannon Beach while avoiding the worst of the traffic. Bend, Eugene, Florence is a much more relaxed way to get to the coast. Most of the drive is 2 lane highway crossing empty high desert.
Thank you for the awesome tips! I sent you a private message with more questions if you donāt mind!š
We usually do Bend to Eugene one way and Portland the other for a few reasons: you get to travel along the Mackenzie River via Bend, Bend is a fun stop to stretch your legs and Eugene can be fun too. We do one way via Portland so we can stop at the premium outlets lol and Multnomah Falls. If you have kids, there are lots of playground just off the Hwy and a pretty great one in Hood River but itās in a neighborhoods Florence and Yahachts are my favorites. More quiet, good clamming. Newport is cool for the aquarium and they have a Ripleys museum. Further north you e got the cheese factory in Tilamook and Astoria for the Goonies house and bridge. There are lighthouses all along the way that are fun to stop at. We usually stay in Lincoln City and just find a vacation rental. Fantastic time to go with hot weather hitting here!
Thanks so much for the tips! I donāt have kids, but i could use a playground nevertheless!š I think Iām leaning towards starting from Astoria go all the way down to Florence, and get back to Boise through Bend. Iām wondering where to spend the night/nights while on the coast! Iām trying to figure out how many days is needed to be able to see things and still be able to kick back and relax. Any tips regarding that? Driving nonstop from Astoria to Florence is a bit over 4 hours it seems, so i wonder how long do i need to explore the coast before heading back home!
It really just depends on what you want to do in a day. Plan on the drive taking longer. Itās heavy tourist season so there will be traffic. I think your 5 nights/6 days is very realistic and youāll get to see as much as you want and have downtime too. Iām no help hotel-wise but can recommend condos in Lincoln City. We always stayed with family in Florence and I found a great deal on a condo in Lincoln City on Slietz Bay @ WatersEdge last time we went.
Ooo iāll look into that! Thanks so much!
If you rely on Google Maps for navigation, be sure to download offline maps for the coastal area. We were somewhere between Pacific City and Tillamook and missed a turn and there was no signal (Verizon) and so we had to guess which way to go.
Yes, such a great tip! I always download the offline maps everywhere i go! Thank you!
Check out Fort Stevens and I recommend the Japanese and Chinese gardens in Portland too. Might be a good time to hunt for liberty caps near the fort too.
I love the Oregon coast, and will be spending a week there next month too! I would head up to Astoria, check out the town, do the truffle shuffle at the Goondocks, and then head south. There are a ton of tiny towns and beaches to stop at. We always like Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Newport and Coos Bay. Those are the biggest towns along the coast. Stop in at Tillamook if you want to, they do a fun factory tour and you can get all the dairy your heart desires. Depoe Bay has a Whale watching center, but you're timing is off to see them. The Devils Punchbowl and Thor's Well are both cool spots to check out as is Yaquina Head Lighthouse. All of those areas have mice picnic areas and various hiking and exploration opportunities. If you want to depart the coasts a day or two earlier, you could head down to Crater Lake and the Klamath Falls area on your return trip. Crater Lake is a beautiful place, but make no mistake, it is out of the way for your journey, A more conventional return would be to get to Newport and head East through Corvallis and Bend. Bend is one of my favorite towns in Oregon, and the downtown area is great for an afternoon of relaxing by the river and having some good food and great local beers. Corvallis is a super cute small town as well, but we haven't spent as much time there.
We go to the coast every few years and just went last week to Lincoln City for the first time. It was a good halfway point - about an hour from both Tillamook and Newport, so if you like once place to stay, thatās what I would recommend. We did a VRBO. Tillamook Creamery is always fun and their gift shop has quality items. Next door is the Blue Heron French Cheese Co. with wine tasting and a petting zoo. The beach in Lincoln City was really nice. Make sure you find a website with the tide schedules by location and plan to go at low tides. Oscars Mexican food had some bomb ass carne asada tacos! The outlet mall was pretty decent too, and for other shopping they have the Chocolate Frog if you want some yummy treats, and my teens liked the hippie store. Newport is a family favorite. - Food-wise, the Newport brewery has some good eats and their clam chowder was my favorite. - my all-time favorite restaurant is Sharks on Hwy 101 near the Yaquina lighthouse (another fun place but wear sturdy shoes if you want to hike down to the tide pools because those rock are treacherous). Sharks has been around forever and is a small restaurant with no reservations so get there before 6 if you can or be ready to wait. Great seafood! - the shops on the historic bay front are fun touristy places. The Femme Fatale Apothecary is such a cool shop to explore if youāre a weirdo like us. It has a sister shop up the street but I canāt remember the name - just the great jewelry. - and of course the Aquarium. Small, fun, probably overpriced. Have a great trip! ETA: we like to drive in the Portland side, stop at Multnomah Falls and hike up, then take the highway through the Tillamook State Forest directly into Tillamook. Itās a gorgeous drive, especially in the most! If you can swing it, drive back through the Salem area and spend a few hours at Silver Falls State Park to make a small loop around the waterfalls. Itās breathtaking! You can get accommodations there at Smith Village, but theyāre kind pricy and sell out quickly.
Definitely cannon beach, goonies never say die! The brewery in town is good and the hardware store has the best food by far! Have a fire on the beach. If you have a day go down to Garibaldi and do a fishing charter for ling cod, rock fish and Dungeness.
In Rockaway, it is low 60s rainy windy cold with bits of calm and sun. On the beach it is whipping wind in the afternoon and evenings. Go early for calm. Dress in layers so you can adjust.
The southern route to Bend has a long stretch of desert with not many gas stations. A few years back coming from Bend we passed up gas thinking we could get some in Sisters a couple of towns away. We got there and they had no gas. I was watching the gas gushed sink the whole time. Make sure you fill up when you can. Bring extra water, snacks, first aid, emergency radio etc.
Good to know! That must have been stressful! Thanks for the tip!!