Ah, the Oregon Coast! This storied destination is beautiful no matter what time of year you visit. And for families, there’s no better place for seaside fun, Pacific Northwest style.
Start your adventure in Florence, a charming town that’s well-known for its sand dunes, not to mention its wild and untamed beaches, full of caves and rocky inlets. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area stretches 50 miles from Florence south to Coos Bay, Ore., and although it may not be as grand as the Sahara, this area is a sight of unique wonders that may make visitors actually feel as if they’re lost amid the African desert landscape.
The dunes are enormous in their proportions and can reach up to two and a half miles inland from the ocean. They rise to heights of more than 385 feet and their contours change continually with the force and action of the wind. One week a dune might be a towering giant and then the next time you see it, it might be a deep sand canyon.
Visitors to the dunes have a variety of recreation opportunities, including camping, hiking, horseback riding and sandboarding (“surfing” on the sand). The adrenaline pumping folks, however, want to ride this rollercoaster landscape in mechanized vehicles ranging from dune buggies to ATVs. If your crew is so inclined, head to Sand Dunes Frontier, a locally owned company that rents vehicles to explore the dunes. Suited up and padded in armor, with a host of instructions ringing in your ears, you’ll soon be off on a wild ride through the soaring mountains of sand. Careening through this amazing, out-of-Africa setting is a Disneyesque thrill ride that you and your kids won’t forget.
Another popular outing in the Florence area is the Sea Lion Caves, located about 10 miles north of town on Highway 101. Several hundred Steller sea lions make their homes here in the world’s oldest and largest known sea cave. Visitors take an elevator 2,008 feet down to the ocean level to view these slippery-furred creatures in their natural environment. You’ll hear them barking and honking before you actually see them and then once you’re in the area, you’ll be highly entertained by their performance-style antics. The sea lions love to ride the waves into the cave or play king of the hill as they tussle with one another and jockey for position on the rocks. Some tend to congregate in groups, lolling around in a semi-comatose state; others are very active and take great pleasure in splashing water everywhere.
A video and an assortment of displays that describe the habits of this type of sea lions are located within the observation room. The winter months are an especially opportune time to visit, as it is likely that more sea lions will be inside. One note of caution: the place has a definite strong odor that may make visitors shorten their time down in the cave area!
A video and an assortment of displays that describe the habits of this type of sea lions are located within the observation room. The winter months are an especially opportune time to visit, as it is likely that more sea lions will be inside. One note of caution: the place has a definite strong odor that may make visitors shorten their time down in the cave area!
Just a few miles from the caves is a must-see sight for lighthouse aficionados and for those seeking a spectacular, drop-dead view of the Pacific. About a half mile from the main road is Heceta Head Lighthouse, one of Oregon’s most beautiful and most famous lighthouses. As you walk up the hill from the parking lot, you’ll pass what used to be the keeper’s house, now a charming B&B, and then you will come to the lighthouse itself. Tour guides take visitors up into the building and explain its history, as well as provide info about its operation, then and now. From the top level, you can look down through the windows at the crashing ocean and imagine the relief among sailors when they saw Heceta’s beacon of light flash in the middle of a dark, foggy night at sea.
Newport is the next big town (by Oregon Coast standards) that you’ll come to heading north on Highway 101. It’s a true working fishing village with miles of sandy beaches and tide pools, protected by lighthouses that once brought the great ships to safe harbor when Oregon was young and still undiscovered. Its historic bayfront is home to some of the state’s largest commercial fishing fleets, and where fisherman haul in their catches of shrimp, oysters, crab, salmon and other wonders of the deep. Fresh seafood abounds here, as it does up and down the towns that dot the coastline. After strolling the waterfront shops and eating your fill of fish and chips and clam chowder, take a peek in the renowned Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Marine Science Center where you’ll encounter creatures and their habitats that were here centuries before the first settlers arrived.
As you drive the coastal highway, you’ll note that it’s the proverbial fresh crab signs, chowder houses, souvenir shops, antique stores and weather-beaten homes that give this area its identity. There seems to be a fudge and salt water taffy shop on each corner and a store selling kites on the other. Charming romantic inns are tucked away, along with chain hotels and mom- and-pop motels. Bursts of sunshine mix with dark storm clouds and if you’re not happy with the weather, the old adage, “wait a minute and it will change” works well.
A trip to the Oregon Coast wouldn’t be complete without a quick stop at the Tillamook County Creamery Association Visitors Center in Tillamook. Home of the famed Tillamook cheese, it’s a popular tourist destination where you can take a self-guided tour of the cheesemaking process, sample a variety of cheeses and get a bite to eat at the Farmhouse Café, where the specialty is - you guessed it - grilled cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread! Top that off with one of the creamery’s fabulous ice cream cones and you’ll roll back into the car.
North of Tillamook is Cannon Beach, a town that’s known for the scenic beauty of its seastacks offshore and its headlands onshore. Famous Haystack Rock, one of the most photographed sights of the area, stands guard like a sentinel out in the water. At 235-feet high, it is the third largest coastal monolith in the world and has been designated as a marine and bird sanctuary. There are many intertidal creatures that make their home in the tide pools around the rock, such as barnacles, starfish, crabs, sea sculpins and anemones. Several bird species nest on the rock in the summer, the most colorful being the tufted puffin.
The nine miles of wide, walkable beach are perfect for flying kites, playing Frisbee, building sand castles or simply relaxing on a piece of driftwood and being lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. If you’re inclined towards more activity, rent funcycles for free-wheeling beach touring or take a guided horseback ride on the beach.
A variety of quaint shops and art galleries line the town’s streets. And there are a number of good restaurants and cafes to grab a quick bite or have a leisurely meal. Even more fun is packing a picnic dinner to take down to the beach, then following it up by making s’mores over a cozy fire. It’s the perfect way to end your day.
