The Oregon coast is a magical place that seems to have landed straight out of a fairytale. We road tripped down the coast on our move from Washington to California. It was in January, the rainy season, which made for moody skies and almost-empty beaches. On our left was luscious vegetation and on our right the ocean crashed into tall sea stacks (rock formations).
Our first main stop was Cannon Beach. Due to the non-ideal weather, the normally busy town felt deserted. We ate at Seasons Cafe before heading to see Haystack Rock. It was Mia’s first beach experience which was exciting for all of us (most beaches in Oregon are dog friendly). Haystack Rock is 235 ft tall and one of Oregon’s famous natural landmarks. Definitely worth a visit!
We then drove to our campsite for the night at Tillicum Beach Campground. We arrived in the dark and couldn’t see the ocean but heard how close it was. In the morning we discovered our campsite had an amazing ocean view and was steps from the beach. We let Mia run freely on the beach since we were the only ones there! This is one of my favorite campsites to date. We stayed just one night before continuing our journey south.
Thor’s Well is a short drive from Tillicum Beach Campground. There was plenty of parking in a small lot right off the highway. We walked down a short path and saw the ocean spraying over rock. Thor’s Well is a hole formed in the rock. Water pours into it and gives the appearance of the ocean draining away.
Next we drove to Natural Bridges in Brookings, OR. It is another gorgeous combination of ocean, rock formations, and alpine trees. It’s right off the highway with a short walk to the lookout spot. For lunch, and our last stop before crossing into California, we ate at Off The Wagon food truck in Brookings. Off The Wagon serves vegan food in the Chetco Brewery. Edgar had a beer with our food and said it was good. We were able to sit in the patio area with Mia which was great as we spend a lot of meals eating in the car with her on road trips.
Our road trip was short and sweet since we were on a mission to get to California but it made me want to return ASAP to experience more of Oregon’s magic. If you’ve been to Oregon I’d love to hear some of your favorite spots/recommendations in the comments below!