Oregon US 101:Highlights from Astoria to Tillamook
We spent 2 days exploring the coast from Astoria to Tillamook. There were 3 things that characterized all the places we visited:
- The wonderful abundance of dogs. Dogs were welcome in stores and restaurants and on the beaches and it seemed that most of the locals owned one or two.
- Most restaurant menus included exotic meat items, especially elk and bison. We tried both and they do taste great!
- As coffee lovers, we noticed the many Espresso Coffee stands. These are free standing and found all along the coast. Many are drive thru. The one we stopped at served great coffee.
These are the main towns we stopped at on our drive.
Astoria
We started our trip with a lunch stop in Astoria. Northwest Wild Products has a dockside “restaurant” with wonderful fresh seafood. This is casual eating at its best. The food is served in disposable baskets and you sit at picnic tables right on the dock with a wonderful view of the boats and the ocean. We can tell you that the tuna melt, lobster melt and salmon pate were all great!
This place is tucked away and you are not likely to just stumble on it. Their website gives detailed directions but we used the Yelp map and just moved in the general direction until we found it.
Seaside
30 minutes down the road is Seaside. This is the place we chose as our base to see the surrounding area. It is not nearly as charming as the other towns we visited. We did take a walk down to the beach – there is a long promenade you can walk along but the view isn’t anything spectacular. If you are visiting with children, the Carousel Mall (just a few blocks up from the beach) has a carousel in it that they can take a ride on. We didn’t visit the aquarium, but it is inexpensive and if you have time to spare that is another option.
We enjoyed the friendly service and relaxed atmosphere of the Seaside Coffee House where you can choose to sit on couches instead of sitting at tables.
Ecola State Park – Indian Beach
Ecola Park is a beautiful old growth rain forest. You really don’t want to miss driving at least down to the entrance of the park. We even saw elk on that stretch.
It costs $5 per car to access the park. In the park, you can barbecue and picnic and drive along various trails. At low tide, you can walk from Ecola Point to Indian Beach – but you can also reach Indian Beach by road. Indian Beach has really interesting rock formations and is a favorite spot for surfers.
Here is a map of how to reach Ecola State Park and it shows the various trails when you get there.
Cannon Beach
What a cute town! There are no ugly buildings and everything fits into the … At the local bookstore, my husband discovered from the friendly staff how this has been achieved. Legislation!.In fact, the town is joking referred to as “Cannot” Beach by the locals.
We loved wandering in and out of the various stores. Some of the highlights were
Once upon a breeze – This is a kite shop set a block off the main road so be sure to look it up on a map. There are so many different types to choose from and they are very inexpensive. There were even ones that cost less than $10! If you are parents and staying in the area, I think you will be very popular with your kids if you treated them to one!
The Oil and Vinegar Bar – This olive oil / balsamic vinegar shop allows you to taste their wares. The owner is full of helpful advice and you will want to make a purchase after you have tasted some of the very interesting blends he has created. The good news for those like us who only take carry on luggage is that they have an online store and can ship your orders! There are also recipe cards you can take with you all around the room that give you ideas on how to use the oils and vinegars when you cook.
The Cannon Beach Book Company – This was the place my husband got the info about the town. It has a great selection of books and also fun gifts for book lovers.
When you are tired of shopping take a walk down to the beach. From there you can see the Haystack Rock.
We had some great tapas at Sweet Basil’s Cafe to finish off our day.
Oswald West State Park
I would really suggest you do stop and walk some of the trails in this park. The main parking lot to hike these trails is on the opposite side to the sea just after the Neahkahnie Bridge if you are going towards Cannon Beach. Go under the 101 to the trail that leads to the beach.
If you approach from Cannon Beach as we were there is also a parking lot on the ocean side and then you take the Cape Falcon Trail through the coastal rainforest to the beach. It is a very pleasant walk through lush ferns and tall trees.
There is a suspension bridge that you might want to photograph or walk over. Follow the Sitka Trail (if you park at the main parking lot you will reach this before the beach, if you park where we did, go up from the beach and past the restrooms to find it).
Here is a link to all the trails in the park.
Tillamook
The town itself isn’t anything special, but there are some very tasty reasons to visit!
We had lunch at the Pelican Brewery and Tap Room . Not only do they have a unique pub food but the tables overlook the brewery floor! They also offer tours.
Blue Heron – Check your hotel or the information centers for their brochures as they include a coupon for free wine tasting. Even if you don’t find a coupon, it is still worth doing the wine tasting as it only costs $1 per sample. In addition to the wine tasting you can get free samples of cheese, dips and dressings!! And the store has very cute items! In the store you can buy animal food for $1 and then go outside to the petting zoo where you can feed the llama, mountain goats and sheep.
Tillamook Cheese Factory offers free self-guided tours. This isn’t quite as much of a “tour” as it sounds but you can move around and read info about their history, sample their cheeses and then go up to a viewing area and watch the cheese being made in the factory below. Tip: You will want to buy ice cream before you leave – downstairs there was a HUGE line, but upstairs near the viewing area there is another counter selling the exact same ice cream as downstairs and it had practically no line at all.
Highway 101 continues down along the coast and if you have more time than we did you can spend a few more days exploring it.
Photo Credit: Piers van der Merwe
Latest posts by Meryl van der Merwe (see all)
- 3 Days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Day 2 - October 15, 2017
- 3 Days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Day 1 (Louisville Distilleries) - October 12, 2017
- 3 Days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Planning and Day 0 - October 11, 2017
