A visit to Lincoln City, along the Central Oregon coast, comes with one big challenge: too much to do, and not enough time to do it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. 

FRIDAY

The moment the ocean air comes in through your car vents, you know you’re close. That unmistakable coastal smell instantly stirs up a craving for clam chowder and Dungeness crab. That’s why your first stop is Kyllo’s Seafood & Grill, right in the center of the city, for crab legs, a steaming bowl of chowder, and an Oregon pint to wash it all down.

Next, you check into your oceanfront room just in time to watch the sun disappear into the Pacific. As the sky darkens, bonfires begin to dot the beach in both directions. The pull is impossible to resist, so you grab your bundle of firewood and head out for a nightcap of gooey beach s’mores.

SATURDAY

You kick off the next morning with monster slices of fluffy French toast at The Wildflower Grill,  the perfect fuel for a day of browsing along Highway 101 – a rotation of boutiques, galleries, and outlet stores. 

For lunch, you go with an Oregon Coast classic: caramel corn, saltwater taffy, and peanut butter fudge (for protein, of course) from Read’s Homemade Candies, a Lincoln City institution. The sugar high has you thinking a late-afternoon surf lesson sounds like a great idea. But by the time you get to Safari Town Surf Shop, the sugar crash quickly changes your mind – this time, you just watch. The staff directs you to Nelscott Reef, where one look at the waves confirms that you made the right call. 

With the start of your surf career on hold, you opt for an early-ish dinner at Hearth & Table, where the wood-fired pizzas are better than any coastal town has the right to claim – the Lamb Kofta pie is otherworldly. Then it’s off to Chinook Winds Casino, with hopes that some blackjack and roulette might just win back some of what shopping took away.

SUNDAY

Sleep in just a bit and then head to Salt for smoked salmon bagels and extra-large coffees for an extra-long beach walk. Along the way you discover rocks crawling with starfish and tide pools filled with sea anemones. No poking, just looking. On the way back, you keep your eyes peeled for the artisan glass floats hidden along the shoreline as part of Lincoln City’s Finder’s Keepers program. You don’t find one this time, but you’ll be back — they can’t hide forever.

Before heading home, you climb up to see it all from above from atop Cascade Head. A hike through lush forests opens onto unforgettable coastal views that are too good not to share — the reason social media exists, right? One last stop: a to-go order from Pub Fish & Chips, because technically the weekend lasts as long as the flaky halibut does — which, sadly, isn’t long enough.

So what will your own Lincoln City weekend really look like? There’s only one way to find out — and odds are, you’ll be planning your return before the three days are up.

ExploreLincolnCity.com