The Best Town To Get To Know On The Oregon Coast
Sunset on the Oregon Coast at Yachats!
Yachats, along the Central Oregon coast, on Highway 101, is known for its scenic Pacific coastline, varied and abundant hiking trails, and community activities ranging from flower festivals to musical gatherings throughout the year. This was the response I received when I asked the friendly woman at the Yachats Information Center what the city was known for. In my opinion, she left out one very important feature: FOOD. If it is good food you are looking for, Yachats has a pirate’s bounty of restaurants and coffee shops to choose from, with fresh seafood a specialty. All of these combine to make Yachats the best place to visit on the Oregon coast.
As Pacific Coast Highway 101 transitions along the shore, the view is constantly changing from tide pools created by the onslaught of each wave bashing into the rocky terrain, to the ever-stretching beach that in places runs for what seems forever.
One look and you imagine yourself walking, feet tickling the sand until they are washed with the intrepid waves of the icy Pacific Ocean. Watching the sun dip beneath the clouds at the end of the day, as it is being slowly washed away in the infinite ocean, is, in itself, worth the trip.
Where to Eat in Yachats
This Yachats community loves their morning coffee with an accompanying sweet or breakfast special.
The Green Salmon Coffee Shop extends to their guests a lively atmosphere of locals and a few tourists who share tables to savor the coffee, eat a variety of pastries and other goodies, and enjoy a good book, an ‘online’ paper, or just rest in the chatter among the guests.
Shades of Woodstock abound, even in such menu items as Green Salmon Bagel-n-Lox Plate, Falafel Salad, Gluten-Free Breakfast Sandwich, and Sacred Cow Reuben Sandwich.
My favorite? Hot, black coffee – no cream – with a delicious Blueberry Scone. Best on the coast by far!
Foodies will love the offerings at a variety of locations. Fresh fish entrées are the local specialty, and if this is your choice you have come to the right place.
The Ona Restaurant will not disappoint. If you arrive for dinner and find the fresh halibut being highlighted, do not hesitate. The seasoned chef prepares this flaky white, sweet fish to perfection. Easily dry if overcooked, you need not worry.
Remember, you are at the Oregon Coast where you expect and will be rewarded with chefs who know their craft. A side of braised fingerling potatoes with garlic will leave you saying to yourself, ‘’That was extraordinary’’.
Luna Sea Fish House has recently been recognized as one of the best restaurants for fish and chips on the coast by The Oregonian newspaper.
Offering fresh fish and chips all day long, Luna provides you with the opportunity to truly savor one of the staples of fish lovers–Crispy batter with a soft and flaky white meat that drips with flavor. Sauces for dipping? Of course, but take the initial bite without so you can enjoy the fish whether cod or halibut. Remember, this is fish country.
Hiking and Biking
If you are ‘outdoorsy’ with hiking and biking on your wish list, then you have stopped at the right place as well. In the area are 26 miles of hiking trails and a six-mile mountain-biking loop. Two hiking trails in particular,
The Cape Perpetua Trails and the trails in and around Heceta Head Lighthouse, will not only bring you enjoyment and muscle stress from stretching your legs but will provide the environment and scenery that you would expect along the Oregon coast. Trails are easily navigated but the terrain has its ‘ups and downs’.
The Cape Perpetua Trails have a variety of trails, but the favorite seems to be the path leading under highway 101 to the ocean where you can watch and behold the majestic
Oregon coastline, or venture closer and be active with the waves breaking on the rocky shoreline. Many little tide pools are there for your exploration as well.
Heceta Head Lighthouse
Some 11 miles south of Yachats you will discover the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint.
From the parking lot of the Heceta Head Lighthouse to the lighthouse itself you will navigate .6 miles of an easy and enjoyable walk with outrageous scenery. When you approach the summit, you are greeted with the lighthouse in the distance and a small collection of houses, the lightkeeper’s house, and the oil house, with perfectly manicured lawns, white picket fences, and an impressive red roof pasted against the green forest.
In recent times Heceta Lighthouse has been transformed into a B&B where holiday specials are offered, and romantic weddings are held. Your dining can be enhanced with the Heceta Lighthouse B&B Private Label Pinot Noir offered for all occasions.
Now on to the Lighthouse, sitting on the edge of a cliff, rising some 56 feet in the air, offering sailors a view of safety since 1894. Volunteers are available in the summer and fall to answer all your questions.
Festivals!
Festivals! One of the highlights of Yachats is the annual festivals. Coming up in January is the Agate Festival, on January 18th, and 19th. You may ask, ‘Are agates found along the coast near Yachats?’ Absolutely. The seashore is full of agates and the patient ‘rockhound’ is eager to assemble a collection to rival all at the festival. And in February?
On the 8th and 9th, you will be ‘stung’ with sweetness as you mix it up with those who mingle in the Honey Lover’s Festival.
In March, on the 21st, the artsy will embrace the 50th Annual Original Yachats Arts & Crafts Fair. And on and on it goes throughout the year. As you travel the Oregon Coast and your itinerary causes you to cross paths with Yachats, be sure to check out the calendar of festivals in the town.
If your experience is similar to ours, you will agree, that Yachats does not disappoint. It is the best place to visit on the Oregon Coast.
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