The Oregon Coast

Growing up I was fortunate enough to get to spend many summers enjoying the beach life on the oregon coast.  Specifically in Waldport, Oregon.  I loved it.  I just want to point out the highlights and some tips from a few of the cities I spent time in.

The gorgeous view...

#1-Waldport
Waldport was the heart of my summers.  It's a unique coastal town that has a couple of my favorite spots.  My all time favorite spot to eat is Grand Central Pizza.  I love food, and I'm pretty sure I went to eat here at least every other day while I was there.  No, they don't serve anything super different, and no it isn't fancy or anything out of the ordinary, but it's good and sometimes that's enough.  My other suggestion there is just to walk around.  The town is small enough that you could walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes.  When I used to stay there there were no fast food chains at all.  Now I believe there is a Subway, but all other restaurants are non-chains.  There's no Walmart, no Costco, and one small chain grocery store.  Check out the shops and just enjoy beach town life.

The view in Yachats

#2-Yachats
If you thought Waldport was tiny...Yachats you will pass in the blink of an eye.  Not a whole lot to it, but a couple of gems are hidden there.  The Adobe hotel and restaurant is my favorite.  I requested to go there almost every year on my birthday.  It's a little fancy, but you can still show up in jeans.  The best part is that they have huge windows facing the ocean.  If you're lucky you might even spot a whale.  I also love the candy shop in town and by town I mean one of the little shops just off the highway.  They have ice cream, fudge, and all sorts of yummy sweets.  I'm not usually an ice cream eater, but for some reason whenever I come to the coast I suddenly need some one two times a day.  It's vacation...why not?

Yaquina Head Lighthouse--Tallest in Oregon

#3-Newport
This will be where you can find more of your creature comforts...Walmart, McDonalds, Fred Meyers, Taco Bell (thank goodness), etc.  I loved going into Newport.  It's only about a 15 minute drive from Waldport.  As a kid though there's much more to see.  There are two light houses I would definitely recommend stopping to see, one on each side of town.  One you'll have to pay to go to, but it's worth it for the views.  There's even a small hike you can do.  I also recommend heading down on Bay Blvd where they have Ripley's Believe it or Not, a Wax Museum, and an Under Sea Adventure.  There are lots of good places to eat and grab sweets...like ice cream...enjoy the shops.   The last must see area is the Aquarium and Aquarium Village.  The Village will have fun shops and places to get trinkets unique to the coast like blown glass globes.  The Aquarium used to house Keiko the killer whale a.k.a Free Willy.  Of course he's no longer there/living, but I was fortunate enough to see him a couple times while he was still there.

The harbor you leave from out to the Ocean

#4-Depot Bay
Whale watching galore in this tiny town...and more ice cream.  This is the smallest harbor in the world. My last trip there I went out on a whale watching tour and within an hour we saw a few whales.  I suggest taking a tour out.  They have charters most of the day and they are fairly priced.  It's truly nice to be able to go out on the Ocean when you're visiting the coast.  It's nice to walk the beaches, but what's better than actually being out on it?

These are just the top cities I stayed around, of course there are many more stops along the Oregon Coast route, but these towns are great in their feel and vibe.  Personally I love them.