Astoria, OR

destination

Astoria

Astoria is the backdrop for the movie Goonies and Haystack Rock is the starting point for the boys' famous treasure map. The rock is adjacent to the beach, shooting up 235 feet into the air and accessible by foot at low tide.

Tillamook, OR

shopping

Tillamook Creamery

For cheese lovers, it’s like you’ve died and gone to heaven. When we visited, it was actually housed in a temporary space while they complete a brand new visitors center (opening later this month actually), but we still got to sample all the cheese, which is really the only thing I cared about. They also have a store on site, where we picked up some squeaky cheese curds for our cooler, as well as some Oregon beer & cider for when we reached our final destination later that night. If you are hungry, they also sell Tillamook ice cream, as well as some hot food items like grilled cheese sandwiches loaded with Tillamook cheese. We were still pretty full from breakfast, so we mostly just ate the samples and continued on our way, but it would be a great lunch stop if you time it correctly.

Lincoln City, OR

restaurants

HWY 101 Burger

Licoln City- Hwy 101 Burger is conveniently located right on Highway 101 (go figure), so it’s the perfect place to stop if you are hungry and don’t have a ton of time on your hands. It was also one of the cheapest meals on our trip. As the sign indicates, you can get a burger, fries and a soda for seven bucks! The burgers are fresh (never frozen) and served pretty simply, but I sort of loved that. The fries also come with their special fry sauce, which they will write your name in with ketchup, a fun touch (even if they totally botched my name.)

Florence, OR

destination • experience

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Supposedly, this is the most photographed lighthouse in the country, so we figured it was definitely worth a stop and a photo op. It is a working lighthouse, and it, along with the Inn Keeper's home are circa 1894 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Again, it was pretty cold and rainy, so it was a fairly quick stop for us, but in better conditions, a great place to stretch your legs and stroll down the beach. (This photo was actually taken further up the road from a lookout.) You can also stay on the property in the lightkeepers cottages (complete with a 7-course breakfast!), so if you are needing a good stopping point for the day, this seems like a wonderful B&B to wake up to crashing waves and delicious breakfast.

Brookings, OR

lodging

Mermaid's Muse Bed& Breakfast

A small bed and breakfast that was listed on Air Bnb called The Mermaid's Muse. It was... unique... to say the least, with mermaids everywhere. But the big selling factor for me was a saltwater hot tub overlooking the ocean. The owners are very sweet and even make you breakfast in the morning. (Side note: they also offer a second room called the Captain's Quarters, which also has its own hot tub.)