Do you ever just want to get away from it all? Throw your stuff in your car and drive to the beach for a few days? I did that very thing last weekend. My friend Adrienne has family friends with a condo on Cascade Head near Lincoln City on the Oregon coast, and they have graciously allowed us to spend an extended weekend there. I can’t wait to get my feet on the beach and soak up that salt water air.

If you ever find yourself in this part of the world, make sure you check out the Otis Cafe. The cheesy German Potatoes are amazing and you can’t go wrong with the giant cinnamon rolls. Really, anything on the menu will be delicious. On our first morning, we stop here for breakfast before beginning our beach explorations. Funny story – Adrienne has been going to this restaurant for years, and I first came in 2010. Just recently I found out that it’s actually owned by the cousin of one of my other good friends. Talk about a small world!

Next door is the cute little Otis post office.

After breakfast, we head down Highway 101, the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, to Lincoln City. Our first stop is Roads End beach. It’s sunny, but very windy and cold!

I love days like this. I’ve been to beaches all over the world, but nothing compares to the beaches in the Pacific Northwest on a winter day. The storms roll through every hour or so, bringing rainbows and rain.

The storms have really churned the waves creating this sea foam we see all over the beach. The wind blows it all across the sand, so light and fluffy, like a bubble bath.

Shoutout to my friend Suzie at The Tasty Remedy! Just cuz we love you!

We spend a good hour here trying to keep warm, enjoying the waves and off and on sun before continuing down the 101 through Lincoln City to Boiler Bay. This little piece of land juts out into the oceans for incredible views on both sides. The waves are so big from the storms!

It starts to rain again, so we take a few more pictures, then jump back into the car.

I love how you can see the edge of the storm with the blue skies coming in behind.

The 101 runs along the coast line and we of course have to stop for pictures at every possible spot.

We are endlessly entertained by the blow hole, never knowing when the next wave will cause a burst of water to shoot into the air.

Our next stop is the Devil’s Punchbowl in Depoe Bay, about 12 miles/20 minutes south of Lincoln City. Just as we arrive, the sun comes out and finally stays out. It ends up being a great spot to take a quick nap in the sun on a picnic table.

While Adrienne naps, I wander up the road to this funny house with buoys everywhere. It makes for a colorful home.

After Adrienne’s nap, we meet at the top of these stairs and decide, we’re already here, we probably should check out the beach below. It would be wrong not to.

The wind is almost non-existant down here, which makes for a nice walk.

Fun fact – all beaches in Oregon (unlike Washington) are public land. This means that while homes and hotels can be built here, they can’t close off access to anyone. Which means more beaches for us!

At this point, we’re starting to get hungry and decide to head back to the condo for lunch. But of course we have time to stop at one last beach on the way back north. This one is Fogarty Creek. In retrospect, we probably should have crossed the bridge to the north side of the beach which is a bit bigger, but the south side is nice for a quick stop.

Quick, run away from the incoming waves!

We don’t spend much time here as the tide is coming in, making the beach very small. As we drive back through Lincoln City towards the condo and the rain, we’re greeted by a double rainbow! They never get old to me.

The rest of the evening we spend relaxing, crafting, eating and drinking wine. It’s so nice to have nothing to do, no expectations, no where to be. I could seriously get used to this. Tomorrow we’ll head north to Pacific City and Cape Kiwanda.