The Oregon coast offers some of the most striking beaches in the entire United States. There are many quaint, charming coastal towns in Oregon that make for an excellent weekend getaway, or even a full vacation. Here is a quick profile of four popular towns on the Oregon coast.
Bandon
If you’re traveling up to Oregon from California or other southern starting points, the little town of Bandon is a great vacation option. After Gold Beach, it represents one of the first sizable towns that you will encounter when traveling north. The beaches around Bandon are archetypal of Oregon…broad flat sandscapes punctuated by dramatic cliffs and rock formations.
Bandon itself is a quaint community that at times can border on kitsch. Nonetheless, the downtown area is filmed with a charming array of shops and restaurants that vacationers will enjoy meandering through. The Bandon Chamber of Commerce’s website offers a great resource for would be travelers.
Yachats
A bit further north of Bandon lies Yachats, a very small community that boasts some stunning resorts and also features an extensive array of private condos and homes that are available as vacation rentals (a personal favorite is the somewhat spartan but very well priced Adobe Resort. Yachats is a beachcomber’s paradise. The beaches themselves aren’t as awe inspiring as those around Bandon, but one can walk for literally miles up and down the broad, uninterrupted shoreline.
It would be a borderline misnomer to call Yachats a town. With a population of just a few hundred, services are at a minimum. Waldport, ten miles to the north, is the closest town of any significance. Lincoln City
Many consider Lincoln City to be the crown jewel of the central Oregon coast. Of the four towns mentioned on this list, Lincoln City is the most significant. The beaches around Lincoln City are impeccable and there are several elite hotels in the area. But what sets Lincoln City apart from other spots on the Oregon coast is the town itself. Lincoln City has a decidedly artsy feel. If you’re looking for a place where you can peruse galleries, this may be the destination for you.
Oregoncoast.org, a web site devoted almost exclusively to Lincoln City, offers an in depth description of local attractions and accomodations.
Those traveling from either Washington or the Portland area may find Cannon Beach to be a convenient destination on the Oregon Coast. Cannon Beach has much in common with its larger and more well known cousin, Lincoln City. Visitors will find excellent restaurants, art galleries, and a thriving cultural community in this little town of approximately 1,500. In many ways, Cannon Beach strikes visitors as a miniaturized version of Carmel, California.
The beaches in and around Cannon Beach are impeccable, so much so that Cannon Beach has gained notoriety as a popular spot for film shoots. The iconic coming of age story Summer of ’42 was filmed at Cannon Beach, though the film “took place” on Nantucket Island. You can find more details about Cannon Beach at cannon-beach.net.
Sources:
The Adobe Resort. http://www.adoberesort.com. Accessed 11/30/2010.
Bandon Chamber of Commerce. http://www.bandon.com. Accessed 11/30/2010.
Lincoln City at oregoncoast.org. http://www.oregoncoast.org/. Accessed 11/30/2010.
