Sea Stack Playground: Cannon Beach, Oregon

IT WAS ONE WEEK FROM LABOR DAY and I sat at the computer, frantically scrolling through hotel vacancies to play a last minute getaway. We had only one criteria: go to the ocean. Sitting on the sand, exploring driftwood beaches, and listening to the surf roll in and out at night is our kind of thing. It’s self-centering. It’s freeing. Dismal rain or breaking sun transforms the color of the sea and is endlessly fascinating to watch. I’ve walked from one end of the beach to the other, passing families, happy dogs, seagulls, and washed up sea creatures on my way. I’ve become ensnared by the small things like glimmering polished stones that light up in the water or daring myself to touch a slimy ring of kelp.

After scrolling through “No Vacancies Available” on every Washington coastal town site, I had an epiphany that the Oregon beaches were also the same distance away. One of my favorite beaches as child was Cannon Beach. I am drawn to sea stacks and climbing every one that looks like I won’t slip to my death on, and Cannon Beach is a treasure trove of these. Particularly notable is Haystack Rock, which although you can’t climb, is full of nesting seabirds (including puffins in late spring/early summer) and has wonderful tidepools to explore.

As divine luck would have it, there were two hotel rooms left in the neighboring town of Seaside—one was a good rate, but looked like you were rolling the dice if the roof would collapse on you at night—and the other was at Gilbert Inn, built in 1885 with an outdoor firepit, a free breakfast that included omelets and waffles, and it was less than 5 minutes from Seaside beach.

Well, the choice had already been made for me. I splurged (my penance for planning a Labor Day trip so late) and that Saturday, we jetted down south to Seaside.

Seaside was mobbed. Gilbert Inn luckily has free parking, because cars and bikes were stashed anywhere with pavement. Our receptionist was lovely; she was knowledgeable about the history of the hotel and its founder, who had dedicated the Seaside beachfront to the public for generations to enjoy. She also recommended the cheapest place to score ice cream—inside the local mall at Seaside Candyman. Our room was everything you could want with antique furnished charm plus a bathtub and creaky floors that in any other hotel would be annoying, but here only served to enliven the atmosphere. There was an old piano and wonderful little patio, too, where we enjoyed breakfast outside. The food and coffee was fantastic. The garden side firepit, too, was where we cozied up when the night brought the inevitable rain. Great place for couples—the Inn can also can hook it up with bikes to explore the beachside path.

The mall is right next door, as is the main walk, where you can find any sort of indoor arcade adventure or bumper cars. The beach itself was sprawling, windy, and crowded with families and volleyball games. A seaside aquarium has seals flopping about as the main exhibit, and kids were getting a kick out of feeding them (adults were, too).

The most memorable place we ate at in Seaside was Sam’s Seaside Café because that Dungeness Crab Melt special was killer. Simple: English muffin with succulent crab meat and dripping in cheese. I had a clam chowder bread bowl which was nice, but let me tell you, my husband ended up sharing that Melt with me. Very fresh seafood, and the place is open late.

Cannon Beach is only fifteen minutes away. We parked at Tolovana Beach State Recreation State and hiked up the beach to the iconic Haystack Rock. There were droves of people from everywhere, admiring the seabirds and exploring the tidepools. I was pleased to find starfish had made a slight recovery, as a wasting disease had been hurting their numbers in the Pacific Northwest. Some beaches I’ve traveled to which used to be full of them now only have anemones, mussels, and limpets holding on. So it was a relief to find purple and orange starfish peeking out from the sand and rocks.

We also visited Ecola State Park which has phenomenal views of the sweeping bay studded with sea stacks, and further out, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. There are little hiking trails everywhere in the woods. Unfortunately, here is where it didn’t pay to visit during Labor Day. On the twisting road up to Ecola, we hit a large back up of cars and spent an hour waiting to get to an overlook. To actually get down to the beach required another wait, so at that point, we called it quits and decided to try our luck at Hug Point down at the southern end of Cannon Beach. We did spot an elk on the way out.

Hug Point was the best decision we made. Small parking lot, so it limited the number of people, and it was an absolute beach playground for children, dogs, and adults alike. There were miles upon miles of sand to run on, and what really made it fun was the tide had just receded enough to allow access to untold stretches of beach. There were plenty of sea stacks for climbing, a waterfall, and sea caves to explore. Plus, the sun was out. We actually had to park in a pull out a little bit earlier than the turn off for the parking lot, but it was worth the hike. Highly recommended!

We also stopped by Cannon Beach History Museum in town to see the “original” cannon the beach was named after. It’s a free museum that takes donations and has interesting stories, including details on the high number of shipwrecks that have happened over the centuries. All in all, a shorter adventure, but sometimes you’ve got to make the time for exploring whenever you can, because you never know what is waiting for you around the next corner.

This trip I’ll always remember as the last happy moment of summer. Fall has brought a late stage colon cancer diagnosis of an immediate family member which has turned all of our lives upside down. It has been emotional. It has been humbling. We’ve gone from believing there was no history of colon cancer in the family to learning that it actually did exist in a second cousin. I’ve taken heart from the small things: well-differentiated cells in the biopsy, the cancer not spreading to his lungs, and an amazing surgeon and staff who performed a late night emergency surgery to remove the tumor. We feel so thankful that our family member not only survived but was able to return home, as opposed to going to a skilled nursing home. I have seen the most eerie, miraculous timing happen—a while ago, an aunt and myself just happened to plan our vacations for the very week the diagnosis occurred, so we were fully available to jump in and help. When the first round of a 48-hour chemotherapy treatment finished, it was suddenly discovered that due to new lab results, an emergency surgery had to happen to remove the tumor blockage now. This got more of the tumor out in a shorter period of time than the chemo ever would have. It also meant he got in a first treatment round just in time, since recovering from surgery takes weeks.

When my family member walked back in the door of his home, he went straight to his favorite chair and gazed outside, peace finally falling over his face for the first time after four long, hard weeks of fighting.

Now it is a different fight in front of us for his future. We’ve truly appreciated all of those who have supported him. Colon cancer, as I’ve learned, is unfortunately very common but also very curable when caught early during a colonoscopy at the polyp stage. As such, I do want to share this story as I would encourage everyone to speak with each other about any history of cancer in the family and to get a colonoscopy done—as pleasant as it is. This family member had never had a colonoscopy due to belief that there were no risk factors, and his doctor had agreed with him. Unfortunately though, other alternative tests that are less invasive like stool tests can’t substitute in place of the doctors actually being able to see inside your digestive tract to catch the polyps early and remove them before they become cancerous. Speak to your doctor about the frequency of colonoscopies for you and make all the changes you can today to protect your health.

For us, we are looking back on our adventures, celebrating the good memories, and being thankful to God for every single day. Running around on Cannon Beach as a kid and climbing the rocky sea stacks was one of my favorite recollections as a family. It will be a marathon ahead but this has taught me to never hold back: tell those you love how much they mean to you now and always.

Disclaimer: The above story is depicted as fiction and not fact.