Secrets of the Season

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Oregon Coast Memorial Day Weekend Travel Tips and Warnings

Manzanita in spring: weather can change to something else abruptly

(Oregon Coast) – It’s the big kickoff to the summer season on Oregon’s coast. Memorial Day Weekend means a bevy of beachy possibilities in the way of more events, more things to do, plenty to see - and more crowds.

What this means to the average tourist is fewer motel rooms and more money spent on them, as well as more traffic and more time spent on the road. It’s fun and wonderful, and one of the most energetic times of the year to visit the coast, but it has its own set of rules.

Here’s a survival and planning guide for the coastline on the big weekend, enabling you to get around more easily and plan ahead much better. Weather, traffic, lodging and other interesting tidbits and advice are what you’ll find here – stuff you need to know about the coast that no one has ever told you.

Moody skies at Oceanside in May

Weather Advice

Come May, and even in early summer or Memorial Day Weekend, spring on the coast still means some wild mood swings in the way of weather. You’ll want to be prepared for all sorts of things, within the same day.

The big rule for the coast almost any time of year: take along a change of clothes or two. The weather can go up and down within minutes, which creates some unusual and memorable spectacles - but it’s a pain in the butt if you’re on a long beach walk during a spell of sunny weather and you find yourself soaked by a sudden rainsquall, largely because you’ve neglected to bring your coat. Nasty.

Manzanita can look like this within minutes in spring

Or, if you’re goofing around the sand and fall in a tide pool or a creek, you’re going to wish you’d brought along an extra pair of pants or something. This happens a lot easier than you think. Make sure you bring a coat if you’re going to wander too far from your car.

And whatever you do, make sure you bring along more than one pair of shoes and socks. It’s way too easy to get these wet – and they usually stay that way for a whole day. You’ll most certainly want to wear sandals or flip-flops while bouncing around the sand.

If you’re going to explore rocky tidal areas, bring shoes that stick well and don’t slip too easy. It’s likely what you’ll be doing is some kind of climbing, at least in a minor way. Sneakers or hiking boots are best for these areas. Always be careful of extremely slippery areas on the rocks, usually found on green spots near the tide. These green areas should be a red alert for you: it’s extremely treacherous while wet. Falling on your back or head here is especially risky business, especially if you’re close to the water.

Near the closely watched stop sign, between Tierra Del Mar and Pacific City

Traffic and Road Warnings

There’s plenty to be wary of on the road during Memorial Day Weekend. With many more on the highways, you’ll need to leave earlier and give yourself more time to get there. The roads to the region, like Highway 22, Highway 18 and Highway 26, will be packed with other cars and more heavily patrolled by police. BeachConnection.net columnist Guy DiTorrice described traffic as being a bit like “the Terwilliger Curves of the Portland area on a typical business day,” with plenty of cars packing the roads and creating more dangerous conditions. Be very cautious of your speed – not just because it’s the smart thing to do in such traffic, but police saturation is heavy and sometimes sneaky. It’s doubtful you’ll see them in time to slow down.

There are numerous sting spots to look out for: Highway 26, at North Plains; the big rest stop halfway between Hillsboro and the coast, in the coast range, along Highway 26; various gravel pull-offs along Highway 26 and Highway 18 in the coast range; the double-laned areas along Highway 26 in the Saddle Mountain area; Highway 18, between Newberg and McMinnville.

Beware of that 40-mile stretch along Highway 6 between Portland and Tillamook with no gas stops

On the coast, they can be found either watching for speeders or keeping a close eye on certain stop signs at: the stop sign at Sand Lake Road junction a mile north of Pacific City; the pull-offs just north of Newport, around Moolack Beach; the southern end of Rockaway Beach (as you come in from Garibaldi); the town of Wheeler is heavily patrolled on Sunday nights and at other random times; the stop sign at the bottom of Laneda Ave. in Manzanita; the southern entrance to Seaside. Lincoln City often has heavy patrols in both directions of traffic all day and all over town. Cops often wait at the big curve by the gravel pit, just north of the Nelscott area (start really watching yourself after the Outlet Mall).

