Places in the Shade: Cannon Beach, OR

It may not be necessary to find shade* as Cannon Beach, OR, gets 76 inches of rain per year (US average is 37) in approximately 187 days of precipitation.

I just spent an amazing weekend at this crunchy, surfers haven. And get this, there was no rain!  While surfing requires a serious wetsuit, as the water was hovering around 40 degrees, there were many places to cozy up.

Sleep

Stay waterfront at The Ocean Lodge, steps from Haystack Beach with amazing views of Haystack Rock (pictured at top).  All rooms have (gas) fireplaces, which are nice even in the summer months, as the Pacific Northwest can get nippy in the evening.  The Ocean Lodge provides bundles of woods and s'mores kits for nightly bonfires (no permit necessary) and a supply of freshly baked cookies and coffee all day long.

Eat/Drink

We had the most amazing meal at The Irish Table: Wild mushroom soup, curried mussels, Piedmontese flat iron steak with Jameson peppercorn sauce and a Guinness ice cream sandwich in a cozy, authentic communal dining room.  During the day, the space doubles as Sleepy Monk coffee reminiscent of a hip, '90s coffee house.

You can't visit Oregon without sampling some of it's many micro brews (Rogue being one of our faves). For lunch we enjoyed clam chowder and house made craft beer at Bill's Tavern and Brew House. Try the Asa's Blonde and Blackberry Beauty.

We had a decent meal at the Wayfarer but would go back for their mixed table-side Caesar salad and the $16 wine flight that was literally 3 full glasses of delicious, local Oregon wine. The views of Haystack Rock, through floor to ceiling windows, was a nice backdrop.

Fun

Visit Cleanline Surf Shop, for board and stand up paddle rentals and lessons.   Wetsuit included!

The kids flipped for Bruce's Candy Kitchen where they have an array of homemade, modern and nostalgic candy along with a plethora of salt water taffy which you can watch being made (so Jersey Shore).

A few cute home design shops to visit: Sesame and Lillies and M Smith Interiors, both nicely curated boutiques for design businesses.

*Note: It is still possible to get a burn on a cloudy day, UV rays can penetrate cloud cover.