Route 101 from Astoria to Sunset Bay

The Oregon Coast is full of well-touristed must-sees as well as hidden local treasures. Our favorite oldies-but-goodies include the rock formations at Cannon Beach, lighthouses that are seemingly everywhere you turn, the smelly Sea Lion Caves, and the postcard photo ops at Pt. Perpetua. Places we felt like we had discovered ourselves include the slightly inland Munson Creek Falls, the town of Wheeler on Nehalem Bay, the literal-minded Sand Lake, local fishing holes in Newport, and hiking at the Sunset Bay campground. However, no matter where we were or what we were doing, we were constantly reminded of the top-notch job Mother Nature had done on the Oregon Coast. And I guarantee that if you visit, you will discover your own favorite hidden places and you will rediscover again (Captain James Cook was one of the first to explore the Oregon Coast) its soaring and dazzling coastline.

Quick Tips:

We drove north to south, and only got just south of Coos Bay. However, if you have more time, you may want to start at the California border and work your way up. There is a well-respected, summer-long Shakespeare festival in Medford as well as equally beautiful (and less touristy) beaches along Gold Beach that make the southern third of the coastline worth the visit.

I suggest you call the Nehalem Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for other recommendations on lodging in the area. They are very helpful and kind (503) 368-5100.

Lastly, bring warm clothes! The wind is strong and especially at night, it gets chilly on the coast. Rick and I were constantly pulling on sweatshirts and socks to keep warm.

Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a car and drove, although many other vacationers had RV's. We found it best to drive in the late afternoon from place to place. Most of the logging trucks and tourists are off the road by 5pm and you will not have to fight as much traffic (especially in the summer). Additionally, I find the late-afternoon sun on the Pacific Ocean is the best light for photographs, as it adds so much sparkle. That way you have the day for sightseeing, and the afternoons for traveling.

This camp ground was clearly one of the older ones on the Oregon State Parks system, as sites were very close together, the facilities were not as new or as clean as others we''d visited, and in general the vegetation at the sites just looked beaten down. This could have something to do with the fact that we were there right before the 4th of July, when every camp ground is jam-packed with families and groups of friends out for a bit of nature and looking for any old excuse for a burger and a beer. Our site was not private at all, as we were near a garbage bin, a water spigot, and could hear the conversations of the people on all three sides of us. Let''s just say that as far as sleeping/eating location went, in this instance we got what we paid for (less than $20 a night). Also, we got lost trying to find the state park, as it is way off Route 101.

However, what we didn''t get in privacy and greenery was more than made up for by the beauty of Sunset Bay and its hiking paths. The one night we were there, we went down to the bay to watch the sunset and -- of course -- realized why they named it how they did. It was a stunning display, made even more enjoyable by all the types of folks who had come to see the show: there was a biker gang, which drove off on the Harleys after the sun set, there were families and couples, there were groups of teenagers trying to get away from nosy parents.

The rangers at the parks were very helpful, and gave us a hiking map. There was also on-site bulletin boards everywhere proclaiming the times of organized activities for children. There were fish-scaling tables set up. In general, there seemed to be many families who took advantage of both the organized activities and the opportunities to go fishing and clamming.

Another benefit to this campground is the two other State Parks nearby -- Shore Acres and Cape Arago -- which you can access for their activities and attractions as well. I would recommend this campsite to families (not couples), and I would highly suggest going during non-holiday times.

Along the coast, there are many options for lodging, but in my opinion there are only two real choices -- top-notch b&b''s with ocean views, or camping at the state parks. The Oregon Coast at times seems to be 100% state park land, and most of them have camping. At less than $20 a night (that includes site fee, parking, tax and park usage fee), camping rules!

