Need help with Coast trip in September

My husband and I are planning our first trip down the Oregon Coast for our annivesary and I need some advice on where to stay. We are starting to Portland and then have 5 nights on the coast. Here is what i was thinking, but please provide feedback. We don%26#39;t want to drive too far inbetween so we can stop along the way and not feel rushed.

#1 Cannon Beach, Manzanita or Wheeler? We prefer nice B%26amp;B type accomodations, but just want somewhere nice, maybe not too large. I know Manzanita is smaller, but which would be better for first timers?

#2 Newport? - Heard mixed reviews. I wanted to stay in Yachats but we are staying at Heceta Head Lighthouse the 3rd night so i didn%26#39;t know if it was too close. Any recommendations for where to stay in Newport? Any place that would be better?

#3 Heceta House Lighthouse - this looked really romantic. Any hesitations?

#4 Trying to decide if we should stay at Coos Bay/Bandon or go to Port Orford and stay at Wildspring Guest Habitat. Has anyone stayed there and think it is worth it? If we decide to stay in Coos Bay or Bandon, any recommendations?

#5 Gold Beach - Tu Tu Tun Lodge. The other option is skipping this and using this as our Port Oford night. Which is better?

I know i am very vague, but we have no idea. We want to explore the coast by day and stay in a nice, romantic accomodation at night. It doesn%26#39;t have to be expensive, just inviting and warm enivornment.

Thank you very much!

Need help with Coast trip in September

Cooper75 - my suggestions are below

First of all, I think you are doing too much driving for only 5 days. I would spend two nights in Cannon Beach and explore such places as Ecola State Park aand Astoria

My husband and I are planning our first trip down the Oregon Coast for our annivesary and I need some advice on where to stay. We are starting to Portland and then have 5 nights on the coast. Here is what i was thinking, but please provide feedback. We don%26#39;t want to drive too far inbetween so we can stop along the way and not feel rushed.

#1 Cannon Beach, Manzanita or Wheeler? We prefer nice B%26amp;B type accomodations, but just want somewhere nice, maybe not too large. I know Manzanita is smaller, but which would be better for first timers?

Cannon or Manzanita, I like them both. Cannon would be a better first place to visit.

#2 Newport? - Heard mixed reviews. I wanted to stay in Yachats but we are staying at Heceta Head Lighthouse the 3rd night so i didn%26#39;t know if it was too close. Any recommendations for where to stay in Newport? Any place that would be better?

See suggestion above. Visit Cascade Head on you drive south, or the Pelican in Pacific City.

#3 Heceta House Lighthouse - this looked really romantic. Any hesitations?

No hesitations.

#4 Trying to decide if we should stay at Coos Bay/Bandon or go to Port Orford and stay at Wildspring Guest Habitat. Has anyone stayed there and think it is worth it? If we decide to stay in Coos Bay or Bandon, any recommendations?

Bandon is my choice.

#5 Gold Beach - Tu Tu Tun Lodge. The other option is skipping this and using this as our Port Oford night. Which is better?

Tu Tu Tun is the better option.

I know i am very vague, but we have no idea. We want to explore the coast by day and stay in a nice, romantic accomodation at night. It doesn%26#39;t have to be expensive, just inviting and warm enivornment.

Thank you very much!

You are welcome. Bring warm, water proof clothes, including a nice warm stocking cap and gloves - it can be quite chilly right on the water.

Need help with Coast trip in September

If you stay in Cannon Beach you will be close to both Seaside and Astoria. We just returned from an afternoon in Astoria where we rode the trolley and had lunch at T Paul%26#39;s Urban Cafe. I would suggest you schedule some time for the Maritime Museum in Astoria, also. If you%26#39;re there on a Sunday the Astoria Sunday market is fun, it was busy today!

For lodging in Cannon Beach, check out the Cannon Beach Hotel, there is a nice Bed and Breakfast in nearby Seaside called the Gilbert Inn that is just about a block from the ocean.

Astoria is known for their many Bed and Breakfast Inns, there is also the Hotel Elliott, Cannery Pier Hotel and the new Commodore Hotel, we toured the Commodore a couple of days, it%26#39;s very cool and rates start at $69/night for a small room with a shared bathroom. www.oldoregon.com

I hope you have a wonderful trip and enjoy your planning as well! :)

My input is to not move around so much--choose 3 places rather than bounce from location to location.

I%26#39;d do 2 nights Cannon Beach (Ocean Lodge would be my choice, or maybe Arch Cape B%26amp;B just south)

1 night either Overleaf in Yachats or Heceta Head lighthouse.

2 nights Tu Tu Tun. I%26#39;ve stayed at both Tu Tu Tun and Wildspring and while the latter is very nice, Tu Tu Tun is in a class by itself--if you can stay here, DO!

Starting in the middle here (it will make sense in a sec!), the Heceta Head lighthouse is rather special. The only teeny drawback would be that you need to drive into Florence (12 miles) for dinner, or for anything for that matter. But the road is fine and it%26#39;s not that big of deal!

