Astoria

One of our favorite things to do is head to the Oregon Coast for a weekend getaway. Our favorite spot to visit is Astoria because of it’s just over an hours drive for us and it’s filled with good food and lots of fun. I figured with the summer coming and lots Coast trips planned I’d share a few of our favorite places to Eat, Play and Sleep in (or close to) Astoria. 

Eat

Where ever we travel finding a place with good food and decent coffee is an absolute must. Luckily for such a small spot Astoria has some really great food and beverage options. Most of the time we like to start our day at Street 14 Cafe which is right in downtown Astoria and attached to the Commodore Hotel. They serve up a decent cup of Stumptown Coffee but what we really go for are the apple or pumpkin bites which are essential vegan doughnut muffins. When we aren’t buying out their entire stock of bites we often go for the bagel with hummus and veggies or whatever other vegan pastry they have that day.

For lunch or dinner you can likely find us at Buoy Brewing or Ft. George Brewing. Great beer, food and atmosphere. If you only have time to go to one though I would head to Buoy as the view and the food are superior to Ft. George. If you find yourself in Seaside, just a few miles south and are looking for a spot to eat we happily ate at New Garden Asian Cuisine. Now it’s nothing spectacular but they have tons of veggie options and it all tasted good. Lastly, if you decide to head to Long Beach, WA just across the bridge from Astoria Pickled Fish is the spot to eat but make sure you make reservations first!
Play

The thing about Astoria is that while it is Costal there really isn’t a beach so if you’re looking for a beach vacation I would head south to Cannon Beach or for somewhere a bit closer to Astoria you can cross the beach and head to Long Beach or Seaview.  In Astoria our favorite things to do are the Columbia River Maritime Museum which might sound a bit dull but it’s actually really interesting and has great rotating exhibits. If it’s summer time the Astoria Riverfront Trolley is an absolute must. You get a nice ride along the water where you can get off and on as you wish. The riverfront walk is also great and if you are a runner it’s a beautiful running spot on a sunny Summer morning. If you’re looking for a great view the Astoria Column is a great spot to get amazing views and if you are daring enough (I’m not) you have climb the winding stares to the top of the tower for an even better view.   We also just love to walk around Astoria checking out the shops, our favorites include Maiden Astoria for beautiful locally made goods, FinnWare for everything Scandinavian and Astoria Vintage Hardware for vintage and vintage inspired items for the home. 

Sleep

Now to be honest we have only literally slept in Astoria once and I wouldn’t recommend that hotel. This isn’t to say there aren’t some great spots to stay such as the Commodore, Norbald, or the Cannery Pier Hotel but the first two aren’t great for families and the last is usually a bit above our budget. If we were to head to Astoria sans children though my first choice would be the Commodore which reminds me a lot of the Ace Hotel in it’s style, vibe and it shares a lobby space with Street 14 Cafe.

So where do we sleep?

Most of the time we head across the bridge to Washington and stay at the vintage trailers at the The Sou’Wester in Seaview. It’s our absolute favorite spot to stay with it’s vintage trailers, walkability to the beach and now it even has a wonderful sauna. There is often live music on the weekends as well which makes it so much fun. It’s basically glamping and we love it. When we aren’t staying at The Sou’Wester you can find us down the road at the Adrift which has a really modern and slightly industrial feel. It houses a great restaurant, it’s walking distance to the beach and it’ has some really great affordable deals so get on their mailing list. The last spot I would recommend to stay is in Seaside at the Ashore which is the sister hotel to the Adrift. The Ashore and Adrift have similar styles but the Ashore is significantly smaller and has no restaurant but it is walkable to the beach…although that beach is Seaside so there is that. The hotel was nice but I personally prefer the location and amenities of the Adrift.

I have to say I feel pretty lucky to live so close to such beautiful spots and to be able to spend our free time enjoying them. We can’t wait to head back to the Coast in a few months for an anniversary trip.

You can find my post on The Sou’Wester here, here and here.

And more about places to eat and sleep in the Astoria, OR/Long Beach, WA area here.

Where are you favorite Oregon Coast spots? For those of you who have yet to visit the Oregon Coast what are you favorite getaway spots?