Guest Post: Manzanita - A First Time Visitor

Yep, We Love Guest Posts!

When we heard that Adler Morris, a recent guest at one of our oceanside Manzanita vacation rentals, was about to launch is own travel blog, we jumped at his offer to write a guest post on our own Manzanita Beach Life blog about this Oregon coast getaway. Stay tuned for details about where to find his new blog.

In hearing about other people's perspective of our Manzanita area on the north Oregon coast, we are able to again experience the wonder and the beauty of our area with a fresh outlook. Follow along with us as we take a look ...

Manzanita - by Alder Morris

Imagine waking up to the therapeutic sounds of waves crashing upon the shore, digging your toes into the fine sand of Manzanita beach, admiring the impressive Neahkahnie Mountain in the distance and taking in the colors of a beautiful sunset from the comfort of this oceanfront cottage.

Yes, that was what my friends and I had in mind when we decided to spend our weekend at this oceanside beach town situated along the gorgeous Oregon Coast. No matter how vivid your imagination is, nothing beats the experience of actually being there when you are completely immersed in the unrivaled beauty of Manzanita’s seven miles of spectacular shoreline.

Manzanita’s seven miles of spectacular shoreline

Manzanita is the Perfect Beach Town

Our excitement started the moment we arrived at this quaint beach town. Nothing overly touristy, nor completely unpolished, Manzanita have the right dosage of everything expected from a coastal town. It has the feel of an upscale country town yet retains its primeval ambiance. There is an abundance of bohemian shops and cafes located on Laneda Avenue.

We enjoyed wandering through the shops and picked up the essentials for our weekend getaway from a local shop. We appreciate they had a good selection of local wines. After which, we headed straight to our highly anticipated Oceanside cottage located just minutes away.

The Oceanfront Cottage - Great Location

Our hosts had helpfully prepared us with all the necessarily details for our oceanfront vacation rental and promptly checked into our private cottage. The cottage was beautiful and indeed a stone throw to the beach. Absolutely loving the rustic design and tranquil ambiance, we knew that it was the right choice for our stay. The house had plenty of space with three bedrooms, a living room that overlooks the beach, and a kitchen equipped with everything we needed for our trip.

The cottage is able to sleep 8 people but since there were only 6 of us, there was more than sufficient space for everyone. Practically every room have amazing views overlooking the ocean, great views up and down the beach and sits at the foot of Neahkahnie, surrounded by the lush greenery of the Pacific NW.

We couldn't be more thrilled over the perfect views of Manzanita beach’s gorgeous shoreline. Our very convenient location and private beach access was definitely a high point; we immediately dropped our stuff at the house and took a relaxing walk by the ocean.

Manzanita Beach is very casual and relaxing, and ideal for chilling by the beach, kite flying, surfing if you're so inclined, wildlife watching or doing absolutely nothing. We also like to be lazy while on vacation.

After our leisure stroll on the beach, we were all starving and decided to head back to our Manzanita rental. The kitchen was pretty much equipped with all the appliances and cooking equipment we required, so we managed to whip up a delicious seafood meal without much trouble. There was a large dining area with great views of the ocean, where we dug into our sumptuous spread. We totally relaxed in this beautiful setting, which was something we really appreciated due to our normally hectic daily life back home. The weather was so nice we debated eating out on the deck at the outdoor dining table that overlooks the beach, but we were happy lazing inside, as the views were so terrific.

The living room was cozy and perfect for reading a book. I must admit, we didn't even turn on the TV once, but it was conveniently located not far from the fire place, a perfect place to curl up and watch a movie. But one of the favorite things about this Manzanita rental is that it includes a private fire pit directly next to the beach. We made lots of wonderful memories by the fire next to the beach , roasting marshmallows and enjoying a full panoramic view of the Manzanita beach, with the incredible sunset providing lots better views than a TV.

We hated to go in, as the night brought out the peacefulness of the setting. The sound of the waves was a perfect accompaniment to the night sky. It was so clear and covered in stars.

Don't Miss Hiking Neahkahnie Mountain

We slept well as the beds were comfortable, then woke up to the perfect from the wide windows. We enjoyed our breakfast and morning fix from our private deck, never getting enough of our unobstructed ocean views. Our house was conveniently located from the start of Neahkahnie Mountain hiking trail, so it only took us less than 5 minutes to drive over and get started on the short and relatively easy 3 miles hike up to the summit. The views along the hike were marvelous and they got more incredible the higher we went. Along the way, we passed through dense evergreens. As we set foot on the peak, the aerial view of the beach south to Tillamook Bay was so Instagram-worthy that we spend a significant amount of time taking photos.

We made it to the summit of Neahkahnie Mountain and back to our cottage in a little less than 3 hours and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing on the beach with a book while enjoying beautiful Pacific, and the long southward view all the way to Rockaway Beach. Not surprisingly, we decided to dine next to the fire pit, this time enjoying a very good pizza from the local Marzano's pizza. We didn't want to go in because we knew our getaway was ending.

We Hated To Say Goodbye

We had a perfect mini vacation and loved the Manzanita area, and especially appreciated our oceanfront Manzanita rental. We decided to steal away more often, as it's only a short drive from Portland. Our mini vacation was a totally revitalizing experience away from our overworked urban lifestyle. Everything from ambiance to amenities to location was on point and nothing short of exactly what we needed.

Actually, the whole Manzanita area is just what I dreamed a beach town would be like. With a locally owned bookstore, great little cafes and coffee shops, lots of boutiques from touristy to high end art, designer jeans and swanky rubber boots. Plus the vast expanse of user friendly beach and three well stocked grocery stores all created is what is now our family's favorite Oregon beach town.

Did I mention our dog loves it too?

Photo Credits: all photo provided by A. Morris: 1) animalnana 2) eliwatson 3) kennynewberry 3) blepper 4) runnybabyrabbits 5) alley8221 6) jennyannedorr 7) cazzpics69 8) djangonchains

Alder Morris is a soon to be travel blogger, and new fan of the north Oregon coast! Stay tuned for the link to his new endeavor.