Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, OregonI've been out of commision here for a little while, but with good reason—I've been exploring one of the areas further afield! My husband, baby, and I were able to spend a wonderful extended weekend on the Oregon coast! It was a vacation I would highly recommend, and at only 4 hours from Seattle, it's a drive that is possible to do with kids in the backseat.
My husband and I rented a beach house a block away from the ocean. Since winter is the down season, we were able to negotiate a lower rate than normal. But even though it was winter, we got lucky. The weather was beautiful, despite a couple small rain showers.
Tillamook Cheese Factory, Tillamook, OregonOne of the places we enjoyed visiting was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. If there was ever a place for kids, this is it. With all the choppers, conveyor belts, and packaging machines, if you have a little boy into machinery, he could spend a long time looking at this stuff! I think I spent long enough as it was. But the best part was definitely the tasting area—cheese, cheeseburgers, and fresh ice cream and waffle cones were the highlight of my trip.
Crabs!If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, and you happen to be on the coast in the fall or winter, rent a boat and some crab pots. Although I'm guessing your kids might not touch or eat crab, who could resist seeing one of these? My husband's family used to do this every fall when he was growing up. Apparently fall is the better time to catch them, but we got a few this time of year as well.
Other great coast activities:
Ecola State Park: Beautiful views of Cannon Beach. We arrived in the late afternoon, and I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful beach scene in my life.
Seaside: The downtown of Seaside is a tourist's paradise. There are games centers for the kids, antique stores for the momma (you ought to see the pair of old earrings I bought), and all sorts of little shops, not to mention a beautiful beach. While some of the beaches had such large waves that I would be a little scared of letting my children wander very far into them, Seaside's seemed a bit tamer.
Various State Parks: Seriously, this area is teeming with them. And there are hikes galore to be found. I didn't get to go on those on this trip (I was walking the beach instead—do you blame me?) there are lots of options available for families. Also, if you are campers, there are also plenty of campsites.
Sitting on the beach: my favorite.
Be sure you teach your children about the ocean and water before attempting a beach vacation. The Oregon coast does have some perilous "sneaker waves" and rip tides because of the large waves that form here. Keep your traveling safe!
Looking over Cannon Beach
Other great coast activities:
Ecola State Park: Beautiful views of Cannon Beach. We arrived in the late afternoon, and I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful beach scene in my life.
Seaside: The downtown of Seaside is a tourist's paradise. There are games centers for the kids, antique stores for the momma (you ought to see the pair of old earrings I bought), and all sorts of little shops, not to mention a beautiful beach. While some of the beaches had such large waves that I would be a little scared of letting my children wander very far into them, Seaside's seemed a bit tamer.
Various State Parks: Seriously, this area is teeming with them. And there are hikes galore to be found. I didn't get to go on those on this trip (I was walking the beach instead—do you blame me?) there are lots of options available for families. Also, if you are campers, there are also plenty of campsites.
Sitting on the beach: my favorite.
Be sure you teach your children about the ocean and water before attempting a beach vacation. The Oregon coast does have some perilous "sneaker waves" and rip tides because of the large waves that form here. Keep your traveling safe!
Looking over Cannon Beach
2 comments:
Just came across your blog and LOVE IT! I added a link to ours! Beautiful photos too!
You must be reading my mind! This is the vacation that John and I were wanting to do real soon! Thanks for doing the research for us! :) We'll have to talk soon about the details!
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