Dunes City, OR

Four Favorite Stops on Our Epic Oregon Coast Road Trip

DeanLand

We took an epic one-day Oregon road trip along iconic Highway 101, starting in Dunes City and ending at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City. Google told us this was a four hour drive, but that was before the plethora of fun and scenic stops along the way, turning our drive into a 15-hour marathon.

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Flying over Sand Dunes at 50 mph was one of our Oregon Coast highlightsPhoto: DeanLand / Our Travel Cafe

We've done a video for Newsbreak about this adventure. Among our favorite stops were:

Oregon Dunes. A preserved area of dunes perfect for a morning walk, donning our jackets and followed the designated trails through the dunes. Strolling near the Pacific, we saw some sea creatures as waves crashed ashore.

Sand Dunes Frontier. This stop featured group, solo or escorted rides in a variety of vehicles. We let our teenager chose our ride -- a hopped-up dune buggy with a professional driver. Our speeds reached 50 mph, literally flying over the tops of dunes, and collecting sand in our every nook and cranny.

Thor’s Well. Among the many natural wonders along the drive, Thor’s Well erupts in tall geysers when waves force water through hidden sea caves. This is best visited at higher tides.

Cape Kiwanda beach. On a sunset walk, we gazed at colorful views of the Chief Kiwanda haystack rock and its impressive arch. This is home to the Pacific dory fishing fleet. We watched as fishermen navigated these flat-bottomed wooden fishing boats through the crashing surf and right up on to the sandy beach.

For more details, photos, video and descriptions, check out our video on Newsbreak.

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# Oregon# Pacific Coast# Vacation# Family Fun# Road Trip

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I'm a trained journalist and retired global marketing executive. Living in Northwest Georgia, I write about about avocations including outdoors, travel, exploration, history and some of my community passions. I've traveled to 47 states and nearly as many countries. My South Louisiana-born French Cajun upbringing in food-rich Louisiana plus my extended restaurant-related career affirmed my status as an over-qualified eater. At my blog, OurTravelCafe.com, I offer a complete menu of our my own experiences, explorations and adventures, organized by geography and always sprinkled with some spicy, tasty tidbits and food notes.

Acworth, GA
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