We drove into Cannon Beach for the last evening of our “Twilight” movie road trip and were greeted by blue skies, sunshine and beautiful sandy beaches. Cannon Beach is one of our favorite weekend getaways for many reasons, but mostly because it’s beautiful, accessible and there is a lot to do no matter the weather or time of year.
This was our first stay at The Ocean Lodge, located steps from the beach. We had a pet-friendly ocean front room with a kitchenette and separate bedroom. Open the sliding door and you found yourself on a deck with 180 degrees views of the beach. Breathe in and you feel the salt air, cool breeze and warm sun melt away any stress you carried in.
I’ve written a full review on TravelingMom.com, but in summary here’s what we thought of the Ocean Lodge at Cannon Beach:
The biggest thing we liked about the Ocean Lodge was it’s proximity to the beach. We loved being able to step out and walk right on the beach. My husband and older daughter could go for a walk when V was done with the beach – I could still sit out on the deck and enjoy. Note that this is a sandy beach access, so it’s not wheelchair accessible, but Troy Crowe, assistant manager at the Ocean Lodge told me that the Cannon Beach Police Department issues short duration beach access permits at no cost for persons with disabilities. Next trip I plan to try this and see how it works. In addition, the Lodge is beautiful, staff friendly and rooms new and comfortable. They are pet-friendly, but have rooms that are allergy-free as well. There are 2 ADA rooms, but if you need other things to make your stay more accessible, let them know and they will work to accommodate you as much a possible. For example, we didn’t need a dedicated ADA room, but a bench in the shower makes things easier. They happily had a shower bench brought to our room.
Goonies
YES!
Our family has used a beach wheelchair in Manzanita, which is just a little south of Cannon Beach. Manzanita Bikes & Boards has free beach wheelchairs. They are first come first serve so it is good to call ahead. http://www.manzanitabikesandboards.com/wheelchair.html
Thanks Ashley, that’s great to know! Next time we are on the Oregon coast we’ll check it out!
What an inspiring blog. We are considering a trip to Cannon beach (none of us has been) with our mother who is in a wheelchair due to MS. Do you have any additional suggestions for resources? We don’t think her motorized wheelchair will work and are unsure of the effectiveness of her push wheelchair in the sand. Are there any places that rent something that could be used on the beach (like the dune buggies of southern oregon) or some sort of bicycle type cart?
Thanks for any thoughts you may have.
Thanks Jamie! For beach access the best option from town is going down the paved road behind the Wayfarer on East Gower Ave (the Wayfarer is a great place for a special dinner), the road goes right onto the beach. There is a stream that runs from that point to the ocean, the sand is wet and hard-packed along here, making it easier to maneuver a wheelchair. We find it easiest to pull my daughter’s chair backwards so the front wheels don’t get stuck, until we are on the hard, even sand. I’m calling to find out about getting a beach pass to drive on the beach, that could be a great option for you, then your mom could get out into her chair on the hard sand easier. I’m also asking about the availability of beach wheelchairs in the area, I’ll let you know what I find out. The Ocean Lodge is beautiful, right on the beach, but make sure that you ask about the view from the room, that your mom can see the beach from the deck in her wheelchair, there was one room I saw that had tall grass in front of the deck, obstructing the view when sitting. I do hope you can go, I find the beach to be so relaxing and healing. Blessings to you and your family!