Lady’s Guide to Where to Go on the Oregon Coast

Today I want to share my guide to where to go on the Oregon coast with you. This part of the Pacific Northwest is one of the best places to explore on the West Coast of the United States.

Where to Go on the Oregon Coast

I have a confession to make: despite growing up in Northern California, I haven’t spent much time in Oregon.

I’ve done Seattle a fair few times—admittedly I have relatives there—but Portland and the rest of the Beaver State have generally remained a rectangular black hole in my West Coast knowledge.

It’s a bit embarrassing, like a native Londoner having frequented Edinburgh but not traveled anywhere between the upper bounds of the M25 and the lower bounds of Hadrian’s Wall.

But the Pacific Coast is one of the most famous stretches of coastline in the world, and I’ve finally made it to Oregon to explore it beyond the familiar bounds of Big Sur and Mendocino.

I’ve flown to Portland from San Francisco, working with Travel Oregon to figure out where to go on the Oregon Coast during an Oregon road trip.

Astoria, Oregon

They’ve booked me a rental car, and I hop in for the sub-two-hour drive to Astoria, a famous town on the coastal border between Oregon and Washington.

Astoria is rich in history, both American and British. Established as the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific Coast by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company in 1811, it was originally a fur trading town where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Taken by the British in the War of 1812, it was restored to the U.S. in the Treaty of 1818.

Fast forward two hundred years and Astoria has gone from fur trading town to hipsterville. If you’re wondering where to go on the Oregon Coast, this is a great place to start.

While Astoria still retains its beautiful Victorian architecture and sweet seaside charm, it’s entered the 21st century with an abundance of excellent restaurants, microbreweries, and vintage shops that wouldn’t be out of place in Portland.

I drive into town feeling famished, and stumble upon the Blue Scorcher Bakery Cafe.

Its menu seems a bit random at first—greens and beans?—but I give it a chance and discover that my green salad and black beans with salsa somehow works. Actually, it works amazingly well.

Next door the Fort George Brewery and Public House’s beer garden is buzzing, and throughout the small downtown the rest of Astoria seems to be doing equally well.

I check into my room at the Cannery Pier Hotel, where the windows offer unparalleled views of the Columbia River and Astoria’s Megler Bridge. It’s so pretty I debate whether to stay all day gazing at the water from my terrace or go exploring.

I end up compromising, enjoying the hotel’s nightly wine hour and then heading into town for a great meal at the Astoria Coffee House & Bistro.

While there, I check out the Goonies house, a residential home from the classic 1980s film The Goonies.

Elsewhere in town, I drive by the Flavel House Museum, which is a gorgeous old Queen Anne Style building, and the adjacent Oregon Film Museum, which is in the old county jail.

Up the hill is the Astoria Column, the town’s landmark and a great viewpoint from which to see the coast.

Oregon Coast Towns

But an even better way to see the coast is to drive it. The next morning I’m up and out, traveling south to discover where to go on the Oregon coast beyond Astoria.

I drive through small towns and alongside fields full of the biggest deer I’ve ever seen (which turn out to be elk…no wonder I think they’re so big!), stopping by little towns along the way.

One of them is Seaside, a classic little coastal town with a big beach and a monument marking the end of the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Another is Cannon Beach, an upscale town with a pretty main street and plenty of art galleries to browse.

Ecola State Park, Oregon Coast

It’s the perfect jumping off point for Ecola State Park, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen on the Pacific Coast (don’t tell Big Sur!).

I spend a while standing in awe of the big boulders and rock formations off the beach, watching a young bald eagle swoop down to drink from a pool in the sand.

Back in the car, I drive through the forest, struggling to keep my eyes on the road as I marvel at the huge trees and soft yellow light filtering down through the moss.

Best Places to Go on the Oregon Coast

Eventually the road leads back to the highway, which takes me inland towards Portland and the Willamette Valley. There are more places to go on the Oregon coast, but they’ll have to wait for another trip.

For now I’m traveling to wine country, and given my love of Pinot Noir and Oregon’s fame for it, nothing can reroute me. To be continued…

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