A Guide to All Things Romantic on the Oregon Coast:
Lodging, Dining, Hand-Holding Walks, Cuddle-Inducing Sunsets and Fun for Beach Lovers and Lovers on the Beach

FOR HONEYMOONERS & PET LOVERS

SAN DUNE INN, MANZANITA. Super friendly and perfect for families or lovers - including a "honeymoon suite." All sorts of amazing freebies, like bikes, games, videos, etc. Read the story here. 428 Dorcas Lane. www.sanduneinn.com. 503-368-5163.

FALL IN LOVE W/ ITALIAN CUISINE AGAIN

FULTANO'S PIZZA CANNON BEACH. Stunning gourmet-style Italian food at a family pizza joint price. Lots of regular pizza and calzone selections, but also including some wild innovations. Their pasta sauce is simply amazing.Check out their Valentine's Day specials, including heart-shaped pizzas. 200 N. Hemlock and Second Street. (503) 436-9717. Read the story here.

Valentine's Season Along the Shore

By Andre' Hagestedt

It's become one of the hottest holidays in winter on the coast, with hordes of visitors packing every Oregon Coast town in increasingly larger numbers each year. It's big enough now that if you're living in Oregon and not taking your relevant other to the coast on Valentine's Day for a romantic night, dinner and bit of beach exploration - then perhaps you don't deserve them.

The roads are busy, some motels, hotels and B&B's are at capacity, and the fine restaurants are stuffed with hand-holders. It's beautiful and romantic beyond belief - and it's a short drive from where most Oregonians live along the I-5 corridor.

From the right hotels, restaurants and beaches, if you're looking to hold onto your relevant other - or to wow a new one - then you should perhaps read the rest of this section.

Ultimately, it's the natural scenery that's the big draw: with the surf, sand and rocky formations causing everyone to pause and take things a little slower.

WINEMA BEACH

Between Neskowin and Pacific City is a sort of no-man's land of gargantuan hills that cover the view of the ocean and large, swanky homes. Keep your eye out for the tiny sign pointing to Winema Road (blink and you'll miss it) and discover one of the coast's more remarkable hidden spots. A gravel road takes you down to a sandy parking lot with just a few spots - but usually that's all you need here.

To the south, it's a little more than two miles of a walk to the quaint village and intriguing sands of Neskowin.

To the north, it's almost a mile of wonders, as you stroll past the sizable sea stack at the tide line, which allows you to lounge at its top for a bit. Along the way, enjoy the small cracks and crags in the cliffs, which seem to simply scream for a moment of cuddling. Perfect for exploring are a couple sea caves and funky crevices created by boulders or chunks of rock leaning against something else.

The beach ends at the spectacular, southern side of the Nestucca Bay, populated by enormous logs, wacky structures that people have made out of them, and a tide line that's a slightly unusual shape at times.

OCEANSIDE

Just west of Tillamook sits this old, rustic hamlet that smacks of another time, dripping with weather-beaten cuteness and charm - and yet hiding some major culinary wonders in both of its only two restaurants.

Because of its relative protection from northwest coastal winds, the beach at Oceanside is often a great spot for sunbathing or for any activity which requires getting away from the cold.

The real fun of Oceanside's beach lies inside Maxwell Point, however. The concrete tunnel here is a gateway to a stunning, secret world. Entrance into the tunnel is somewhat unadvisable during wet, rainy weather because of falling rocks.

But if conditions are calm, on the other side sits a stunning beach where enormous boulders and weirdly shaped sea stacks give the entire area a feel like something out of the old ``Star Trek'' series.

The entire area is cluttered with stuff to play on as well as a sense of the serene and the surreal.

If you've got the time, a leisurely stroll or drive through Oceanside's tiny back streets is highly suggested. The ocean view and the neighborhood tour are nothing short of a visual kick in the head.

CANNON BEACH

It should be no secret that this North Coast hotspot has perhaps the most luxurious and romantic restaurants, resorts and hotels along these shores, with monsters like the Stephanie Inn, Surfsand, Tolovana Inn and others catering to perhaps almost every need and taste. But the beaches here are one big, long stretch of handhold-inducing sands, capped with a set of viewpoints destined to create a frisson in even the most hardened of non-romantics.

