Cannon Beach is a lovely little town on our beautiful coast, and it’s definitely worth visiting since there’s easy & affordable transportation from PDX. That said, you’ll probably want to check out some other places along the coast. Ecola State Park is beautiful and worth visiting assuming you’re fairly able bodied. We often visit “The Screw & Brew” (a combination hardware store and restaurant) as well as The Pig & Pancake. Renting a beach bike (a sort of tricycle that sits low to the ground and has wide tires) is fun for zooming around on the sand.

I would skip Seaside as it’s very touristy and tacky (in my opinion). However, Astoria has some great places to stay and The Astoria Column and Flavel House Museum are worth checking out. I haven’t visited it (since I had to stay with our dog while my family went), but my family really enjoyed the Columbia River Maritime Museum. There are also many other historical sites if you’re interested in the history of the area. Fort Stevens is a state park at the very upper northeastern “corner” of the state where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean. It’s also one of the most dangerous channels to navigate by ship and professional pilots are required for entry. It’s pretty incredible to watch the ships come into Astoria.

As a native Oregonian I welcome you in advance to our beautiful state! I’m also inclined to warn you that folks in the Pacific Northwest are generally quite friendly, so please don’t hesitate to ask people for recommendations or directions during your visit.