At Beachside (built to open in 2000), we were a short walk from the beach: we could hear the waves from our tent. The beach itself was wide, yellow and clean (we went for walks every day). The facilities were brand-new and clean, and when I wanted hot water, I could get it. (That''s a biggie as the beach sites get very chilly at night.) If you are not a tent-camper, you can also get RV-ready sites as well as Yurts, which are kind of glorified teepees with beds and kitchenettes, and actually quite comfortable and economic. Our site itself was clean and pretty. The foliage around us was green and deep. The location of this campground is convenient as well -- it''s near Waldport (we went to go see a movie one night), the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, Point Perpetua and there is great freshwater fishing a bit inland.

We walked in (everything is within walking distance in Wheeler) and immediately felt at home. The restaurant is elegantly decorated with a bar, but at the same time maintains a complete lack of pretension that made me love the place. It clearly is patronized by locals (always a good sign). We could have eaten inside, but opted instead to eat out on the porch that was right on Nehalem Bay and watch the sunset. Now that was something special, and we didn't have to tip the hostess (there wasn't one) or make any fancy reservations for the table, either. While we were eating there was a group of young folks with kids having a few drinks and sharing a sandwich, and they were fun to watch, as they were easy and relaxed and so clearly regulars -- the waitress was asking them if they'd all be back for when the upstairs bar opened at night.

Our service was so courteous and swift: even though the waiter had on jeans, he acted as if he were in a tux. Our food was average bordering on really good -- after days of camping I'm not sure if it tasted wonderful because I didn't cook it over a campfire or because it actually was good. We each had fish, which seemed fresh and was not overcooked. I heard though that they just got a new cook and the cuisine has been even better. They had a decent selection of beers although this wasn't the restaurant where I'd order a bottle of wine. The Sea Shack has its own special charm, and if we hadn't been so tired from driving, we'd have definitely returned for late-night drinks and some conversation with the folks from the Nehalem Bay area.

We stopped here at Rick's request, and let me tell you -- I had no idea there were so many Lewis and Clark buffs! This site is truly an educational and dynamic memorial to the two explorers of the Louisiana Purchase.

The site includes indoor and outdoor exhibits. Inside, you can walk through a self-guided tour of explanatory wall-panels and huge dioramas, which describe all aspects of the long adventure. Maps detail their route, journal extracts document some of the first "official discoveries" of plant and animal life, and illustrations and artifacts give a fair idea of the life and times of Lewis and Clark. There is also a series of short films the visitor can watch, as well as a comprehensive bookshop.

Outside, there is a replica of their winter fort, which is furnished with items that try to closely duplicate their living conditions. Perhaps the best part of this memorial, though, are the volunteers who dress up in authentic costumes and hold timed seminars on all aspects of the life, from tanning hides to cooking to hunting to candle making. We sat for a seminar given by a man in Native American winter dress, who explained how much the Native Americans helped Lewis and Clark and their men survive the wilderness and the elements, as well as act as translators with other tribes. (The most famous guide being of course Sacajawea.) The talk was fascinating and really showed us the irony of such help: Sacajawea was helping these white men plot "unknown" terrain so that they may later come and push out and maltreat the Indians.

If you're in the area, have even a mild interest in history or have children with you, this is a worthwhile spot to visit. Call 503-861-2471 for more info and directions.

Home of well-known and highly-recognizable Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach seems to be the one coastal point every visitor sees, as it is the first beach you hit south of Astoria. What I didn't realize is that there's a town with the same name attached to the beach with a supposed vibrant creative population. In addition to Haystack Rock, there are caves carved into the side of the sea cliffs by the ocean waves, white beaches good for walking, ample piles of driftwood for sitting, and other rocky piles that add to the whole aesthetic effect of this marvelous beach.

Nifty fact: Haystack Rock is the 3rd largest freestanding monolith in the world. At low tide you stand next to it and ponder how insignificant man can be when compared to the forces of nature.

