So, on Saturday morning, we set out from Portland and drove the 70 miles to Cannon Beach on the coast of Oregon. Cannon Beach is an adorable little beach town, with one main road running parallel to the beach, crowded with B&Bs, shops, restaurants, small hotels, and some houses. Not commercialized at all -- No McDonald's or anything of the sort. However, it was 4th of July weekend, so it was really crowded. Traffic was awful, parking was a nightmare. We eventually found a spot in a parking lot across the street from the beach. We walked towards the main public beach entrance (which I later realized was where part of the car chase scene in The Goonies took place).

Once on the beach, you can see Haystack Rock, which is a focal point throughout The Goonies. The chase scene on the beach at the beginning of the movie begins here, the rock is used during the "dubloon" scene when it matches with the lighthouse and restaurant, and can also be seen in several other scenes. The beach itself is really wide, but since the water is about 50 degrees, even in the summer, and the weather is commonly windy and foggy, the most popular activity on the beach was riding these low-rider adult tricycles that were for rent all along the beach. Lots of people also had their dogs out on the beach and many were playing frisbee and football. However, the main attraction on the beach is the rock. At the base of the rock are hundreds of tidepools, filled with green sea sponges, purple and red starfish, clams, hermit crabs, etc. We spent over an hour exploring here. You are not allowed to climb onto the rocks, but taking off your shoes and wading into the shallow tidepools is allowed.

After doing a little shopping in Cannon Beach (I bought some delicious saltwater taffy at Bruce's Candy for $5/lb. However, Bruce's is really crowded -- the line was shorter at some of the shops down the side streets.), and eating lunch at Bill's Tavern & Brew Pub (pretty good cheeseburgers, and we girls loved the lightly fruity Blackberry Beauty beer), we headed to Astoria.(See next journal entry.)

Aside from the actual beach, you can see a variety of shops, galleries, and restaurants. If you are looking for a secluded beach, Cannon Beach may not be the best choice, as it is always packed with tourists. However, Cannon Beach would be ideal for a family vacation because there are activities for everyone.

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.