The first time I drove the Oregon coast we stopped at the Heceta Head lighthouse. I remember…read moreparking at the paid lot and admiring the open arched bridge, that beautiful rocky cove of a beach, and the quintessential lighthouse view. We took the trail up to the lighthouse and saw the lightkeeper's home on the way. There is a fence all around and it is not open to the public, but there were people sitting on the porch! We realized it was a bed and breakfast and I was heartbroken not to have known about it before as we certainly would have included a stay there in our vacation plans. I tucked it away as a hopeful wish for someday....
Well, little did I know at the time, we ended up moving to Oregon a few years later! As soon as we were settled, I determined we must make a weekend trip and stay at the lighthouse. We finally did and it lived up to every one of my lofty expectations.
The lightkeeper's house is accessed via a private road, and there are a few parking spaces near the house, but it was pretty tight. Upon arrival, we were greeted and brought to our room, with a quick tour of the home and some suggestions of things to see or do while there. We booked one of the Mariner's rooms as they have such a gorgeous view of the ocean. The bedroom and bathroom inside were definitely small, but that is to be expected in a historic home, and no matter as the bed was comfortable as could be! Of note, some rooms share a bathroom so check while booking if you have a preference. Once we'd checked it out, we stopped by the cheese and fruit out for guest's arrival on our way to the beach, and they were so sweet to give us a little box so we could pack some goodies to enjoy on the sand. They had wine, too!
We spent a perfect hour or so at the beach, then headed into Florence for dinner. This or Yachats are the closest city for meals (about 20 minutes either direction) so either eat before you check in, or plan to go back out. They do have a kitchen that is available for guests, so you could bring an easy to prepare meal. Once we'd returned, we spent some more time at the beach, then relaxed in our room until dark. Then we grabbed a flashlight and headed on up the trail to admire the lighthouse in the night. This was such a unique experience and the highlight of our stay. You can see how far out the light beams to sea, and we hiked up a bit behind the lighthouse, so we were right at the level with the rotating light. Incredible! Back in our room, we cracked the windows for a lovely ocean breeze and fell asleep to the sound of the waves. Perfection.
In the morning, I took a little time to read through the ghost stories they have collected (too wimpy to read at night!), we wandered around the beach for a bit, and then guess what! The stay isn't over yet as there is a stunning seven course breakfast! This is served family style with other guests, although they do give you the option to dine separately if you let them know ahead of time. The food was magnificent! They explained each dish as it came out and it was all so fresh and skillfully prepared. We had a tropical fruit salad, bread, tuna ceviche, mango smoothie, quiche, sausage, panna cotta, and finished with fruit and cheese. Of note, if you don't wish to stay but would like to have breakfast in the lightkeeper's house, they do special breakfasts for special occasions and at certain times of the year, just check the website for dates. After the meal, they offered a little history tour inside the house which we sadly didn't have time to stay for, but we did go to the lighthouse for quick tour and to peruse the gift shop before checking out. It truly was such a dream of a trip, and I would definitely suggest staying for two nights. I thought one would be sufficient but would have loved more time.
A couple tips about the area: This is just a mile or two north of the Sea Lion Caves. They are 110% a tourist trap, but still worth a visit if you've never been. We ate dinner at Mari's Kitchen in Florence and it was delicious, would highly suggest it, although it is located in a cute downtown area with all sorts of options. The same people who run the bed and breakfast own Ona's in Yachats, so I'm sure that would be great too. While in the area, make sure to plan some time to explore magical Cape Perpetua.