The BLT Guidebook

Brookings is the closest coastal Oregon town to us. We’ve heard of the famous Coos Bay and Bandon and some smaller towns being relatively the same distance, but something about traveling through the redwoods caught our attention.

Night 1: Beer & Camping

Our drive was less than 3 hours, starting on I-5 towards Grants Pass and taking the US-199 South/Redwood Highway toward California. Once off the interstate, the highway is easy and scenic, winding through the even quieter parts of southern Oregon. Once in California, the scenery changes, following the river canyon and before you know it, you’re in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, in the forest with the redwoods towering over you.

We came to the 101 and went north another 25 minutes back into Oregon and into Brookings. In Brookings, we turned toward Alfred A. Loeb State Park, 8 miles from town, where we were camping for two nights. We lucked out and snagged this campsite a week before our trip.

The spot was conveniently located on the Chetco river, which flows into the pacific. The sites were oddly shaped and a little cramped, but everyone around us was friendly and we had full amenities- like a hot shower. There was also a small trail to a gravel bar, where you could fish or put a lawn chair for hanging out by the river.

We arrived around 7, so we set up camp then went back into town- wanting to check out this brewery on the main strip before they closed. Misty Mountain Brewing is a fantasy-themed brewery. Located downstairs from the main shops, it’s a hole in the wall place with several beers on tap and unique decor. The beer was well worth it!

After our pit stop, we went back to our campsite and had an early night, so we could explore the next morning.

Day 1: Beach, more beer, & kayaking

We planned on an early start- we made coffee and hit the road to town again. Our first stop was Harris Beach State Park. This place was beautiful! We walked up and down in the perfect morning sunshine while Dan threw a line in the water. We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Next stop- coffee! at Bell & Whistle Coffee Shop. This was located in what I would call the harbor area, next to the Port of Brookings. Run by a couple, they had great coffee, amazing scones, and a great vibe.

We stopped at the local bait and tackle and they sent us south- toward the California border in search of the Crissey Field State Recreation Site. This park had nature trails, wet lands, beach access, and a welcome center. It was also way more crowded than our previous beach stop being that it was getting later in the day and the sun was shining.

Dan fished for an hour or so before we headed back into Brookings to stop at Chetco Brewing Company for lunch! This place had a cool set up- inside it houses a stage for nightly music, food trucks, and games. It definitely was the place the be.

We took an afternoon break after driving around a bit and stopped back at the campsite to lounge around- we grabbed some beers and carried our kayak to the gravel bar. There was a decent crowd for a Saturday, but not an overwhelming one (we have seen photos of this place being packed in the summertime). We had a beer and took turns kayaking around our stretch of the river.

Night 2: Great food

This was not exactly the “evening,” but later in the afternoon (around 5), we went back to Brookings to have one last moment of outdoor time and check out the dinner spots. Chetco Point Park was our first stop- we took a trail from an awkward parking lot that led us to a dirt trail along the ocean- with an almost 360 degree view of the coastline. Since it was later in the day, we practically had the place to ourselves. The water was gorgeous, and the sun was casting down the exact amount of warmth needed to enjoy the last parts of the day.

Dinner was an interesting experience since we checked into 3-4 places and the wait times were over an hour for each. We popped into this cool bar that had live music the night before, the Oxenfrē Public House, and sipped on a cocktail thinking about our plan. As luck would have it, we went next door to this restaurant that was above Misty Mountain-the Black Trumpet Bistro. This place was a bit classier than we were looking for, but the service and food was well worth it. We weren’t able to get into a seafood place in the harbor, but we had seafood that was just as good!

After our meal, we headed back to the campsite for another chill night by the fire.

Day 2: Mini-road trip

We didn’t stay a full day in Brookings- we headed out at 8 and stopped at Cosmic Grind Espresso then to Harris Beach for another hour of beachtime. This morning the fog rolled in, casting a grey, eery vibe over the beach. We followed that fog north toward Bandon, an hour and a half up the coast. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much of the view since the fog rolled in, so we missed some spots we’ve heard about on the way up.

By the time we got to Bandon the fog cleared and the sun was in full force. I could instantly see why this was a popular spot- the “old town” was on the harbor with piers you can walk out on and old-timey shops you could pop into- ones that sell old-fashion candy/fudge, Bandon-branded merch, etc. There were tons of adults and kids up and down the street.

We had another meal dilemma- all the places we passed had a line out the door for lunch. We chose The Loft Restaurant and Bar that was upstairs and had a view of the water. It was well-worth the wait. We sipped on mid-morning cocktails on a balcony overlooking the town. The food was good, too.

We weren’t in Bandon long enough to visit the beach or check out what else was there (like the Dunes and nature trails), but we did stop into Bandon Rain for a glass of cider and to check the place out.

We have yet to visit Coos Bay, which is another 30 minutes north, but we decided to head home since we could easily hop on the highway from Bandon. We drove the OR-42 east toward the I-5. It was another pretty low-key highway with views of hills. The drive this direction was longer since we traveled up north a bit, so we stopped in Winston at our halfway point to visit Lookingglass Brewery Brewpub. After that, we met up with I-5 and drove the hour and half to home.

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Brookings was a great stop on the coast- I’ve been to many coastal towns in California and this place was at the top of my list.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the coast? Leave a comment down below.

Travel on!,
~C