The Good, the Rad and The Soaring on N. Oregon Coast: Sunset Vacation Rentals

Published 04/07/21 at 12:35 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Manzanita, Oregon) – Along that rather magical stretch of north Oregon coast that includes Rockaway Beach, Nehalem Bay and Manzanita, there's a distinctive set of vacation rentals that create a constant state of wowing. Individualistic is one word that fits; downright stunning is another that can often be applied, along with creative and about half a dozen other terms that indicate your beach trip will get rocked. (Above: the Maison de La Lune home)

On Manzanita's main drag, Laneda Ave., you'll find Sunset Vacation Rentals. While the office may be in the thick of Manzanita and its dense trees, SSVR – as they're sometimes known – has its rather imaginative touches running throughout the bay area and Rockaway Beach. Some 115 homes, in fact.

Sunset Vacation Rentals has some just inland in Nehalem, where the woodsy and river vibes take over, and temperatures in summer can jump closer to inland heatwave temps just by driving a few miles from the beaches. They've got a couple as far north as a few miles south of Cannon Beach at Falcon Cove, a wild and untamed area where the rocks are famous for making weird, rattling noises.

These days, Amy VanDyke is the co-owner, running it alongside founder Sandra Camirand, who started the operation in the mid ‘90s. It's a business that's created a solid, loyal base on both sides. It's got a customer base that's sometimes like a fan base. Then, out of the homeowners that started letting Camirand manage their homes in the early years, most are still along for the ride.

Like many others along the Oregon coast that started a rental agency back in the ‘90s, Camirand saw some of the signposts ahead for this kind of biz. She originally had a cleaning service called Cleaning Genie, often cleaning the indie rental homes that existed at the time, so she gained some insight. She sold that cleaning business to fund Sunset Vacation Rentals.

“Vacation rentals were the wave of the future,” VanDyke said of Camirand's insights. “There were two other companies in town doing it at the time, and she just saw it as a business that was definitely going to grow.”

It grew indeed. Now, vacation rentals are a national business. Part of SSVR's growth was absorbing two other vacation rental agencies, one in Manzanita and another in Rockaway Beach. Their lineup of homes tripled.

These days, there's dozens of these beauties on this part of the north Oregon coast for just about every price range under the Sunset Vacation Rentals umbrella.

The Tree House

Among the high points are eye-poppers like the Tree House. If it sounds rugged and woodsy, it sort of is. Except for all the upscale stuff. A unique set of angles are surrounded by those earthy cedar shingles typical of coastal towns, and it's all nestled tightly between towering trees.

Maison de La Lune (photo at top of article) is a spacious beauty that hosts up to ten people. Among its numerous attractions is that rounded outdoor seating area with a fire pit. Not only will that keep you warm on those cool ocean evenings but you have a large chunk of the Pacific right in view, in front of you. It's a little viewpoint that likely rivals Neahkahnie itself.

In Rockaway Beach they have the stately Valhalla, adorned with Renaissance-like pillars, hearkening back to something old-style Italian or Mediterranean. Luxury is the keyword at this oceanfront home, with two stories and granite counter tops. The dining room leads to a glass door with a deck, and the brick fireplace in the living room rounds out the comfy coastal vibe.

There's a huge oceanview balcony upstairs.

The Sea MIst

The Shorebird in Manzanita looks like something from the future a tad, while the Sea Mist is smothered in elegant but beachy-downhome polished wood and enormous windows looking out onto the sands.

One of the more striking curiosities in the Sunset Vacation Rentals roster is the Bonny Octagonny, with a kind of octagonal lighthouse shape, decked out in weathered cedar. You get distinct views of the ocean and the mountain, which is augmented by a large deck. Nestled in a thickly wooded hillside, it's a quick dart to the golf course and the city park. Inside, you'll find a spiral staircase, among other wonders.

186 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, Oregon. 503-368-7969. 800-883-7784. www.ssvr.com. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

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