Follow the signs off Route 101 to find this waterfall. Most of Oregon's waterfalls are much further inland, but Munson Creek has done us coast-trippers a favor by falling near Tillamook. Once you drive in and park, you've got a short walk on a dirt trail to the falls. You can't really get very close, but it doesn't matter, the view is lovely from the end of the trail. A nice spray of whitewater shines through the green leafy trees -- we were there in the summer, perhaps the view is unobstructed in the winter when all the leaves have fallen. We hung out for a while in the gorge, trying to catch mud puppies in the puddles along the trail and enjoying the sound of the cascading water. I believe there are picnic tables here, if you wish to have a snack.

One of the many worthy sites along the Three Capes Loop (a stretch of road off Rte 101 which gets closer to the coast), Sand Lake is literally that -- a lake of sand. There is no water involved here. When Rick and I passed it in the car, we pulled over not because we had planned on it but because the sight of Sand Lake is so alarming -- it is literally as if you drove from the forest immediately into the desert. It was formed by ocean winds carrying bits of sand off the Pacific beaches and rocks to this one inland site over thousands of years. This fact alone makes the lake worth stopping to see -- it is a geological wonder. (How did the wind know to drop the sand always in this one same spot?) This place is big for dune buggie-ists, too, as they are allowed to vroom all over the park.

Aptly named, this cape affords visitors a triangulated view of the ocean, which makes it worth the stop. If you walk out to the tip of the cape, either through the park trails or along the beach, you will be able to see the coast spread out behind you to the left and right. This is pretty cool; as usually we only get to see the shorelines spread straight left and straight right. From above, it's also [geographically] interesting to see a triangle of land jut into the ocean. If you have the time, spend a morning or an afternoon here traipsing around, as the trails are well maintained and marked.

After Haystack Rock, I think Three Arch Rocks must be the most-photographed rocks on the coast. When we came down to the beach, I could have sworn I'd been here before -- it must have been all the photos I've seen. The rocks are graceful, and from certain angles they arch in a row like the many bends of a giant serpent living in the Pacific Ocean. There are many different kinds of birds to spot here as well, depending on the season. You may even spot some of the chubby puffins if you're lucky! Bring binoculars, though, as their nests are on islands off-shore.

Lighthouses fascinate some people. Some people visit as many as they can, collect everything lighthouses -- plates, cups, statuettes, cards, artwork, mugs, tee-shirts. And the Oregon Coast's tourist industry certainly caters to this. Although I am not one of those folks, I must admit after visiting my first lighthouse, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, I can understand. Lighthouses are a dear piece of Americana -- they hold history, they enjoy some of the best scenery in the world, they are lifesavers.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is no exception. Indeed, it is one of the oldest on the coast, dating back to the 1870's, and it is perhaps the most literal -- it is a normal house with a warning light stuck on top. Not what you usually think off (I usually think of a tall, silo-like structure with distinctive striping). Go inside and you can walk around. There are nice folks from a nonprofit organization who know all about the lighthouse and who will answer all your questions and maybe or maybe not ask you for a donation towards preservation. This lighthouse is interesting because it's one of a handful ever built in which the light keeper’s family all lived with him in the lighthouse. My favorite part of the house was walking up to the top, all the way up through two floors of regular living quarters to the small room in the attic where the light keeper would stay to make sure the light was lit and the lense shiny clean. I also proceeded up to see the lense, which employed new lense-brilliancy technology for the time.

This lighthouse is a great place to visit with kids, history buffs, or folks like me, who have a romantic notion of lighthouses and are interested in the reality.

Rick reluctantly followed me up this trail, but once we made it about a quarter of the way in, he was leading the way. It starts out boring, but once you've made it against the coast, you are rewarded with some of the most stunning views of the Pacific that Oregon has to offer. It is not a difficult hike. There are some steep inclines however they do not last long and there are plenty of places to rest along the way.

We encountered some of the bluest waters, some of the most secluded coves, and some of the most splendid views of our trip on this hike. I have attached 4 photos but wish I could attach the rest of the ones we took, because every view we stopped to check out was stunning.