It’s simply safer to stay the speed limit your entire journey, not just for the sake of your driving record but for the safety of all around you. If you have a notoriously lead foot you can’t control, you may consider staying home.

Backed up tarffic on Highway 101, Newport

Warning, Warning Will Robinson: Major Traffic Jam Zones

Usually, the Sunday or Monday of the weekend means a staggeringly huge exodus from the coast, with everyone leaving the same time. Traffic can be backed up for miles. Folks often leave in the late afternoon, just before sunset. It’s advisable to leave right after sunset, or even wait a bit, and drive home in the dark. While it’s harder to see and less relaxing than the usual trip back, it’s sizably less stressful than sitting in traffic an extra hour.

Drinking and Driving Bad

Staggering out of one of these is ok, as long as you're not driving

Duh, this goes without saying. But when good people become tourists, crazy things can happen. There isn’t any excuse for this no matter what, but the penalties can be worse on the coast. Tillamook and Lincoln counties take your car away automatically. Besides, most coastal towns have their bars well within walking distance of lodgings – like Seaside, Cannon Beach, parts of Newport, Yachats and Manzanita. Lincoln City, Seaside and Newport have good cab companies.

Lodging Caveat

Lodging prices begin their summer spike on this weekend, and many will take advantage of the greater need and have unusually high prices. That’s no fun, but it happens.

The best way to ensure not getting gouged is reserving your lodging well ahead of time. BeachConnection.net has a good and varied list of suggestions on this page and in the lodging sampler.

Snag your vacation rental now, like this one in Lincoln City at A1 Beach Rentals

You’ll want to do this soon. Many lodgings have told BeachConnection.net they are starting to fill up for that weekend, so some will max out very soon. Don’t make your reservations later than a week ahead of time.

Some lodgings are already completely full for Fourth of July as of now, so if you’re planning a trip then – plan ahead soon.

For those wanting to go camping: time has probably run out already for most coastal campgrounds. These are typically reserved months in advance for Memorial Day Weekend and for Labor Day Weekend.

You’ll want to start reserving your summer campgrounds now.

Seal Rock, south of Newport

Coastal Secrets Given Away

If you want great, even fantastic lodging and dining deals, no crowds and practically zero traffic, at a time when the weather is likely to be stellar: go just before the big weekend. The week and weekend before Memorial Day weekend is traditionally completely dead on the coast, while weather is usually quite wonderful. It’s the “Lost Treasure” of Oregon’s coast in early and mid May.

Lodging prices are still near winter rates, even just a week before the holiday weekend. Many lodgings are also happy to dicker in price a bit to coax people in for what is an otherwise dismal business weekend for them. Economic motivations will create some interesting deals in these three weeks before the holiday.

Lighthouses, like the one at Cape Meares near Tillamook, are a must-see on lesser density weekends

Most lodgings and vacation rentals are still at cheaper rates until the holiday weekend. You'll have to call around to your favorite place to find out more.

This time of year is known as the “Secret Season,” because of the lesser crowds, increasingly pleasant weather, better lodging deals and less traffic. It truly is a lost treasure waiting to be discovered by the average beachgoer.

Stay tuned to BeachConnection.net for more on finding deserted beaches and fascinating events during this weekend. On the Wednesday before the weekend, look for a lodging availability report from BeachConnection.net, where hotels, motels and rentals that still have openings will be posted on this website – for those last minute travelers who neglected to plan ahead.

Inn at Cannon Beach. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of Cannon Beach. Great during winter storms with a new book by the fireplace – or when the sun is out for family fun and beach strolling. Handsome beach cottage-style architecture. Lush flowering gardens and naturalized courtyard pond. Warm, inviting guest rooms. Continental buffet breakfast. Warm Cookies. Family and Pet Friendly. Welcome gifts. Smoke-free. Complimentary Wireless Connectivity. Wine and book signing events. 800-321-6304 or 503-436-9085. Hemlock At Surfcrest, Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.atcannonbeach.com.

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