Fall at the coast

We are thinking about a trip to the coast - with the kids - for a weekend. I have never visited the Pacific City or Tierra del Mar area so that region is attractive to us for ';something new';. Any thoughts about that area for a quiet family weekend?

We are all quite outdoorsy, and enjoy hiking, tidepools, wildlife... and don%26#39;t mind being cold! ;)

Fall at the coast

First of all, I no longer consider Pacific City ';quiet';. It has been discovered and there are usually throngs of people (by my definition of throngs) milling about, especially on the beach. In fact, during he summer, it is one of the most congested stretches of beach along the coast. None the less, it is still a very sceinc area.

There is lots to do in the general area. North you have Whelan Island with a beautiful trail that skirts the bay and ocean. Really beautiful! There is also the Cape Lookout Trial a lttle further north and still further north is Cape Meares Lighthouse.

The Three Capes Region is really beautiful and I think your family will enjoy it.

Den

Fall at the coast

i like the cape lookout trail....

Sorry for the delay in posting our trip report - I double-backed with a business trip so I am *finally* home and getting caught up!

The family weekend at the Oregon Coast was wonderful. It was nice for us to get away... just the five of us with no extras! The weather was beautiful (mid-70%26#39;s) and it was not a busy weekend in Pacific City so the trip was as close to ';perfect'; I think we could muster.

We rented a little beach cottage in Kiwanda Shores - a gated community in Pacific City. If you are traveling with kids I would highly recommend renting a house over staying in a hotel. In fact even if you aren%26#39;t traveling with kids I recommend it! There is very little price difference between a house and a hotel, and the amenities and privacy make it worth it!

The house was literally steps from the beach. From the back porch we followed a little trail over a dune (no ocean view from the house) and there we were! The house had a hot tub, plenty of space, and ping-pong and air hockey tables in the garage. We were hooked up! We found it through a vacation rental management company online (4u2unwind.com).

We used both the General Store near the Inn at Cape Kiwanda and the grocery store on the highway for our shopping needs. At both places, the employees were friendly and helpful. We did not eat out in PC - instead enjoying some locally caught crab for dinner, lunch on the beach, and breakfast in our PJ%26#39;s!

The beach was great - we caught a couple of good low tides and brought home about a dozen *complete* sand dollars as well as other assorted shells collected by the kids. As always, the water was chilly but that didn%26#39;t stop us from splashing around. It was fun to watch the (brave) surfers!

We decided to take the ';long way'; home through Newport %26amp; Corvallis. We had a good lunch at the Arctic Circle in Newport. And yes I know it%26#39;s fast food and there are *much* better places to eat in Newport... but with 3 kids along it was a good choice. They have great milkshakes and I love their taco salads. :) Everyone had a different flavor milkshake - my son was brave and tried the pumpkin pie flavor which was delicious. We visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium and then headed home.

Sounds fun! We also enjoyed a visit to the Oregon Coas Aquarium this past summer. The shark encounter was a really cool exhibit that we all enjoyed. :)