First we encountered Simpson Beach, a secluded ocean cove, where there was a young woman sunning herself on the rocks which made up the "beach" here. Then we proceeded north, where we got a surprising view of the Cape Arago Lighthouse. We literally only saw one other couple on the trail during the 3 hours we were hiking, so it felt like we were truly alone with nature (a pleasant switch after our crowded camping experience).

If you have an aversion to sand, do not come here! (Heck, what are you doing on the Oregon Coast in the first place?) This overlook is more than a nice place to park your car and stretch your legs -- it gives you access via very Jersey Shore-type boardwalks and staircases to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Do not so easily dismiss the allure of the dunes: there is some serious sand here, and it is as rolling and as gentle as the ocean on a clear and calm day, albeit much less visibly in motion. The dunes extend for miles up and down the coast, and inland as well, and the recreation area includes lakes and streams (for those of you tired of the ocean, bays and coves). It is also easy to underestimate the size of the dunes. Even when standing right in front of them, we didn't grasp how expansive they were until we spied what we thought was a bird or a rabbit moving across the dunes only to realize it was a person (see photo).

Another beautiful thing about all this sand is that if you look deep into the western horizon, you can see the ocean shimmering off in the distance. I'm much more of a walk-through-and-observe type of gal myself, but there were plenty of people taking advantage of the sunnny weather to ride their buggies over the dunes. (In fact, I passed quite a few of them up on trailers while driving on the highways and routes of Oregon. Must be a big summertime thing there).

This interesting rock formation rises from the coastal waters off Central Oregon. There is not much of a beach there, but it doesn't really matter as the important part is indeed the rocks. They make just the right basin for the waves to splash up in a most magnificent and unpredictable way. Every now and then, a more-powerful-than-usual wave will rush into the basin and slam against Spouting Horn in such a way that it rises twenty feet in the air. It is impressive, and scary too, for the water rushes out just as fast as it rose up. You quickly realize to stand back, for you never know if one of those waves will splash up and grab you and pull you into the swirling tides. Indeed, there are warning signs everywhere speaking of "sneaker" waves which can take you unaware. So -- when visiting this site, enjoy the view but beware!

If you can only stop at a few places on the Oregon Coast, this is one you must visit, especially if you are traveling with children or are young at heart. We pulled over in the afternoon, and stayed easily for an hour, time just flew. It is a mesmerizing locale, as offshore you can train your binoculars on seals lounging about on the rocks and bobbing in the waves, and on shore you can wander among the myriad tidepools that flourish here.

It truly is amazing to be so close to actual and independent ecosystems. Sea urchins, starfish, crabs, little fish and seaweed live in hollows in the rocks. During low tide, water remains in these tidepools, and the sun warms the creatures just enough. Then, high tide rolls in and the new waves bring in currents and fresh water, further reviving the inhabitants. It is really fascinating, and we were lucky enough to get there for low tide. You can walk along the algae-coated rocks and peer into the tidepools (no touching though as this is a protected area). Rick and I had so much fun, treading among these delicate little worlds and spying on the floating seaweed and clinging mollusks.

Offshore, the seals play and relax. They are very cute to watch, although you really cannot get close without spooking them. And since we were the visitors to their home, we stayed away and wished we had binoculars, or at least a zoom camera! This was one of our best afternoons on the coast: months later and we still get all smiley and relaxed recalling the fun we had.

Another postcard favorite, this site holds it own with all the other top-notch natural beauty along this coast. It is a very romantic spot, although at first you wouldn't guess it. The main viewing spot, though, is perfect for hugging your beloved, gazing out into the ocean, and losing yourself in promising thoughts about the future. Supposedly you can find miles of trails to hike which will afford you views of tidepools, seashells and local deer life, but Rick and I chose to stare at the ocean instead. If you prefer to be active, stop by the Visitors Center for trail maps.

