Seaside, Oregon: The Location for Year-Round Beach Fun

Oregon beaches are certainly not known for their warm temperatures and refreshing ocean waters. Regardless of this, we make Seaside, Oregon the spot for our family vacation every year. When we actually have sunny and warm weather during our visit the last weekend in July, we definitely take advantage of it by playing on the beach and dipping our toes in the frigid ocean water. Some of the younger and more daring in our group will actually go in past their ankles. The rest of us enjoy a little Frisbee, sand castle building or just plain chatting while we enjoy the warm sun.

There is much more to do at Seaside than play on the beach, however, especially if you have young children. Broadway, the main street, which leads to the turn-around at the beach and the Lewis and Clark monument, is loaded with lots of shops for those tourists looking to get trapped. For kids, however, there are several mandatory stops.

The little mall at 3rd and Broadway has a great toy store called "Under The Big Top Toys" . Prices are kind of high, but I'll bet you find a couple toys in there that you can't leave Seaside without. They have a wide selection of toys in every price and age range. In one corner they have a shelf full of those toys you used to get from sending in your Bazooka wrappers: fortune telling fish, x-ray specs and the like. If you are looking for something for your Curious George or Madeline fan, there is plenty to pick from, including tin sand pails and lunch boxes to plush toys. They also carry a huge selection of puppets and open stock Brio train tracks, in case you need a few more pieces for your set.

Also in this mall is the ever popular carousel. One dollar gets you a ride, and if you are assisting a younger child, no extra charge. It's certainly not the biggest carousel I've ever seen, but the kids don't seem to notice. Those who collect smashed pennies will not want to miss the penny smashing machine next to the carousel.

As you head down the street toward the beach and past several more tourist stores, you will come to the arcade. The arcade is one of the bigger ones I've seen. They have something here for the whole family. Even if all you want to do is stare into their fabulous tropical fish tank and relax as the Yellow Tang swims by. There are games like skee ball, air hockey, and basketball, as well as a few of the classic arcade games like Centipede and Pac Man. They also have some of the more recent arcade games and a good selection of pin ball machines. And for the littlest in your group, there is a great selection of those "quarter" rides: "galloping" horse, race car, rocket ship, and tiny merry-go-round.

Continuing on towards the beach, you will come to the bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, and miniature golf. These are all indoor, which is a huge plus when you are waiting for the sprinkles and clouds to pass.

Along the beach is a paved walkway known as the Promenade, but everyone calls it "the Prom". If you brought your roller blades this is the perfect place to use them. However, walkers dominate, so don't worry that those crazy bladers will run you over. (Crazy bladers, please don't run us over!) Take a walk at sunset along the beach front property. You will pass the Seaside Aquarium, which I have never been in to, but it's easy to hear the seals barking as you walk by. This isn't a long walk. The Prom is about a mile long, so you don't have to be in tip top shape to enjoy a stroll.

If you come to Seaside, please don't leave without some salt water taffy. Lots of stores sell it, but one in particular does a great marketing job to get you into their store. If you've walked up and down Broadway you will most likely have run into the Candy Man. It's not easy to miss him. He's the one singing "The Candy Man" and handing out free samples of taffy. His store offers the largest selection of taffy I've ever seen, with 170 varieties. The problem with this, however, is that you spend 30 minutes picking out the most exotic flavors of taffy, and then the moment you leave the store, you are unable to remember which is the boysenberry cheesecake and which is the Cherry Coke float. To tell you the truth, after a while, they all start to taste the same. That is why I usually go to Phillips Candy Kitchen. They've got about 10 standard flavors and the old fashioned machine that makes it right in the store. Since they don't offer so many varieties, I've found their taffy to be fresher tasting and much softer.

After the kids have been taken care of with the toys, carousel and candy, take a moment for yourself and browse through Seaside Scents . They offer a great selection of scented bath products. My personal favorite is Spring Rain.

And if you are wondering where to stay in Seaside, you will have quite a selection of nice hotels, as well as many rental homes. My suggestion would be to stay some place with in 3 blocks of Broadway and no more than 4 to 5 blocks from the beach. This way, you can walk where ever you need to go, since parking can be hard to come by. The Shilo Inn is right on the beach and is a pretty nice hotel, but there are currently several hotels under construction. It is right on the Prom, and Broadway. However, during the summer months, the rates can be high.

We've stayed at the Hillcrest Inn and the Convention Center Inn. Hillcrest is pretty old, but they have some nicely remodeled rooms, and it's 1 block from the beach and 2 blocks from Broadway. The Convention Center Inn is a little farther back, but it's a little newer. Both of these hotels have very reasonable rates. The Convention Center Inn sometimes accepts the Entertainment card (check your Entertainment book). Make your reservations early in the year for your summer vacation and you should be able to easily find a place to stay.

If you are a member of Trendwest Resorts, there is an absolutely beautiful Trendwest Resort Condo building. I've been lucky enough to stay in one of the condos with a friend who is a member. They are all have kitchens, fireplaces and grills on the balcony. Most have views of the ocean as well.

You will have lots of choices of restaurants in Seaside and many are on Broadway. If you are a clam chowder fan, you will have many chowders to sample. However, I've found the clam chowder at Dooger's to be the best. It's thinner in consistency and seasoned just a bit more than other chowder's I've tried. Of course Dooger's also has more than just chowder. Their menu offers pretty basic meat and potatoes fare, as well as seafood. It's not fancy, but it's delicious. I also recommend the smoked salmon salad.

For a fun breakfast, a visit to Pig 'n Pancake is mandatory. Again, the fare is pretty standard, but it's a popular stop and the food is good.

Even if the weather isn't clear and sunny, we always enjoy our trip to Seaside. If you live in the Portland area, try logging on to one of the local news station's weather cams. You can check out the beach at Seaside in the morning, and if the sun is shining, make the 90 minute drive out there. It makes a great day trip as well as a weekend stay. Even if it is cloudy, you should have a great time.