I recently visited the Cannon Beach Library as I'm visiting from out of state. I try to get library…read morecards from as many places as possible, and this was one of the best experiences I've had while getting a library card! I had a lovely time chatting with the librarians, Mr. & Mrs. Sugano were very warm & friendly, not to mention well-traveled! Special thanks to them for being a highlight of our Cannon Beach trip, I only wish I had stopped in for longer or returned to their Book Sale! Can't wait to support Cannon Beach's library with my new library card in the future, and I hope to visit again soon.

The library is pretty small but so is the town so in proportion I would say it's a decent size. We…read morehad our toddler with us for a trip so decided to stop in for her to browse thru the children's area. They have a few games. A good selection of books. Seemed to be popular. As we were there a few other kids and their families arrived as well. Good spot for the kids if you need an activity for a little bit of time.

This is the Ilwaco branch of the Timberland Library system…read more Take note as you enter; this WAS the old train station from the early days, converted into more modern community services. The Timberland has lots of modern features; digital books, computers, printers and a book sharing system (like, if a book is at a different branch, they get it over to ya). Nicer than you would think furniture, and a great kids area. Pacific County has a real gem here for its populace. And great volunteers to boot, keeping it running. I come here mainly to print the few occasional documents I need. I mean, trying to keep a home printer, with ink cartridges that cost hundreds and then dry up in 6mos is ridiculous. The library allots resident card holders a reasonable amount of free printing per month. The library has four computer stations at this branch. Anyway, if you live here and havent been in, come in, get inspired, read something new. Its YOUR library!

Cute but LOUD. Why does no one lower their voice in this library? It's a LIBRARY. Even the…read morelibrarians speak at the top of their lungs. The smaller the library, the more important it is to be QUIET. Such a shame. There aren't any other branches close by to go to. They really should remember they are a LIBRARY and STFU.

I bet most of the folks in Astoria have never stopped in this small park. Beautiful garden with…read morestatues, flowers and trees. I guess the reason it caught my eye was the Russian Earthquake the week before when we had the Tsunami warning. Nice place to stop if walking around town.

A small garden with a big heart in the middle of Astoria. An easy break from exploring the filming…read moresites from the movie The Goonies! Not a park.

163 internal stairs and 12 external for a total of 175 steps. The views are fantastic, staff was…read morefriendly and the park was nice. We even saw an urban deer! Cost is $10 for an annual parking pass, and the pass is also a good to admit one person to the heritage museum. There isn't an individual admission. Accessibility wise... lacking severely. I get it it's 100 year old observation tower... they aren't going to hoist you with a crane, but someone who needs a wheelchair can't even get to the bottom of the column to admire the beautiful art on the outside. They also have some nice chairs spread around the park at parking level for those that want to take in the view from the ground, and picnic tables.... again we couldn't find any that were accessible. Leave grandma and anyone who isnt super steady on your feet in the car. Inside, is dangerous! No one to direct traffic, and unlike every other lighthouse or observation tower they don't have any stair etiquette or guidance posted. (Stay to the right, let down traffic pass first etc) there also isn't any inside hand rails. In the tower could also use a hose down and a bit of maintenance. Also, what is up with encouraging people to throw wooden gliders off the top of the tower? Oregon is a strange place.

A must-see when visiting Astoria and nearby areas! We recently visited on a Thursday afternoon at…read morethe end of July. Boy, the Oregon Coast is so busy during the summer months. We don't frequent the beach during summer months for this reason. We prefer spring and fall seasons. This was a special occasion, so we made an exception. We were celebrating a birthday and booked a room at the McMenamins Gearhart Hotel. We stopped here on the way for the beautiful views from above. There was a short line to get into the park when we arrived. There's a $10 fee to park. They have restrooms, a gift shop, and plenty of areas to picnic. The grounds were clean. It was so busy during this visit, we decided to skip the 164 step spiral staircase climb to the top of the column. Instead, we walked around, took in the view, and admired the artwork depicted on the outside of the column. It was a gorgeous day to enjoy the outdoors. I would highly recommend stopping for a visit when in the area!

Actually very short wait time! I'm from a big city and just recently moved so compared to a line…read morearound the block this is very good! Only about a 5-10 minute wait

I thought they did a professional, thorough job. Theyre short staffed, like many places these…read moredays, just cant get workers. Now I showed up at the end of the month (poor planning)...i got there 10 minutes before they opened and there was already a queue of about 30 folks. I waited about 45 minutes before my number was called. I showed up to get my first OR license, having been a Washingtonian these last 62 years....I brought the recommended paperwork with me (mail with my name and new address) and my WA DL. Now the DMV website tells you that you have to take the written test, so I had even studied up, and was crestfallen when I was told that they'd rescinded this requirement, perhaps temporarily. Passed the vision test, approved the use of my sorry organs in case i get whacked, and got my pic taken and paid the fee. Great. Bonus was that my WA motorcycle endorsement transferred with no question or fuss. Oh, and they are VERY quick to point out that if you have a valid US Passport, you dont have to fiddle with the new improved ID. Good job DMV. But next time maybe I'll avoid end of month :)

If this is the same as the Visitor Center at 2nd & N. Spruce streets, then it earns 5 stars for…read moreservice, friendliness, and helpfulness. I didn't catch their names, however both folks who were working Thursday, October 12th were kind and even printed the state parks pass we bought online so we could visit Ecola Beach SP. We couldn't ask for better ambassadors for the town.

