Day 1
Fly into Portland in the early afternoon and witness a scenic 2 hour drive through mountains and small towns as the anticipation builds. Arrive at Ocean Spray Inn and get settled before taking your first steps on the beach. See the famous haystack rock for the first time. Afterwards, shop for groceries at Mariner Market before getting dinner at Pelican Brewing. For desert, head next door to Cannon Beach S’mores Company, then watch the sun set on the beach.
Day 2
Wake up early and grab coffee at Kith + Keel, then head out to the beach for a morning walk. It’ll be low tide, so take the opportunity to walk out next to Haystack rock and see the hundreds of birds that nest on it, including puffins. Get sandwiches to go at Cannon Beach Bakery, then drive about 5 minutes north to Ecola State Park. Take the Crescent Beach Trail 1.25 miles through elevated forests with an ocean view, then down the hill to Crescent Beach. Crescent Beach is only accessible through the trail, so it’ll feel like a private beach. Enjoy your sandwiches and get ready to walk back up the hill and back to the car. For dinner, walk to The Wayfair Restaurant and Lounge to enjoy fish and chips with a perfect view of the rock. Watch sunset on the beach again, and keep an eye out for the elk that like to wander through the town.
Day 3
Get breakfast at Pig N’ Pancake Cafe, then drive about ten minutes to Arcadia beach. Walk about a mile and a half up the beach to Hug Point, where there are caves built into the rocks you can go into at low tide. Get pictures in front of the Hug Point waterfall which flows directly into the Pacific, and maybe do a little bit of rock climbing. After hiking back, explore the northern part of the town. Shop for souvenirs at places like Sandpiper Square, Sock Harbor (A store only for socks!) Cannon Beach Clothing Company, Jupiter’s Books, and B. Boutique. (It is important to know that many of these shops are only open on certain days of the week.) For dinner, go to Driftwood Restaurant and Lounge for steak, soup, or possibly more fish and chips. For desert, get ice cream at Suzy’s scoops.
Day 4
Take one last morning walk on Cannon beach before a last minute stop. Drive back to Ecola park and see Indian Beach, the filming location for the 1985 movie The Goonies, and of course, Twilight. Then, pack up, say goodbye, and drive back to Portland to fly home.
