Running from the Rain at Seaside and Cannon Beach: When N. Oregon Coast Turns

Published 02/08/22 at 5:23 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) - Up on the north Oregon coast, both Cannon Beach and Seaside - separated by only Tillamook Head and six miles - provide an incredible array of opportunities for playing around the beach in all kinds of weather. The sand is only steps away from all the restaurants, shops, entertainment, lodgings and other modern amenities of civilization you could ever wish for. (Above: Seaside in a storm, photo courtesy Angi D. Wildt Gallery)

Whatever the weather is up to, the indoor amenities and some kind of cover are all a quick shot from the sands at both north Oregon coast hotspots. There are moments you need to hightail it from the tideline to the interiors, should the weather turn or the waves suddenly pick up.

In Cannon Beach, the emphasis is on cedar-shingled buildings of a rather upscale charm, with a wide range of unique shops from funky to must-have, while the whole place is an art mecca for the entire north Oregon coast. The beach is a long stretch of soft sand, which dead-ends on the north side at a basalt headland that hides a secret beach.

Its center point is, of course, the magnificent, well known shape of Haystack Rock, a remnant of a rather intriguing lava flow some 15 million years old or so.

At just about every beach access, there's a shop or eatery lurking right around the corner, or at least within a decently quick walking distance. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Seaside has a different character and charm, one that's typically been more about old-fashioned Americana, but it's greatly grown its multiple sides over the years. Now, culinary feats are as much in play as feats of endurance on fun rides. It's one of the heavy hitters on the North Coast Food Trail, which now stretches from Astoria down through the bottom of Tillamook County.

Cruise Broadway - its "Million Dollar Walk" - to find dozens and dozens of opportunities for play, dining and fun shops that run the gamut from fashion to funky mementos. All these attractions are a very short run from the wilds of the beaches.

Ruckus storms at the Cove, photo courtesy Seaside Aquarium

On the beach, the sand gets more like dunes the farther north you go. Going south, it becomes rocky until it dead-ends at "the cove," a favorite for surfers. At these less populated north and southern ends, civilization is a bit more of a drive away and not a quick walk. But the north and south ends of Seaside provide their own interesting interior attractions, including eateries and brew pubs not found at the center of town.

Probably the primary means of indoor fun and repose in this north Oregon coast town is the Seaside Aquarium, which has been around for nearly 100 years. Here, the marine exhibits are numerous - and you get to feed the seals as you wait out the latest storm. They're an adorable bunch, with each a different personality and a different way of begging for fishy morsels. On the Prom, 503-378-6211.

Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours

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