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.

HEY YOU GUY-Y-Y-Y-YS!!…read more If you are a Goonies fanatic then this is the place for you to stop first! Read about this visitors center online and stopped here before tracking down any of the area Goonies spots. The visitors center has quite the array of Goonies merchandise that is for sale, from stickers to Sloth socks they have it all. The nice lady who was working on the day I stopped by was literally the nicest lady I've ever encountered. I'm sure she sees ton of visitors during the year but didn't not seem bothered at all with what I am sure was probably her millionth time letting people know where to go to see the sites. She even pulled out a map and highlighted what places were the most see spots and where to get the best pictures, as well as where to park to avoid getting tickets. She easily spent upwards of 20-30 minutes explaining to my buddy and I some of the history of the town as well as the history involving The Goonies. She even told us about an upcoming anniversary celebration the following year for The Goonies that I will now be making a trip back for because of talking with her. I highly recommend stopping by this visitors center to kick off your site seeing tour. They will get you squared away and will do so with the brightest of smiles.

John Jensen was very friendly and super helpful!…read more Stop here for everything you need to know about the area! My friends and I came to Astoria to visit the sites where they filmed "The Goonies". Since we really did not know where to start, we started here. The gentleman at the desk did not shun us for being "tourists" in this lovely town, but actually seemed genuinely happy that we came to visit. He provided us with maps of the best sites to see (since other movies like Kindergarden Cop were also filmed here), the best routes to get around and great places to eat (we were also on our own self-made brewery tour). You can't go wrong by checking this place out. At the end of the trip, we came to the conclusion that visiting Astoria was one of the highlights of our trip-- of course due in part by the kind people at the Chamber of Commerce.

This was a random pull off the road stop on our way back to Gresham from Seaside…read more There are safe places to park to walk over to the viewing area. We didn't see any eagles at 4:45pm which was a bummer. But the view definitely made up for it.

Total misname on this one. This is an overlook platform over some wetlands/river/tidal flats…read more There is supposed to be a pair of bald eagles that nests nearby. Don't waste the effort to go here.

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.

The BCCC has an infinate number of uses. It's available for private rentals with a variety of…read moreoptions. There are two meeting rooms that can be combined, a conference room, a main hall a commercial kitchen and a Pottery Studio. Sunset Empire Park and Rec has fitness classes here, Yoga, Tae Kwon Do, Dance Fitness, Arthritis Fitness, Tai Chi and Pilates. They also offer pottery classes. Meals on Wheels is prepared and delivered out of here. Senior lunches are served daily, senior movies are on Thursday. Annual events, Community Thanksgiving and The Fall Fun Fest are held here. Some chefs utilize the commercial kitchen for catering events. Community Forums are also held here. Oh, ukelele practice and a knitters group also meet weekly. It's a great place to find out about local resources especially if you are new in town. Volunteers are always needed for the lunches if you'd like to get involved.

Sure wish they would stop yapping at the front desk all the time. I get greeting folks who come in,…read morebut letting them stand there for 10+ minutes to shoot the shit is more than a little disruptive. I come here to get out of the house away from any distractions so that I can get writing done. Pretty bad that I have to wear earplugs and headphones at a LIBRARY. Otherwise it's a nice location and environment. Just keep in mind that it isn't any quieter than a typical office job environment.

Very modern looking library, especially compared to the others in the area. Five stars for an…read moreawesome children's area. I love how it's separated into its own area and has so much more than books. A puppet theater area, large stuffed animals, puzzles, toys, computers, etc. Large selection of Spanish books. They have a weekly story time on Wednesday mornings geared towards the preschool crowd. Large parking lot with plenty of parking. Located near all the Seaside attractions (Boardwalk, shops, restaurants, outlet center, etc.).

Amazing quality library in our own backyard! The librarian is knowledgeable and helpful. They…read moresupport the community and are in touch with its needs.

This is a very quaint little library that does an awesome job. ALL of their staff & volunteers are…read moreabove and beyond. Their dedication is what makes this little place such a gem on the coast. Wonderful children's programs, great reading advice, a constant book sale, free magazines, Internet, and peace and tranquility make this one of my favourite libraries. It is always so refreshing to see some of the local children not only use the library for their studies, but also volunteer by cleaning, organizing, etc. These special children restore my faith in today's youth. Smart, polite, and goal oriented reflections of solid parenting and values.

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 :)