Oregon Coast on Canadian Thanksgiving

[Howesight]

Hi all Samabanistas!

My wife and step-daughter and step-daughter's friend are going on a scouting mission to the Oregon Coast on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (October 8 to 11 for us this year).

What are we scouting for? Great Westy camping spots and nice beach houses for the summer of 2011.

In summer 2011, my wifes' Toronto family (parents, sister/husband/4 year-old kid) are flying to Vancouver, and my adult sons and their GF's (from BC) and my wife's brother/wife/three kids from Monterey, California, are all going to converge on the Oregon Coast for a week at a beachfront vacation home.

We'll take three Westy's from BC and the California crew will take their (sadly non-Westy) vehicle from Monterey. The Canadians will camp for a few days on the way and in Oregon and then converge on a beach-front vacation home. We'll need space for 17 people.

I am hoping to be in the mid to north coast Oregon area. I have been to Cannon beach many times and loved it, although Tillamook and Newport were quite nice also.

So here are my questions:

1. What do you locals (and travellers) recommend for Oregon Coast camping spots for the Westy crowd (1 syncro and 2 2WD)?

2. Where do you suggest we look for a beach-front rental place for one week?

Many thanks in advance.

[randywebb]

depends on what you want

fewer people the further you are from Portland

you also have choices of rocky intertidal vs. sand beaches

many rentals are on the internet

in the '70s you could run a bus all over the place and camp in out of the way spots for free (I did)

today, access is limited almost everywhere - and where it is open, the ATV crowd is all over the place

post more specifics on what you think of as a good vacation
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[carterzest]

[WestyBob]

There's a place south of Seaside and north of Tillamook called Nehalem Bay State park that offers camping for groups. Every fall many Vw westians converge there although I've never been. You might google it and see if it fits your needs. I'd also recommend making reservations if you like it.

As already suggested, the weekends can be crowded, especially closer to PDX, but weekdays could be nice.

Taken as a whole, even though I live in PDX, I have never camped on the Oregon coast largely because they have it pretty locked down, channeling everyone into private campgrounds and State parks ($$$). However if none of this is a concern there are campgrounds all along the coast, north to south.

Best to get a map, identify the locale(s) of interest, and google-read up on the campgrounds there.

[carterzest]

[jyl]

I camp at Nehalem a lot. Reserve early and get several sites together, just over the dunes from the beach. It is a large campground, heavily used, is not a wilderness hermit experience by any means, but fine for a caravan of Westys. There are some group campsites that are slightly away from the main areas.
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1988 Westy, Bostig v2.0

[climberjohn]

Howesight,

Some quick suggestions:

Summer camp spots fill up fast. Reserve as far in advance as possible.

This should not be a problem for your scouting trip in October.

OR and WA state parks, depending on the mood of the ranger at check-in, categorize Westys as "RVs" because you plan to sleep in it. (I know, don't get me started on this!)
Most parks have a rule that while 2 vehicles can share a site, only one "RV" can occupy a site. What this means for a group of westy campers is that you may be forced to each get separate campsites, adding to your cost. This makes it more important to reserve in advance so you can get spots close to each other.

Most coast campsites have yurts. I have parked 2 Westys at a yurt site before and had no hassles from the rangers. They are harder to reserve, but this might be an option.

I suggest Cape Disappointment in the very SW tip of WA. Close to yummy seafood in Willapa Bay, great beaches and driftwood, and historically, Lewis and Clark's first view of the Pacific (yeah, I know Alexander Mackenzie beat L&C to the Pacific, but we Americans still like our hometown heroes.)

Re vacation rentals, check vrbo.com

Check out the small burg of Manzanita for a house rental. It has a nice small town vibe, fairly upscale, close to the superb Oswald West state park beach, and avoids the masses of tourons in Cannon Beach.

Have a great trip!
-CJ
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'86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often.