Okay, so that will be the one that will be the most difficult to get a room in. I%26#39;d try reserving it *right now*, don%26#39;t wait.

Everybody seems to think that the coast is deserted after the begining of Sept , but Sept and Oct are still quite busy here.

Bandon is a pleasant little town. Port Orford is, well, not much of a town to be honest. It%26#39;s looking pretty run down with several closed businesses, and there really is not much there. It%26#39;s far smaller than Bandon, which is prosperous and moderately busy.

Here are some Bandon choices:

tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g51758-c2-Bandon_Oreg…

You probably realize that Tu Tu Tun is not on the ocean, in fact it is about 8 miles upriver. If that is okay, it gets good reviews and the couple of regular posters who have stayed there enjoyed it.

I%26#39;m going to suggest you look at Arch Cape instead of Cannon Beach. For one thing, CB may still have the two night minimum in effect; also it is a busy, congested town even in Sept. Arch Cape is a bedroom community, so you%26#39;d have to drive the few scenic miles to CB to eat dinner. Check these out:

tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g29995-Arch_Cape_Oreg…

I too would suggest two nights in the north.

Newport - mixed reviews? Perhaps I can help with more info since I live just few miles away, and am in town 3-4 days a week. Were the mixed reviews for lodging, or the overall atmosphere?

Cannon Beach will be busier than Manzanita, if that matters to you. There are more dining options in Cannon Beach, but other than size and dining, the two towns have a LOT in common. The two towns are only about 15 miles apart, so you could easily explore one while staying in the other.

Like Cannon Beach, Newport is MUCH busier than Yachats (population 10,000 vs ~600). Yachats is more scenic IMO as well, but as you noted, it%26#39;s only about 15 miles from Heceta Head.

Heceta House is indeed a special place. Steven and Michelle run a fantastic business and the views are unsurpassed. As half-Brit noted, they are VERY busy, so make reservations soon!!!

Another vote for Bandon over Coos Bay or Port Orford.

For first timers, I think Cannon Beach is your best bet, and agree with others; spend two nights there. Two night minimums could still be in place, anyway. It%26#39;s true that the small town is often congested, but, once you park your car, it%26#39;s fine. Since it%26#39;s an anniversary, Stephanie Inn might be the choice, though it%26#39;s a budget buster. Cannon Beach Hotel is cute, quaint, charming, and all that, but not on the beach. The Courtyard, owned and operated by the same company, would also be a good anniversary choice, though it%26#39;s not on the beach either.

I%26#39;m also going to suggest two nights on the central coast. There is so much to see and do in the area that I think you might be frustrated at having so little time. So, maybe one night at Newport or Yachats, and one at Haceta Head? If Haceta Head is booked, I%26#39;d go with both nights in Yachats, Overleaf Lodge if available.

I%26#39;ve not stayed at Wildspring, but have at Tu Tu Tun. It%26#39;s truly wonderful, but not the kind of place I%26#39;d think of as a base for exploring. Another thing you might want to know.... they do meals at communal tables, which may not fit with your idea of ';romantic';.

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I think I have a better idea of where to go.

-Portland for one night

-Cannon Beach or Arch Cape for 2 nights

-Heceta House for 1 night (i was able to get reservations)

-Wildspring Guest Habitat in Port Orford (1 or 2 nights)

The last thing i am debating is staying 1 night in Newport or Yachats or 2 nights at Wildspring.

Is there more to do in Central coast vs Southern Coast? Wildspring looked really relaxing which is what we were looking forward to but we do want to explore. After Wildspring we are heading back down the CA coast.

If we stay in Newport, any recommendations.

Thanks again!

There is really nothing much at all in Port Orford, and the only road out of town is Hwy 101. (Wildspring is not on the ocean, btw.)

Cape Blanco is a pleasant drive, but the lighthouse will probably be closed. There is hiking at Humbug Mtn south of town.

Yachats has several natural attractions - Devil%26#39;s Churn, Cape Perpetua, the blowhole, driving up the Yachats River Road . . .

Newport has lots to do - two lighthouses, the aquarium, Marine Science Center, bay tours, small museum, tidepools, oyster farm . . .

I%26#39;d stay two nights on the central coast and use one day to explore Newport and the northern section, and the second day, Florence and the southern section.

You could do the Rogue River jet boat trip from Port Orford on your layover day (if that%26#39;s something that interests you; it%26#39;s a pretty cool trip IMO) although you%26#39;d have to get up early to drive down to Gold Beach...but it is doable.

The main drawback IMO of staying 2 nights in Port Orford is lack of good restaurants there--driving to Bandon would probably be your best bet for dinners. So while I personally would prefer to minimize your one-nighters, staying in Yachats or Newport would probably be a better bet in terms of things to do/places to eat--that%26#39;s assuming you can%26#39;t get another night at Heceta Head, since it%26#39;s very close to Yachats.