For the past handful of years, the coast of Oregon has fascinated me. On paper, it looks amazing. Idyllic ocean beaches, rocky cliffs, and incredible views. Just like you expect from the postcard-popular, Californian coast. Yet, quiet, calming, and still reasonably priced.
The only thing I’d clearly identified as a negative was the temperature. That is to say, a negative for most people. Me? I like colder temps, so the coast of Oregon has always seemed ideal.
But reading about an area online is far from experiencing it in person. That’s why a major focus for our nomadic adventure has been exploring the coast of Oregon.
Now, having spent a month doing so, I can confidently say I get it. I get the Oregon coast. And it really, truly is glorious. Everything I read was spot on. Slightly cooler temps, incredible views, beautiful beaches, and far far fewer people than one would expect for somewhere as idyllic as this. Beyond the weather (which, again, I enjoy), the only significant downside I’ve identified is access to infrastructure.
The majority of Oregon’s major cities and associated infrastructure (e.g. hospitals, airports, etc.) are all at least an hour or two away. And that’s if you’re near one of the few major roadways. If you’re not, you might be three to four hours (or more) away from any major infrastructure.
Coming from Gig Harbor, WA, our first stop on the Oregon coast was Rockaway Beach. Conveniently located just south of Astoria & Cannon Beach (of Goonies fame), this small town has incredible, sandy beaches.
It was also our first experience with using Starlink for Internet access. While Starlink worked great, handling my daily video calls without issue, it was a reminder of the limited infrastructure along the coast.
Staying so close to Cannon Beach, we took the opportunity to head up and explore this touristy, but very charming town on multiple occasions. And I’ve got to say, it’s easy to understand why Cannon Beach is so popular!
At only an hour and a half from Portland (ignoring traffic, which I’ve heard can be brutal), Cannon Beach is clearly a convenient weekend & summer vacation destination. And as such, it’s no surprise that it is a beautiful town with all the amenities you’d expect. Spectacular food & coffee (Sleepy Monk is a personal favorite). And countless rental homes & hotels.
But even if Cannon Beach was hard to get to, I imagine it’d still be popular. Its beach is unmistakably special. Especially Haystack Rock, which has a presence that’s memorable, but hard to describe. While I’m not sure I’d want to live in Cannon Beach, I’ll definitely be coming back to enjoy its charms 🥰
Just south of Cannon Beach is Cove Beach. This small, hidden beach is only accessible during low-tide, which we were lucky skilled enough to have timed perfectly. Featuring caves, spectacular rock formations, and a small waterfall, Cove Beach is a beautiful experience. It’s easy to understand why it’s considered one of the best-kept secrets in Oregon.
Halfway between Cannon Beach and Rockaway is Manzanita. Another sleepy, surf town with (yet again) quiet, but gorgeous, sandy beaches. We enjoyed giant burritos at Left Coast Siesta before exploring this quaint community.
Back at our bungalow in Rockaway Beach, which had a gigantic, fully enclosed, private back patio, we regularly enjoyed some of the most incredible sunsets I’ve seen since the performance enhancing smog of LA.
Our next stop was Pacific City. Conveniently located near where a friend of Jessica’s was celebrating her wedding, we only stayed here for a long weekend. Though this town was far too touristy for our liking, it had some of the most incredible sandy beaches, walking paths, and giant sand dunes of our time along the coast.
On the way to Pacific City, we stopped at the Tilamook Creamery, a brand new and absolutely gorgeous monument to cheese. In addition to the self-guided tour, where we learned all about the cheese making process, we enjoyed some of the gooiest, most perfectly breaded cheese curds I’ve had since Wisconsin. Well done Tilamook. Well done!
We also stopped at Oceanside Beach. Yet another beautiful, sandy beach along the Oregon coast. Despite all our best efforts and bribes, however, Mogli did not enjoy this spectacular spot. If memory serves, it was too windy. Or too sunny. Or too hot. Or something 🤷♂️
The drive to our next stop, Yachats, was one of the most incredible stretches we experienced along the entire Oregon coast. If you ever have the chance, driving Otter Crest Loop is a must-do!
This narrow, winding road features towering, cliff-side views. Amazing rock formations. And bridges so beautiful they almost distract from the views. And at its end, the Devils Punchbowl.
Though Otter Crest Loop is relatively short, we stopped frequently to take in the breathtaking views. At one wayside, we were lucky enough to spot two whales swimming in the ocean below us!
Our home in Yachats was a charming, two-story nestled amongst a handful of what appeared to be handmade homes that could have come straight from the set of The Essex Serpent. Situated a stones throw from a sandy beach (that stretched as far as you could see), we loved this quiet coastal spot.
Yachats itself was also absolutely lovely. “Keep Yachats Eccentric” is the town’s motto… and an absolutely perfect description. Though we didn’t frequent the local establishments, the menu at the Green Salmon is both incredible and a fitting analogue for Yachats as a whole.
Just south of Yachats is Thor’s Well. After a week of overcast, drizzly days (which I unsurprisingly loved), we spent a day exploring this seemingly bottomless sinkhole and the surrounding tide pools. (It’s actually only 20 feet deep.)
Next to Thor’s Well is another natural wonder — the Spouting Horn. Every time a wave crashes into its sea cave, the connected blowhole sprays giant spouts of water into the air. It was super awesome!
As is often the case in adrenaline inducing situations, I may have ventured a bit too close to both the Spouting Horn and Thor’s Well, and stayed just a tad too long as the rising tides & crashing waves sprayed me with ocean water 😛 What a glorious day!
For more photos (and videos!) of Thor’s Well peek my Instagram.
Our last stop along the coast of Oregon was Bandon, a small & charming beach town with a nearby, regional airport (that only had one gate) and the Bandon Dunes golf course (which is consistently ranked as one of nation’s best).
We stayed in a whimsical A-frame filled with nautical knickknacks overlooking the coast. It was absolutely lovely. Upstairs, in addition to a roomy primary bedroom and multiple day beds (which Mogli immediately commandeered), was a work space that I still miss.
As I’ve been working full-time while on this adventure, I quickly grew to love sitting upstairs at the home’s antique desk in front of the home’s yellow tinted windows, overlooking the ocean. Nearly every morning, hummingbirds would appear, zooming past my view. It really was a wonderful place!
In many ways, Bandon is the reason we began this nomadic adventure. In the summer of 2019, after years of dreaming and Zillow stalking, I stumbled upon an incredible property. High up on rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the home was located on Agate Lane, just north of Bandon.
At the time, I knew nothing about the Oregon coast. But the more I researched, the more enamored (and confused) I became. Not just with Bandon, but the entire coast. How could I have heard so little about such a quintessentially beautiful place?
By late 2019, I had scheduled a fifteen day long trip for the following March. To say I was excited would be an understatement! Starting in Bandon, with a tour of the Agate Lane property already on the books, we were set to explore the entire coast, all the way up to Cannon Beach. Just weeks before our flight, however, COVID-19 hit the United States. Yep.
Though the pandemic derailed our original plans, the dream of exploring the Oregon coast stuck, and led to the expanded, nomadic adventure we’re currently on.
And what a beautiful adventure that was! 🥰
