Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge
Image: Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge
Stay
TU TU’ TUN LODGE
tututun.com; from $215
Situated on the Rogue River, seven miles up from where author Zane Grey’s beloved waterway hits the sea, Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge doesn’t just offer a majestic wilderness escape, it insists upon it. From wood-burning fireplaces to plush beds you have to crawl up into, and outdoor soaking tubs with some rooms, no creature comfort has been overlooked at Tu Tu’ Tun—except for TVs. None of the riverview rooms have them. Then again, who needs one when you’ve got a wall of windows framing the fiery drama of every sunrise and sunset and a river outside beckoning, come, take a walk beside me.
IRELAND’S RUSTIC LODGES
irelandsrusticlodges.com; from $85
Each of these cottages, dotted along on the beach, is unique: some come with knotty pine walls, while others showcase enormous stone wood-burning fireplaces. But they all sit within sniffing distance of the Pacific. So no matter which cabin you choose, you’ll be lulled to sleep by the comforting sound of the somersaulting sea.
ZIGGURAT
95330 Hwy 101 S, Yachats; 541-547-3925; from $165
It’s hard to imagine the coastline between Cape Perpetua and Heceta Head getting any more stunning. But that’s because you haven’t experienced it from within this four-story terraced pyramid—a prism of wood and glass offering continual glimpses and new perspectives on the swaying sedges, crashing white water, roiling storms, and kaleidoscopic sunsets. With cozy, window-generous rooms, decadent tile showers, and a muscle-melting sauna, the Ziggurat B&B is a mind-bending and nourishing escape, with bird-watching, hiking, and tide-pool-hopping just steps outside your own personal pyramid. —RR
Eat
NOR’WESTER
norwesterseafood.com
With its wood paneling, leather booths, white linen tablecloths, and gold oil lanterns, this steak-and-seafood house looks like the kind of restaurant your grandparents would have called “our place.” Fortunately for us, well prepared dishes like wild chinook salmon and Quinault razor clams never go out of style.
PORT HOLE CAFÉ
portholecafe.com
Stop by this 30-year-old harborside café for homemade pies like your mom’s. You can’t go wrong with any of the 10–15 different varieties (made fresh daily), but the chocolate cream pie is an exercise in pure decadence—one that will leave you doing just what Mama asked: cleaning your plate.
Do
ROGUE RIVER
roguejets.com
Don’t just admire the Rogue from the shore in Gold Beach, where it tumbles into the sea; get on the water. For more than 100 years, the Rogue River Mail Boats have been making runs up this glorious, Wild & Scenic–designated river, cutting a twisting path through the fir-flecked Rogue River Wilderness Area. Choose a 64-, 80-, or 104-mile trip, and let something besides the sea breeze blow your hair back.
Jet boating on the Rogue River
Image: Jetboat Excursions
PISTOL RIVER STATE SCENIC VIEWPOINT
oregonstateparks.org
The low-lying dunes, sea-stack-strewn shore, and constant break make this park popular with picnickers and surfers alike. But for a real treat, wait for the breeze to pick up, then watch the water rodeo unfold as windsurfers ride the tide. You’ll come to see why this scenic spot has thrice hosted the national championship windsurfing competition.
CAPE SEBASTIAN
oregonstateparks.org
Named after the Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno, who sailed here in 1603, Cape Sebastian ensures adventure and sweeping coastal views. From the top of the cape you can see some 50 miles south, into California, and to the north you’ll spy the swell of Humbug Mountain 43 miles away. If you start at the top, you get the grand vistas (and potentially a whale sighting) first, before a steep trek through a lush Sitka spruce forest delivers you to Meyers Beach.
How to Build a Better Bonfire
Assistant scoutmaster Ryan Larsen, of Astoria’s Cub Scout Pack 628, shares how to keep your fire burnin’.
1) PICK A FLAT SPOT far from the sedges. Bonfires are allowed on Oregon’s public beaches, but they must be west of the vegetation line.
2) FIGHT THE WIND by digging a pit a few inches deep, but leave one part a little more shallow to allow air (full of fire-building oxygen) to sneak through. Make the pit two feet larger in diameter than the size you expect your fire to be.
3) COLLECT small, dry pieces of wood (kindling) about the diameter of a pencil. Lean them up against each other to form a tepee over a small pile of dried leaves, small branches, or paper. Light ’er up!
4) ONCE YOU HAVE a good blaze going, add the logs. Avoid using large logs or lighter fluid—it’s easy to end up with more fire (and less eyebrow hair) than you bargained for. After an all-night blaze? Use damp logs once you get the fire going.
5) FOR THOSE less inclined to gather all the goods, the Coho Oceanfront Lodge in Lincoln City offers a package that includes firewood, roasting sticks, and all the fixins for s’mores.
Outdoor Treasures
North to South
SADDLE MOUNTAIN
(Seaside)
oregonstateparks.org
This classic five-mile Coast Range hike climbs more than 1,500 feet, through wildflower-strewn meadows to a rocky summit at 3,200 feet, the highest point in northwestern Oregon. From your perch, spy where the sand hits the sea, and—on a clear day—where the mighty Columbia melds, frothily, into the Pacific.
OSWALD WEST STATE PARK
(Cannon Beach)
oregonstateparks.org
Snuggled up against a stand of old-growth trees just south of Cannon Beach, this protected beach’s reliable break and relatively calm sea makes it a prime place for beginning surfers to learn to ride. Pick up your gear—and maybe a lesson or two—at Cleanline Surf Shop in Cannon Beach or Seaside, which has been outfitting Oregon surfers since 1980.
NELSCOTT REEF
(Lincoln City)
nelscottreef.com
Every winter, big-wave surfers descend on Nelscott to ride the 50-foot behemoths that arrive with the season in the Nelscott Reef Big Wave Classic surf competition. Summer’s swell is somewhat tamer, so you won’t see surfers here. But just a few streets away, at the end of Lincoln’ City’s NW 15th Street, you’ll find surfable break. Plus you can park right on the beach, so when you’re all paddled out, you can kick back, prop your legs up on the dash, and watch the waves crashing beyond your feet.
TENILE LAKES
(Reedsport)
tenmilelake.net
With 42 miles of shoreline, this pair of lakes just south of Reedsport assures plenty of seclusion for anglers hoping to snag some of the plentiful largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and yellow perch that inhabit Tenmile.
Image: Isaac Lane Koval
WINCHESTER BAY
oregoncoastcharterfishing.com
Teeny-tiny Winchester Bay maintains one of the state’s largest fishing fleets, making it a terrific place to find your sea legs. Hook a ride aboard one of 45-year fishing veteran Scott Hatcher’s ocean salmon ships this month for an adventure (and dinner) you won’t forget.
FLORAS LAKE
(Langlois)
floraslake.com/flw2.html
When it comes to windsurfing, Floras Lake is the coast’s answer to Hood River. OK, so maybe this picturesque lake near Langlois isn’t quite the wind tunnel the Columbia is, but its steady, mild breezes and calm waters make it a popular place to master the sport.
KALMIOPSIS WILDERNESS
(Brookings)
www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou
One of Oregon’s most diverse (and untrammeled) wilderness areas, Kalmiopsis is easily accessible from Brookings. The 180,000-acre wilderness contains several Wild & Scenic Rivers, among them the Illinois and the Chetco, and enough trails to keep backcountry hikers happy for a week (or two).
Published in the 70 Ways to Discover the Oregon Coast issue of Portland Monthly.
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