We will depart downtown Portland and head west on the Sunset Highway, Oregon’s first automobile route through the Cascade Mountain Range! On our drive to the coast we’ll leave the city behind and drive through rolling pastures and towering forests of Douglas-Firs.

As we drop down from Sunset Highway, we will meander through a lush Sitka spruce forest to find our first glimpse of the Oregon coastline through Ecola State Park. We’ll momentarily leave the vehicle behind and explore this coastal oasis. Nestled between Seaside and Cannon Beach, the area was once traversed by William Clark himself along with 12 members of his team in search of a beached whale. A local favorite for outdoor enthusiasts, the park connects with the Oregon Coast Trail, a 382-mile hiking trail that spans the entire length of the Oregon Coastline.

Leaving the park, we will make a quick jaunt to nearby Cannon Beach, a piece of coastline punctuated spectacularly by Haystack Rock, a sea stack just off the shore made famous by its resemblance to its namesake. Claimed to be the third tallest “intertidal” structure in the world, it is a huge basalt rock that was formed by lava flows over 15 million years ago! Three smaller adjacent rock formations to its south are appropriately named the Needles. Here we’ll walk along the sandy beach, watch beautiful birds circle the rock (Tufted Puffins, Pelagic Cormorants, and Western Gulls if the season is right), and if we’re lucky and the tide is out, we’ll view many species of marine wildlife in their natural tide pool habitat.

The town of Cannon Beach will be the backdrop of our lunch stop for the day. Guests are able to take their pick of several small-town eateries, each boasting their own eclectic menus. On a sunny day, guests may opt to take lunch to-go and enjoy it on a city bench facing the waves!

Moving further along our day of adventures, we’ll head south on the famous Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, Highway 101, exploring more beautiful coastal shores. Upon Neahkahnie Overlook, we’ll find stunning views along the highest drive-able point along the Oregon coast! Whale watching is a year-round activity on the Oregon coast, with best times from mid-December to January (southern migration) and late March to June (northern migration), when upwards of 18,000 gray whales pass close to the coast.

Here, our journey will take us back north along Hwy 101 to Oswald West State Park, aptly named after the Oregon Governor Oswald West. Governor West is credited with ensuring our vast Oregon coastline would remain open for public use. Time dependent, we can opt to take a short, forested hike following along Short Sand Creek which opens to a driftwood stacked coastline known as Smugglers Cove. A variable from this stop would be a short visit to another beautiful area within Oswald West State Park. Finishing up at this last stop, we will make the trek back to Portland through Hwy 26 to have you back in downtown just in time for dinner.