This is the brightest beacon on the Oregon Coast. Factoid aside, it's a good place to visit (even if you're not a lighthouse junkie) and not at all blinding during the day. You have to take a nice stroll up from the parking lot to get there, so you'll get some exercise. Once you make it up the hill, green fields surround the house, perfect for lolling about. And strangers tend to bond when they descend the sea cliffs part way intending to bird watch only to be hit with the stench of years of piled-up bird doodie layered upon the offshore rocks. A chorus of "Pee-yoo!" quickly goes up. The lighthouse itself is beautiful, and seems very proud and proper the way it stands on its crest of the land. As with other lighthouses on the coast, you can enter the house while volunteers have it open and nose around as you try to imagine what it must have been like to be the light keeper’s daughter (or son).

Sea Lion Caves is a privately owned nature preserve, so they charge admission to view the sea lions on the shore and in the caves. However, what you and the sea lions get in return is well worth it.

As soon as you pay, a pleasant hostess directs you to the best viewing spot for the sea lions. The day we were there (July 1, 2000) the sea lions were all out on the rocks at the mouth of the cave, so we went up the well-kept staircases for a bird's eye view of the lions. We were quite high (see photo), but nonetheless we were still assaulted by the stench of the lions. It was amazing how powerful it was. Without the aide of binoculars the sea lions just looked like worms wriggling around on the coast, so we plunked our quarters into the spyglasses. These animals are funny and territorial, and you could see how the little ones were learning survival techniques through play with the older (and humongous) bulls. Of course Rick was scanning the water for a killer whale hoping to see an attack. None happened, but we were later told that one happened several years ago (children at the scene are still in therapy). In addition to the sea lions, there is much bird life at Sea Lion Caves. Most interesting to me were the black cormorants, which used to be trained by the Japanese to hunt and retrieve fish for them. There are informational signs about the wildlife and habits of the sea lions all along the way that are worth reading.

Finally we took the elevator down into the caves. This was definitely cool and instantly captured my imagination as the perfect place for pirates to hide their treasures. It is a natural sea cave, either the biggest or one of the biggest, in the world. Water flows in one side and continues out the other side, forming a kind of U-path through the cliff. It is easily high enough to hold a small pirate ship! The only drawbacks to this space are that it smells here too, and you cannot take any photos, as the flash will freak out the lions. This rule was completely respected while I was in the cave. They had a complete fossil of a sea lion skeleton, which proved sea lions had been coming to the cave for hundreds of years, as the placards all around explained.

34965 Highway 53, Nehalem, OR 97131, tel 503 368-wine, www.nehalembaywinery.com. Open 6-9 every day.

On our way out of Wheeler, we stopped here to start our day. This is a small winery and does not have any out of state distribution. We tasted a few, and were most impressed with their dessert wines. We bought a bottle of Blackberry Wine, and will drink it with/after a spicy meal, either Thai or Indian, probably. The pourer was very helpful, she gave us a book, which listed all the Oregon wineries by region (this proved helpful later when we visited the Williammette Valley). They also have a very cool mural painted on a wall outside of the tasting room. It depicts a 60's psychedelic scene -- supposedly Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters had stopped by the winery many years back.

I recommend only if you enjoy tasting wines.

The D River is the shortest river in the world -- less than 500 feet long -- and when I realized I was going to drive over it, I wanted to take a picture. The notion of "the shortest river in the world" struck me as absurd yet cute: I imagined a stubby river. So, on our way past Devil's Lake in Lincoln City, we drove over D River (there's a sign that actually alerts you to its imminence). I made my boyfriend stop the car and stuck my body out the window to get a photo. It was around rush hour, so more than a few commuters behind us were honking and otherwise acting unlike any other Oregonians we'd thus far met. I got my photo, though, and 30 seconds later we were rolling again, back to the coast. Photo attached so you can decide for yourself whether or not the D River is stubby.