There are always friendly and knowledgeable staff who have great recommendations. Even on a busy…read moreweekend they take the time to answer all of your questions. Jim in particular went the extra mile and helped us with an unusual challenge. Thanks to the great staff at the visitors center!!

Gearhart volunteer for department helps save my life in 2018. I made it to my house in less than…read moresix minutes at 5:30 in the morning.

My friends gave not so helpful directions to her house. When I walked into the firehouse and asked…read morethe fireman for help he did not snicker as I read them, especially about making a turn at the blinking light, and said, "Oh, well, they removed that blinking light about 8 months ago." He got out his map book, gave us directions, and we were on our way. They have really cool big fancy shiny new equipment there, and appear to take great pride in maintaining it. It's a volunteer department, so I give them all big credit for putting in the time to keep that place clean as a whistle. If I swooned or had a fire or needed assistance, I bet these guys would take good care of me.

I really love Seaside…read more It's probably my favorite town on the Oregon coast. The first time I ever visited was in my early teens and I came here with the Masonic youth org of which I was a member. I think we ended up going here a couple times during my years in that group but I never came with my family until just this past summer. Since we're from Eugene, Florence to Lincoln City was usually where we headed to the beach. I've always thought of Seaside as the closest thing you'll find to a California beach in Oregon. The weather is not bad for Oregon's coastal cities but they also have lifeguards on duty, which is atypical. The shopping/tourist area is really conveniently located, being right on the beach near all the hotels and compact enough that you can feel at ease if your teens wander around on their own. There's lots of shops (souvenirs, clothing, ice cream, and more), as well as the Seaside Carousel Mall whose centerpiece is of course the carousel. (Which is awesome by the way!) There's bumper cars and other arcade delights. There are several stops on the Oregon Ice Cream Trail too! We came here for the Fourth of July weekend and had a fantastic time. I love parades; we had fun watching theirs, and it wasn't so crowded that you couldn't see anything or that people were standing five deep. It was easy to get a viewing spot. The historical society held a Fourth of July Social and it was so much fun. They had a cake walk, face painting, fishing booth, bingo, cotton candy, hot dogs and dessert that one of the local orgs were selling. It was like being in the movie Pollyanna! This was held directly after the conclusion of the parade just a couple blocks away, and also a short walk from where we were staying. The town hosts lots of events too. The Miss Oregon pageant is probably the most high profile, held annually here. They also have art walks, as well as a jazz festival. And amongst their Independence Day celebrations is a fantastic fireworks show on the beach--truly the best fireworks show I've attended anywhere. But of course the reason you go to Seaside is the beach. There's a parking lot a block or two from the beach and street parking as well, but one thing I will say for Seaside is that it doesn't have as much beach-area parking as other coastal towns. The Promenade goes along the beachfront, and the Seaside Aquarium is a stop along the Prom. The beach is beautiful and large, and even has a little swingset in one area. The water is COLD, even in the height of summer, but you get used to it pretty quickly. My little one had never been to the beach before but, like her fave Moana, the sea seems to call to her. Seaside has an amenity that I don't think is terribly common, which is that they offer beach wheelchairs. My mom uses a wheelchair when away from home, and we were able to borrow a beach wheelchair so she could go out with us. It wasn't the easiest thing to push on the sand, but it did the trick. That was fun since she was able to watch as my babe took her first steps in the ocean. There were three wheelchairs, which you borrow free of charge through Sunset Empire Park District (Seaside's recreation district) and can use for up to four hours total (that's including key exchange, so make sure your building that into your time at the beach). The wheelchairs are locked up near the public parking lot, which is about a block from the beach and a four or five blocks from the park district building I think. Be aware that these are not motorized wheelchairs, and it would probably be impossible for the person in the wheelchair to make it through the sand on their own so someone will need to push. There may also be a place where you can rent beach wheelchairs for a fee, maybe for a longer period of time. And if you find the little blue "roads" made especially for the beach wheelchairs that may make it easier to maneuver in the sand. Though the spring and summer is my favorite time to visit, there's undoubtedly things happening year round. Seaside would be in my top three places to visit on the Oregon Coast. From Portland, it's a fairly quick drive at about an hour and a half or so (it used to be a getaway Portlanders in its early days). Just be aware that you'll be driving through the Coast Range, mostly on a two lane road, and we saw quite a few elk along the way during both day and night so you'll need to be alert.

Seaside is tied with Cannon Beach as most dog unfriendly city on the West Coast. There are…read morevirtually no covered outdoor spaces to enjoy a beer or meal with your pup. We braved the rain at 1 brewery and had enough. The hotel did not let us leave the dog alone so were out of options.