Oregon Coast Photographer | Covering the Oregon Coast {Vol. 1} Pacific City and Oceanside
Our family moved back to Oregon last summer and the biggest perk of living here as opposed to Montana is obviously the ocean. It's only about an hour and a half drive to the nearest beach for us, so we go often. If the weekend forecast calls for sun, you can usually find us there. When my husband Pat and I lived in Oregon before, we went to the coast whenever family was visiting and as often I could drag him there with me. There was also a fabulous year in the early 2000s when my sister and brother-in-law lived on the southern Oregon coast and we spent many a fun weekend there with them. When we moved back to Montana, I loved being near family again but I missed many things about Oregon. The coast was one of the biggest things that made me sad to leave the Pacific Northwest. Now that we're back again, I'm taking advantage of being in this happy place.Last summer my boys and I went over a dozen times, sometimes driving there early in the morning and leaving well after the sun had gone down. I get asked a lot about where to go with kids and how we find the best places to go. Honestly, we usually don't have a plan in mind. If my little guys are extra antsy in the car, we'll often park as soon as we see blue. When we're feeling adventurous or looking for something different, we'll drive further and pull off when we see a parking space at a place that's new to us. Sometimes we use a map, sometimes we don't, sometimes I consult Oregon coast blogs, sometimes I don't, sometimes Pat goes along, sometimes he's working, sometimes I check the tide tables, sometimes I don't. We just go.When my husband had a rare weekend off this January we booked a beach house for 2 nights in Pacific City. It was after this trip that I decided our goal for the year would be to cover the entire coastline and try different places as much as possible. We've made several trips to the Oregon coast this year already and while we haven't covered a whole lot of ground location-wise, we've checked out a new beach just about every time. It never gets old and every trip is completely different than the next. As the days get longer and summer gets closer, we'll be exploring even more of this beautiful coastline.Pacific City holds a special place in our hearts. This is the beach where Pat proposed to me in October of 2005 and here we are almost 10 years later.
It was surprisingly warm for January and our boys were just as happy jumping in the sand as they were splashing in the water. We didn't venture too far from our beach house because everybody was content staying put this time and it was nice to have a place close by to warm up. That just means we will be returning to this area again to explore Cape Kiwanda this summer.
Every time we visit Pacific City we make a point to stop and eat at the Pelican Pub and Brewery. As we were eating dinner, I looked outside and saw this view. Pat told me to take my camera and go. I ran down the beach as fast as I could 2 times during dinner as the sun was setting.
The next morning I woke up early and walked out the back deck to some visiting deer.
I went by myself over the little walkway to the beach and found the most gorgeous site. I didn't think the previous night's view could be beat, but an early morning double rainbow may have done it.
I snapped some photos in case it went away quickly, then ran back to get the rest of my sleeping family and demanded they stay in their pjs, put on some boots, and run to the beach. What an amazing view!
After we left Pacific City, we drove north to Oceanside. We had never spent much time at this beach in the past but like every place we've visited on the coast, it was beautiful.
Somehow my boys convinced me to follow them through this tunnel in the rocks.
Another highlight was the drive home through the lush Oregon forests. We took the road less traveled, as we normally do when Pat is along, and several stops were in order to take it all in.
Coming up in this series: Manzanita (x2), Hug Point, Lincoln City, Indian Beach, Cannon Beach.Oh, and it looks like a beautiful weekend!
Heidi Heaphy Photography is a Portland, Oregon based photographer specializing in weddings, seniors, and family sessions. Portrait sessions are available in the greater Portland area, the Oregon coast, and are also frequently available in western Montana. Contact me to schedule your own customized session.