Having lived most of my life in Oregon and Washington, summer doesn’t seem complete without at least one trip to the beach. Oregon’s 1967 Beach Bill guarantees free beach access to everyone along the entire 363 miles of coastline, and there are plenty of gorgeous stretches to choose from. A few weeks ago my husband, younger daughter and I spent a relaxing seven days along the central coast.

One never seems to be lacking for something to do at the beach. We stayed in a lovely condo complex perched just above the waves, and our apartment looked out over the pool to the wide ocean beyond. Our location, about half way between the towns of Lincoln City and Depoe Bay, gave us easy access to several attractions. Golfers are just a few miles from the Salishan Spa & Golf Resort (as well as some municipal golf courses), and hiking trails abound along the shore or extending into the Coast Range just to the east. One can go crabbing or clamming, and deep-sea fishing or whale-watching are also options.

Depoe Bay prides itself on being the world’s smallest navigable harbor, and its pocket-sized marina offers fishing and whale-watching charters which have you out on the deep blue sea within literal minutes of leaving the dock. We found we didn’t need to hit the water to see marine mammals: We observed harbor seals lolling in the water right there in town, and later spied a trio of California gray whales spouting offshore from our perch on the cliffs above the ocean.

If you run into a stretch of rainy weather (not an unlikely scenario on the Oregon coast!), there are plenty of indoor attractions, especially in Newport. The city is home to the extensive Oregon Coast Aquarium (once home to Keiko, the killer whale of Free Willy fame) — really worth a visit, rain or shine — as well as a Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Odditorium”, a wax museum and the Oregon Undersea Gardens. It’s enough to keep squirmy kids happily occupied for a full day at least. On top of that, there are a few lighthouses to explore on this stretch of coastline, so boredom isn’t an option.

However, we were blessed with gorgeous, sunny weather (albeit high temperatures barely hitting 70 degrees) during our week there. I will admit to spending most of my time doing not much of anything except reading, strolling the sand, flying kites, wave watching and taking in beautiful sunsets — which was just what I desired. Yep, I can let summer go, now that I’ve had my beach fix.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor