Vancouver → Cannon Beach
The drive from Vancouver down to Cannon Beach is incredible in and of itself. The views are stunning, and watching them slowly evolve as we travelled south never got old, despite the 7-hour haul. We didn't make many stops, but just 20 minutes from our first destination, Seaside was waiting. It felt reminiscent of Niagara Falls — gorgeous scenery wrapped around the craziest little town, filled with gimmicks and wild characters. And then: Cannon Beach. If Seaside is the party, Cannon Beach is the morning after — quiet, beautiful, and worth waking up for. Our Airbnb sat steps from the shore with a direct view of the iconic Haystack Rock, and we spent three incredible days soaking it all in.
Highlights from Cannon Beach:
- Flying a shark kite we named Fin, bought from a lovely man who used to live on Orcas Island
- Exploring the tide pools (genuinely could have done this for hours)
- Beach fires by night with hot dogs and marshmallows
- Wandering through the adorable shops (The Butler Did It Antiques and Bruce’s Candy Kitchen were by far our favourites)
Hug Point & Ecola State Park
These ones deserved their own section… absolutely worth adding to your itinerary.
Hug Point, just 20 minutes south of Cannon Beach, was absolutely worth a visit. Walk the sandy beach, duck into little caves carved into the rock walls, and time your visit for low tide — that's when the seaside waterfall reveals itself!
Ecola State Park is dramatic, forested, and stunning. You might recognize it as a filming location for The Goonies and Twilight. We watched surfers navigate the unforgiving waves below while the ocean hammered relentlessly into rocks that had been worn down over years of the sea's wrath.
The Drive South: Cannon Beach → Florence
When it was time to leave Cannon Beach, we were genuinely sad to go. But the south was calling, and we decided the drive down to Florence would be a slow and meandering one — stopping wherever something caught our eye. We’ve decided that this is the only way to drive the Oregon Coast.
Tillamook Cheese Factory — It was absolutely packed. We grabbed some free cheese samples and got out of there fairly quickly. No regrets.
Devil's Churn — a narrow coastal inlet where I could have watched the waves crash and surge for hours.
Devil's Punchbowl — formerly a collection of sea caves before the roof collapsed, leaving behind a wild, dramatic bowl of churning water.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse — the wind was absolutely insane, but the views were worth it.
Florence: Sand Dunes, Crab, and a Yurt
One of our favourite activities of the whole trip was ATVs on the sand dunes, rented from Torex. This was without question one of the most fun things we did on the entire trip. The dunes are massive and ripping around on them felt unreal. If you are in Florence, go to the dunes. You can even ride all the way out to the beach!
The town itself has a fantastic little main street full of cute shops, including a quirky shop filled with Harry Potter memorabilia. We ended the day at the famous Novelli's Crab Shack on the dock for some fresh crab. Very much worth it.
The yurt we rented on Airbnb was adorable!
Sea Lion Caves
On our way out we couldn't resist visiting the Sea Lion Caves. It’s one of those places that has been heavily commodified, but remains an insanely cool attraction so it makes it all worth it. From the top of the cliffs we could see sea lions upon sea lions basking at the water’s edge. After a long elevator ride over 12 stories down into the rock, we were met with a cave absolutely filled with sea lions (and it definitely smelled of it - come prepared to hold your breath). They were piled on top of one another, lounging on the rocks to avoid the tumultuous waves. They came in all sizes, and it was definitely clear who the alphas were.. They were massive. It was a sight to behold. We, of course, had a look around the shockingly large gift shop before heading on our way.
Portland
From the coast we turned inland through the mountains and arrived in Portland — Adora's favourite city, and my first visit.Our Airbnb was beautifully decorated with curated book and record collections, a bamboo-filled yard, and an outdoor shower tucked behind a canopy of grape vines. In the middle of a heat wave, it was the perfect home base. We thrifted, hunted for records, explored the city on foot, and made our way through the extraordinary McMenamins Kennedy School, where the architecture and decor blew us away.
Can't-miss Portland mentions:
- Salt & Straw ice cream: Adora loves the Olive Oil, but I opted for the Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons
- Powell's Books
- McMenamins Kennedy School
After a few packed days exploring the city (not nearly enough), we were very sad to point the car north toward home.
We will absolutely be visiting again.
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