Oregon Coast Awesomeness

Not many places can compare to the pure, rustic beauty of the Oregon Coast. Stretching 363 miles north to south, there's plenty of coastline to explore along the Pacific Ocean. My family returned again this year and we stayed in Seaside. During our visit, we witnessed so much natural beauty. From spotting whales, to watching the sun rise and set, to seeing the stars on a dark, clear night, and seeing rainbows from our balcony, it was all good. In fact, it was awesome.

The Prom, in Seaside, is the perfect place to take a stroll after dinner. People watch, see the sunset, and walk the 1.5 mile path that is lined with hotels and beach houses.

Goodbye, Sun, see you tomorrow. You can't beat a sunset on the Oregon Coast.

You're not really visiting the coast until you get right up close and greet the waves. I walked pretty close to the surf. The tide was just where I stood a few minutes before. I had to turn around before my feet got wet. We were surprised by how many people were wading in the water. The temps were in the low 60's so I imagine the water was a little cold.

We watched the sunset on the second night from our hotel room. See the lighthouse in the distance? That's Tillamook Rock Lighthouse and rumors are that's its haunted. At least it was far, far away from me!

A visit to the Coast isn't complete unless you visit Cannon Beach, seven miles south of Seaside. Don't forget to look for Haystack Rock, perched in the water near the edge of the water. Plus, it doesn't hurt to know that Cannon Beach was named one of the world's top ten beaches. We'll take that.

About halfway between Seaside and Tillamook is Arch Cape. We pulled over at an overpass and got this view. Even better? I saw whales, which at this time of year are migrating south for the winter.

The very scenic view from the overpass at Arch Cape. Pretty sweet how the ocean is curved here and you have proof that, yes, the Earth is not flat!

One morning in Seaside I caught the end of a sunrise.

Towards the end of our trip the weather turned a little stormy. The sunset looked a bit angry here and although I took so many sunset shots, I just couldn't help myself, this one was unique.

It was my son that spotted the rainbow from our hotel window. It was beautiful and a perfect ending to our Oregon Coast trip!