TWH Travels: Oregon Part 2

November 9, 2018

Last week I shared our little family photoshoot on Cannon Beach (here) and today I’m finally sharing Portland and the rest of Oregon Coast! I used to have the longest list of to-dos and would try to shove as much as I could into our trips as possible, but with Miles now joining us, things have changed! I’m not complaining about it though because for the most part, he was a good baby and travelling with him was easier than we expected. We just needed to plan our days strategically, like decide if we’re napping him in the stroller, in the carrier, or in the car and plan our day around nap times and travel times around that. I had a list of things I wanted to do and see and if it didn’t happen, I was totally okay with it. I’ve learned that when travelling with the little one, you really just need to be flexible with your plans.

[ PORTLAND ]

Our trip started in Portland, Oregon. We stayed at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in their King Suite and fell in love with their wallpaper as soon as I walked in (I mean come on, look how cute those little birds are)! One of the key things we knew we wanted in a room was the ability to enjoy our evening after putting Miles down. In this suite, we set up Miles’ crib in the living space that was separated by french doors to our room. This gave us the ability to relax, talk and watch tv at the end of the night! Location was also important to us because it was literally central to everything downtown. We were minutes away from the best restaurants and coffee, and only a short drive to other restaurants we wanted to try in the city. To be honest, we really spent most of our days here eating, and shopping! This having been my third time to Portland, I really didn’t feel like I desperately need to check things off my list but being as it was our first time travelling as just a family of three, we took it easy, and took lots of nice strolls, and enjoyed our time with Miles. I’ve mentioned a few places below that I would highly recommend!

[ PACIFIC CITY | CAPE KIWANDA ]

After a few days in the city, we planned our next stop over at Cape Kiwanda. If you guys have never been here, you need to add it to your bucket list. You can almost instantly feel the beauty of slow living as soon as you spot the rock. We stayed at the most beautiful and perfect spot at the Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa in a two-bedroom cottage. It was quite possibly the most relaxing place I’ve been to in a very very long time (especially with a baby) and more quiet this time of year (late September)! It’s only months old and so everything is clean, new and little nooks in this place invites you to sit down and enjoy the scenery. I was also able to enjoy a little facial at the spa while Roy and Miles hung out!

One of my favourite memories on this trip was being able to watch sunset with the family on the beach. I honestly, can’t remember the last time we watched the sun go down like that because I’d always miss it putting Miles down for the night. It was a bit chilly but we dressed warm, parked our spacious 2018 Lincoln Navigator (more details on the next post) on the beach and stayed in the back with the seats down (with snacks of course)! Surprisingly, Miles seemed to enjoy it too!

Before we headed off to Cannon Beach the next day, we took a small hike up the sand dunes to take a peek at the views. Totally doable with a little one (on am Ergobaby that is)!

Eat: Pelican Brewing Company (lunch or dinner)
Coffee: Stimulus Coffee + Bakery
Treat: Make sure to make your way over to Tillamook Creamery on your way and grab a bite + their delicious ice cream!
Stay: Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa

[ CANNON BEACH ]

It was my second time here and I really can’t get this place out of my head. It’s a dreamy beach city and Haystack Rock really can’t get anymore Instagrammable. Unfortunately, I left my wallet over at Headlands Lodge and we had to drive back another 40 minutes or so to grab it (oops) but made it to Cannon Beach just in time to watch this amazing sunset. We spent a few days here and enjoyed the little town, and made most of our meals in our rental off booking.com. It had two bedrooms, and a full kitchen, bath and washer and dryer making it even better for those with families. Every morning we took a walk to the coffee shop after breakfast and took our time browsing the shops and strolling along the beach with Miles.