Cruise Oregon Highway 101

I love to come home and have Michael tell me I have a new Cooking Light Magazine in the mail. Aside from cooking 101, menus and planning and great recipes, that I try out on my husband, it has articles about health and fitness, beauty tips and travel. The latest issue has an article about the Oregon Coast.

Entitled Cruise the coast of Oregon the article encourages you to take a four-day road trip and cruise the coast.

The Oregon coast is famous for its 350 miles of public beaches and dramatic cliff-side lighthouses, and fall is an ideal time to visit: Prices are lower than during the summer season, the beaches and towns have a little more elbow room, and the cool fall breeze is refreshing. From whale watching to hiking to antique shopping, it seems there’s something new to do around each curve. When it comes time to eat, there are plenty of seafood restaurants and brewpubs in the area—Oregon has more than 70 microbreweries across the state. What better place to enjoy a locally made pint while watching waves crash against the shore than in a seaside restaurant?

This four-day, 255-mile road trip starts in Astoria, the oldest settlement west of the Rockies, and travels down Highway 101 through charming towns in the north and central coast, each with a unique range of offerings. Fly in and out of Portland, which has the closest large airport. The two-hour drive to Astoria on U.S. Highway 30 takes you along the Columbia River, and U.S. Highway 26 traverses the coastal range. With sweeping vistas all around you, it may be hard to keep your eyes on the road, so build frequent stops into your trip and remember to pack your camera.

On our tenth wedding anniversary, we drove to Eugene and then across to the coast. There we went north on 101 stopping at the dunes and renting a dune buggy for three.

Here the sand dunes reach 500 feet above sea level.

At the top the driver stopped so we could take pictures and guess who forgot the camera. Oh well, it just means we will have to go back and enjoy it all again.

Bev & Mike