This Itinerary is Full of Ideas to Help Explore the Beach for One Week!
There’s really no limit to the amazing sights, exciting activities, outstanding food, sandy beaches, and lush forests to experience and explore during a week-long stay at the beach. Use this itinerary as a road map to guide an extended stay in Lincoln City or pick and choose the parts that seem the most interesting.
Day One: There’s no better way to start a day at the beach than a stop for coffee and breakfast at Pacific Grind Café. After breakfast, explore The Taft District, a perfect mix of shops, galleries and eateries that border miles of sandy beach, excellent for strolling, running, beachcombing, fat tire biking, crabbing, fishing, and building driftwood forts. Take a break for lunch at Mo’s Seafood and Chowder, an Oregon Coast favorite since 1946. Relax with an afternoon massage or spa treatment at Rejuvenation Massage and Wellness, shop for blown glass art and other local works of various mediums at Volta Glass Gallery, or reserve a spot to blow your own glass at Lincoln City Glass Center. Enjoy local pub fare for dinner at Snug Harbor Bar and Grill or dine on fresh oysters and other seafood from Shuckers Oyster Bar.
Day Two: Begin the day with a delicious breakfast at Salt, featuring coffee drinks, breakfast burritos, bagels and wraps. Then, let’s go shopping! Oregon has no sales tax, and outlet malls throughout the state offer unbeatable deals. The Lincoln City Outlets are home to some of the best prices on national name brand products available anywhere. Kids will love the arcade games at Galaxy Game Room and custom frozen yogurt flavors and combinations at Ocean Freeze. Lunch is also available in the mall. Enjoy pub food and exceptional craft beer at Gilgamesh Brewing, sushi and other outstanding Japanese and Chinese cuisine at Momiji Express or Toky Roll Sushi and Poki.
Day Three: Let’s play on the beach! Start the day with a hearty (or light) breakfast at Otis Café, a long-time favorite of both visitors and locals alike. How about surfing some of the best waves on the Oregon Coast? ZuhG Life, Safari Town and Lincoln City Surf Shop have all of the best gear for sale and rent and offer lessons for folks who’ve never surfed before, or those who need to polish their skills. Maybe a slower pace at the beach works better; Lincoln City offers seven miles of sandy beach perfect for strolling and beachcombing, and you may find one of the 3,000 glass floats that are dropped on the beach throughout the year! Finders Keepers! Visit Rusty Truck Brewing for awesome local craft beer and a variety of lunch and dinner options.
Day Four: Grab your binoculars and camera and drive just south of Lincoln City to the Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where fresh water and ocean meet in a complex transition of two very different environments that are home to a plethora of diverse resident and migratory raptors and other birds, frogs, and spawning salmon. Travel a bit further south to the Marketplace at Salishan Coastal Lodge, and start with breakfast at Depoe Baykery or coffee at Pioneer Joe Coffee Co. Shop The Marketplace for outdoor clothing and accessories at Adventure Collective, Searenity Boutique for unique curated goods and PNW artisan items, and Hopscotch Toys for an assortment of toys and games. Have lunch or dinner at Beachcrest Brewing or Oshen’s Chophouse, and then schedule a time at the Lodge to play some golf, visit the spa, or ride a zipline through the forest.
Day Five: Start with breakfast from The Wildflower Grill, a popular local destination, or eat at coastal favorite Pig ‘N Pancake. Lincoln City is home to a wide array of antique shops and stores that feature a distinctive mixture of items from bygone eras. Start in the north end of town and head south; visit Little Antique Mall, Sea Hag Antiques, 101 Inspirations, Rocking Horse Mall, Granny’s Attic, Coastal Treasures, Antique Store, and Beach Bum Vintage. Have lunch or an early dinner at The Pines Dine, where you’ll find a dozen tasty yet different food trucks and an indoor bar and seating area. See a movie at the iconic Bijou Theatre or a locally produced play at Theatre West.
Day Six: Whether you rise early or late, delicious breakfast is served all day at Tastebuds Bistro. How about a hike, bay clamming or shopping? The hike is a three-mile loop through ferns, alder and an old growth Douglas fir forest to Drift Creek Falls, which cascades 75 feet into Drift Creek Canyon, then crosses over a 240-foot suspension bridge and leads to the bottom of the plunge. Maybe clamming in Siletz Bay at low tide sounds better? All that’s needed is a shellfish license, shovel, rake, and a suction gun. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, or shopping sounds like more fun, check out artwork at Freed Gallery or antiques and collectables at Streetcar Village. Savor a terrific dinner, local craft beer and an amazing view of Siletz Bay from Pelican Brewing.
Day Seven: Zellers Bar and Grill is a prime spot for breakfast and is located amongst a variety of shops on Highway 101. One of those shops is Prehistoric Oregon, home to an astonishing collection of rocks, fossils, minerals, artifacts and gifts. If the weather cooperates, find the ideal kite to fly on the beach at Winddriven, which also features windsocks, flags, and toys. Feeling lucky? Chinook Winds Casino is a full-service casino that offers slots and table games as well as lodging, childcare, an arcade for kids, golf, and rotating acts of entertainment. The casino also has great dinner options, dine onsite at Chinook’s Seafood Grill, Rogue River Grill, Siletz Bay Buffet, or La Bahia Mexican Grill.
Coming to the beach for only a day? Or maybe staying for a weekend or three-day getaway? Visit explorelincolncity.com for other itineraries, ideas and specific events that may be of interest.