WANTED: Puffins on seastacks. Pounding surf. Plenty of hiking trails. Miles of sandy beach. Plentiful local seafood. And the occasional coastal storm that makes you think about buying stock in Gore-Tex.
Got a good guess where to find all of these?
The Oregon Coast is an awesome destination for romance or fun pretty much any time of the year. It’s offerings are as varied as they are wonderful. (Where else can you tour a cheese factory and spot a migrating gray whale in the same day?) Dozens of towns line the coastline from north to south, and each one has its own personality. Tucked in between are state parks and other natural areas to explore. And when it comes to lodging there are options for every budget, from the $40 state park yurt to funky beachfront motels to luxury oceanside suites.
My sister Lesley heads to the Oregon Coast once a year for a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, and has written about her trips there before (see My Oregon Coast Yurt Adventure). This year they wanted a great place to celebrate their anniversary and de-stress after a year full of house-hunting, moving, and music recording, but they didn’t have a ton of money budgeted for their 3-day trip – just $100 per day for lodging and food. Their only requirements? Waterfront and a kitchenette so they could cook their own meals.
“We found everything we were looking for in Lincoln City at the Nantucket Inn.” Lesley told me. “Go to their website and click on ‘Special Rates’ and you will see ‘rent two nights, get another night for a penny.’ We ended up only spending $263.01 total for our three nights there.”
What made this place a good value? “The location, hands-down, both for the convenience of Lincoln City (we got Thai takeout one night) and the vast ocean view from our place, just steps away from the beach. The decor is dated (think overstuffed couches) and there were lots of shells and pastel colors. But our suite was extremely comfortable and completely clean. The gas fireplace kept us toasty warm, and there was a jacuzzi bathtub to relax in. We loved having a full kitchen to cook our meals– it really helped us save money.”
Lesley regretted not bringing an eyemask, though. “There’s a hotel a few houses down that has a spotlight shining on the beach at night, which kept our bedroom a little too lit for me at night.”
Lincoln City is famous for kite-flying on its beaches, and it also boasts the oldest covered bridge in the state of Oregon. Not far up or down the coast are many superb outdoor recreation and sightseeing locales. “We spent one sunny day driving down to Yachats and back, pulling off at many of the numerous waysides to explore the beach, including the amazing Devil’s Churn. We visited our favorite area down there – the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area – and enjoyed a wonderful walk along the rocky shore and up through the forest to viewpoints,” Lesley told me. “A pretty harsh storm kept us indoors the next day, but we had a great vantage point!”
“Any visitor to the Oregon Coast in winter should be prepared for storms,” she shared. “Bring warm layers and raingear, and be ready to call it a day and stay indoors if the storm gets severe.”
Maybe that’s why so many Oregon coast accommodations stock the rooms with board games, good books, and DVDs!
Thanks for sharing your great cheap sleeps find, Lesley! If you have a cheap sleep experience you want to share with our readers, please drop me an email.
2 Responses
Surfing?
It’s a great area for surfing, as far as I’ve heard.