At the southern end, south of the Tolovana District, a few small neighborhood streets provide secret beach accesses to more unpopulated areas. Northward, the sand takes you past the occasional creek and gargantuan Haystack Rock until it dead-ends at the - again - sparsely peopled northern end where the land mass stops you from going any further. At the end of Ecola State Park, you'll find the viewpoints overlooking the hidden beach beyond that landmass at the town's northern end. From here, see the mysterious Tillamook Head Lighthouse a little more clearly, or play around the cozy crescent of Indian Beach.

NEWPORT'S NYE BEACH

One of the most famous of romantic beaches is Newport's Nye Beach, long legendary for being the "honeymoon capitol of the world." This label stuck in the early 20th century, but it still holds true to this day in many ways. That long stretch of sandy beach, with a variety of rocky cubbyholes (perfect for momentary cuddling), makes it the best choice in Newport for those long walks on the sand.

At the center of Nye Beach is the Turnaround, with a variety of eateries, shops and B&B's surrounding it in great abundance, all of them dotting these quaint streets refurbished to look like something between Europe and the U.S. of the past. (take BC's Virtual Tour of Nye Beach)

To the north of the Turnaround, you'll find the ancient remnants of a condo atop the disappearing sandstone structure known as Jump-Off Joe. Keep walking and you'll encounter the placid sands of Agate Beach, and after a mile or two you'll wind up at the foot of Yaquina Head.

AROUND YACHATS

Imagine walking on a shoreline of black, rocky slabs with waves exploding just a ways away, tide pools full of entire colonies of colorful creatures all around you, and a load of wild, craggy, nearly mind-bending shapes at almost every step.

This is typical of the myriad of surprises you'll find in Yachats and the beaches just south of town. Up against the bay, at the mouth of the Yachats River, lies the paved parking lot and beach access of the Yachats Recreation Area. You'll find a set of steps built upon the black basalt that lead down to the raging surf.

Walk down to the rocky beach from there. Even better: grab a bit of lunch to go and munch while the ocean flails and crashes in front of you. The seagulls here have caught on to that and quickly swarm to beg for food. If you throw tidbits at them, they'll arrive in droves and surround you in Hitchcockian fashion. You can actually tease them into hovering next to your car window if there's a lot of wind.

At the northern end of town, there's the 804 Trail, which is a mile-long paved path running next to this jagged, alien-looking and always spectacular shoreline.

BREATHTAKING CLIFFTOP IN NEWPORT

STARFISH POINT is located on the Central Oregon Coast - in Newport - and offers only the finest in luxury condominium lodging. At Starfish Point, every unit is focused on the beauty of the sea and the beach.
All of the units boast two bedrooms, two bathrooms, designer kitchens, wireless broadband Internet, fireplaces, Jacuzzi’s and private decks - surrounding you in soothing relaxation. We have a friendly staff dedicated to high quality and superb customer service. 140 NW 48th Street, Newport. (541) 265-3751. (800) 870-7795. www.starfishpoint.com

OLD WORLD ROMANCE

OLD WHEELER HOTEL, Wheeler. Beauty resonates from this place, with a bay view from every room, hard wood floors and a classical décor. Each room has a vibrant charm - from the bedspreads to the delicate light fixtures. You may find a clawfoot bathtub as well. Read the story here. Hwy 101 and Gregory. www.oldwheelerhotel.com. 877-4theview.

BREATHTAKING CLIFFTOP IN NEWPORT

STARFISH POINT is located on the Central Oregon Coast - in Newport - and offers only the finest in luxury condominium lodging. At Starfish Point, every unit is focused on the beauty of the sea and the beach.
All of the units boast two bedrooms, two bathrooms, designer kitchens, wireless broadband Internet, fireplaces, Jacuzzi’s and private decks - surrounding you in soothing relaxation. We have a friendly staff dedicated to high quality and superb customer service. 140 NW 48th Street, Newport. (541) 265-3751. (800) 870-7795. www.starfishpoint.com