This is the coast portion of a recent Portland-Napa-LA road trip. While we’ve done the SF-LA coast multiple times, the northern parts was a first for us. Good seafood, seals, scenic drives, eyepopping sea stacks, and plenty of redwoods. Here are some of the highlights (food included).
Cannon Beach – Our first stop. Pleasant town to walk around with shops and galleries galore. Good Fish and Chips at Ecola Seafood Restaurant. Nice views from Ecola Point Viewpoint in Ecola State Park. The jaw-dropping Haystack Rock is the perfect welcome to Oregon coast.
Tillamook Creamery – Not exactly a secret, and not exactly the best ice cream I ever had, but this is such a neat place. A factory allowing you to see much of the process cost free. A general store where you can stack up on some gourmet(ish) snacks for the drive. And an artisanal ice cream shop that you can enjoy outside or in. A must stop IMO.
Cape Kiwanda Sand Dune – For city slickers like us, walking to the top of the dune and running down like children was quite the experience.
Clearwater Restaurant (Newport) – Probably our best meal on the coast. Surprisingly tasty Asian inspired dishes like Orange Cauliflower and crab and garlic noodles. A dock full of seals in the back is reason enough to come. It was like watching an episode of Planet Earth
Darlingtonia State Natural Site – A small area where you can see carnivorous cobra lilies. This is one of those perfect pit stops on a drive like that. A short walk to see something so unique and different than anything else on the coast. And its free.
Note, I’m listing highlights only, not necessarily the biggest and most popular attractions like Sea Lion Caves, Heceta Head Lighthouse, and others that werent as memorable.
Nosh Eatery (Florence) – Pleasant surprise considering I was aiming for Mari’s Kitchen next door which was closed. Very solid juicy ribs and salmon bowl. I was intrigued by Mari’s Kitchen Romanian leaning menu, but Nosh did the job.
Shore Acres State Park – I almost wrote the gardens at Shore Acres but the entire park is truly stunning. Its a little out of the way but very much worth it. To see the gardens, head to the gift shop.
Endicott Gardens Bed & Breakfast – If I could only give one tip. We’ve come to realize that we are hotel people, but I still like to mix in experiences such as this in between Holiday Inns. Its such a special and unique place. A super friendly couple that used to own a restaurant in Colorado manages this 4(?) room property. The garden alone worth the price of admission. And to top it all, an outstanding three course garden to table Breakfast. Fantastic value.
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor – One of the more dramatic parts of the Oregon coast. Highlights are Arch Rock State Park, and “Natural Bridges”
SeaQuake Brewing (Crescent City) – Solid pizza and beer. For pizza snubs from NYC this was as good as I was hoping for a place like this. The rest of the menu is promising as well
Trees of Mystery – A Redwoods theme park with a giant Paul Bunyan at the entrance. For Fargo fans, this is your chance!
Simpson-Reed Trailhead (Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park) – The perfect hike (about a mile) after a longish drive, and a good introduction to the Redwoods.
Avenue of the Giants – How often do you get to drive on a 30 mile road surrounded by Redwoods. It runs parallel to the 101 with multiple exit points when you have enough Forest Bathing
Eating With Ziggy 