Seaside
A trip to the coast of Oregon
What would a trip along the West Coast be without actually being by the coast? Down in California, the train tracks went right along the beaches, further up north though, all public transport connections were further inland. Between Sacramento and Portland, Charlie saw mountains and forests, but the coast was far away. She had discovered one place that she could get to relatively easily from Portland: Seaside.
Getting to Seaside
Twice per day, there was a direct bus connection from Portland’s Union Station. Although operated by a company called Northwest Point, the booking was done through the train company Amtrak. It was straightforward to book on their website. The bus stop is in front of the main train station and it is well sign-posted. Charlie had no trouble finding it.
It took around 2.5 hours from Portland to Seaside with a detour via Cannon Beach. The road went through thick forest and Charlie could see the mountains in the distance. There were no signs of cities, just nature and the occasional farmhouse or some deer grazing on the side of the road.
The drop-off point in Seaside was in front of a hostel and Charlie walked from there to the inn by the beach that she had booked. It took around 15 minutes on foot.
Accommodation in Seaside
It is one of those places where you seem to find more tourist accommodation than private housing and many of the hotels and inns are directly on the beach. What was rare though was that it was affordable. Charlie had a room by the beach promenade with ocean view and her own bathroom for less than what she had paid in other places in the US. The room also came with a microwave and a spacious fridge and self-catering was easy. A big supermarket was only a 15-minute-walk away.
Sunsets in Oregon
The highlight of the two days that Charlie spent in Seaside was the sunset by the beach. It was early October and not high season in Seaside. It probably doesn’t matter that much in this case because the beach is so wide that you definitely find a cosy spot for yourself to admire the orange-golden light.
Surfing in Seaside
The main reason for Charlie to visit Seaside was surfing. She had heard about this break and the vibes in town, and she wanted to see it for herself. She also had quite a bit of work on during those days and spend a lot of time either working from her room with the beach views or from coffee shops. Already the first coffee shop that she walked into had a pile of surf magazines on the table by the window. That’s the vibe!
There was one surfshop in Seaside that offered rentals, however, as anywhere in the US, the hire was quite pricey, and Charlie only rented for one day. She knew that the water would be cold, and she booked the package that included boots, hood and gloves. That was a good decision. It was chilly.
To Charlie’s surprise, there was nobody else in the water that day. She asked in the surfshop if that had any meaning and apparently, the reason was simply that it was a workday. Charlie had the entire spot to herself! There were only a few sea lions around and she enjoyed the nice long rides with the longboard.
That also meant that, unfortunately, she couldn’t take any photos of the surfers since there were no other surfers. The surf spot is on the southern end of the beach and if you are travelling by car, you could also check out nearby towns and spots, e.g. Cannon Beach.
Things to do in Seaside
Apart from surfing, there are a few hiking routes from Seaside, after all it is the end of the Lewis-and-Clark-trail. The marker and a statue are on the beach at the turnaround for cars. If you walk along that road into town, you will pass by plenty of shops, coffee shops and restaurants. It is a mix of the typical tourist shops, art shops and surf shops.
Seaside also has a beautiful beach promenade, the Prom, that is lined by holiday cottages, dunes and blackberry bushes. Interestingly, the paths through the dunes to the beach have street signs and are treated as an extension of the roads.
One landmark is hard to miss along the Prom, the Aquarium. Its location is marked by a bright yellow sign that is visible from miles away. Charlie didn’t go inside, but apparently, they also have sea lions there. Charlie had surfed with them – what more could she want?
From the location of the Aquarium, you can also see Tillamook Lighthouse at the end of the headland in the south.
