One of our days on the west coast was spent at Indian Beach in Oregon. We always do at least one beach day each trip! I love the ocean, prefer the Atlantic, but the pacific is still enchanting. We started the trip with coffee at Red Leaf and then hit the road for the hour and a half drive to the coast. The little towns you’ll drive through along the way are the cutest. Astoria is probably my favorite! You’ll see ships and cruise liners docked in the port, vintage style shops, seafood restaurants, museums, and of course the famous Astoria bridge.

Indian Beach is tucked away in Osceola State Park, just a short drive from Seaside and Cannon Beach. Of all the beaches in that area, Indian is my top choice. Less people, less crowds, and much more scenic than Cannon or Seaside. I’m pretty sure Cannon is just famous for Haystack Rock, which I’ve never looked up why that rock is so great, but it’s really not that stunning. I’d suggest Indian Beach!

The kids enjoyed running from the water on shore, and braving further out. I’m not fond of kids in oceans, so that part is always a little stress inducing. We found jelly fish, saw many crabs, climbed around on the rocks, watched the surfers, and relaxed. When you’re sitting on the beach chairs, listening to the waves, enjoying the mid 60’s temps, it’s one of the most sleep inducing moments.

After a few hours there, we went to Seaside to get elephant ears and stroll the boardwalk. There was a man playing guitar on the corner, another blowing giant bubbles right off the walk. The air smelled of fried food, salty ocean, and happiness.

For dinner, I had my heart set on fish and chips. Originally, we were going to go to Bowpicker in Astoria, and I wasn’t the happiest when our jaunt at seaside took too long and it closed. But the place I found! It was called Ship Out and seriously had the most amazing fish and chips I’ve ever had. We had to wait a half hour for the order, but it was 100% worth it. Best. Ever.

❤️Bethany