Did you know that the Oregon Coast is just a daytrip away from our Willamette Valley Bed & Breakfast? Yes, you can have the best of both worlds when you stay with us at Chehalem Ridge B&B; all the comfort, luxury and wine culture of the valley, with close proximity to Oregon’s beautiful coast.
When planning a vacation in Willamette Valley Wine Country, you don’t have to miss out on the beauty of the ocean. Save a day of your vacation in wine country to spend exploring any one of these Oregon Coast Daytrip destinations. Our Innkeepers Tips can help you get the most of your Daytrip and we’ll start off with one: the Coast is generally 15-20 degrees cooler than the Valley, and wetter or foggier!
Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock
One of the most iconic photos in all of Oregon is taken from the windswept coastline off of Cannon Beach. There, you’ll find Haystack Rock, a gigantic and wild rock careening out of the beach, housing marine life in the tide pools and seabirds on the rock.
Besides the pristine beach, perfect for picnics and romantic sandy strolls, making a daytrip to Cannon Beach also gives you a chance to experience all that the Oregon coast is known for; tourist shops teeming with Oregon memorabilia, fashion boutiques, art galleries boasting local artwork and distinctive coastal restaurants.
Running parallel to the ocean, you can park anywhere along North Hemlock Street to check out the beach and the downtown flavor. If you are looking for lunch, try the one-of-a-kind atmosphere at the Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House. This infamous hardware store serves up tasty brews and lunch fare, as well as hammers and nails. An Oregon experience, no doubt. If it’s an early dinner you want before turning back for our Newberg B&B, the Driftwood Restaurant & Lounge has everything from seafood and burgers to steak and pasta. Their deck is outfitted with firepits and full of beach town spirit.
For daytrippers who are mainly getting out to the coast to experience an ocean-side hike, you won’t want to miss the Ecola Point Trail which takes you up to vista viewpoints and back down to Indian Beach. In rainy times, the trail can be very muddy, so take a spare pair of shoes. As an added bonus, after you’ve finished, you’ll be able to say that you’ve trekked the same trails as the kids in the 1980’s cult-classic “The Goonies”, famously filmed on the Oregon coast.
The Drive: For beach and main street access, take OR-219 N to US-26 W to N. Hemlock Street in Cannon Beach.
Innkeepers’ Tip: If you’d like to add one more beach town to your trip, set your destination to Manzanita Beach first. Twenty minutes south of Cannon Beach, it’s a magical little Bohemian town to spend exploring in the early afternoon. Drop into The Winery at Manzanita for a glass of wine and a charcuterie board on their roof-top deck, before heading back up the coast to the rest of your day’s adventure in Cannon Beach.
Tillamook and Three Capes Scenic Loop
While Oregon exports many products to other states, none gets wider distribution and acclaim than Tillamook Cheese. The Tillamook Creamery draws in many visitors eager to learn the history, see the process, and taste the results. The secret we keep here is that Tillamook also produces some amazing ice cream, many flavors only available locally – including at the end of the tour. Try out the Marionberry Pie or Mountain Huckleberry.
While the town of Tillamook is a bit inland from the Oregon Coast, the Three Capes Scenic Loop lets you explore three unique capes along this rugged stretch of the coast. Cape Meares, just northwest of Tillamook, has the Cape Meares Lighthouse, open to the public, and an Oregon Heritage spruce tree known as the “Octopus Tree”. Skirting Netarts Bay, one of many shellfish farming areas along this part of the coast, the next cape is Cape Lookout with panoramic views of the Oregon Coast. Further south, Cape Kiwanda sits at Pacific City, home to another Haystack Rock and towering sand dunes. Pacific City is a great place to grab a bite, at the surfer-joint of Ben & Jeff’s Burgers and Tacos or the seafood and beer-centric Pelican Brewing.
The Drive: Head out on Hwy 47 to 6 through the forested Coast Range. Leaving Tillamook, head south taking the west arm of the Three Capes Scenic Loop and on to Lincoln City to loop back to Newberg.
Innkeepers’ Tip: To get your tax-free shopping fix, the practical town of Lincoln City hosts an outlet mall and lovely sandy beach which host a Kite Festival and a Sandcastle Contest (look for both to return in 2022).
Newport – Nye Beach and Historic Bayfront Marina
The drive from Willamette Valley Wine Country to the coastal town of Newport is a very popular Oregon coast daytrip for folks visiting us at Chehalem Ridge B&B. It’s a bit of a longer drive, clocking in just above two hours, but worth every minute. We recommend departing right after your B&B breakfast to make the most of your day in Newport.
As you drive in town, stop to take a walk on the beautiful sandy Nye Beach and visit the shops, galleries, and cafés right off the ocean. Afterwards, head to the other side of town – the Historic Bayfront Marina – on the harbor side of Newport. Here you can see fisherman at work, see (and hear) the resident sea lions, get your fill of candy shops and confections, and find some of the best seafood restaurants on the Central Oregon coast.
Local Ocean is a renowned Oregon restaurant and fish market, casual lunching on the first floor and fine dining on the top floor, with spectacular views of the boat-lined harbor. Clearwater is another seafood and Northwest dining locale where you can grab a delicious late lunch or early dinner before turning back for the B&B. You’ll also have a bird’s eye view of the resident seals from your table!
For many of Newport’s visitors, a daytrip here is entirely spent at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which is a wonder of sea life and native flora. Highlights include outdoor exhibits of sea mammals like otters and seals and a sea bird aviary with puffins and cormorants. Inside, invertebrates and tide pool life is explored and culminates in the Passages of the Deep see-through tunnels which highlight three ecosystems off the Oregon Coast. Walk through these tunnels and experience fish, bat rays and sharks swimming all around you.
The Drive: Take OR-219 N to OR-18 W to 101 S and on your way down to Newport
Innkeepers’ tip: Stop in the whale watching town of Depoe Bay, boasting the world’s smallest navigable harbor (and a movie location of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). Visit tourist shops on the boardwalk lining the ocean and look out for resident whales, breaching near shore. Storm watchers come here in the winter to have the waves break over them as they stand on the harbor overpass.
Vineyard Views to Coastal Adventures…All in One Day.
Imagine the beautiful, quiet luxury of staying at Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast and the panoramic view from your deck overlooking Willamette Valley wine country. Our five room, upscale mountaintop retreat will provide the top-notch concierge service you want, the hearty 3-course gourmet breakfast you need, and the convenient location for the kind of daytripping vacation you had in mind for exploring the Oregon Coast.
~By Liz Bethell, Assistant Innkeeper
