As we were preparing to head to Newport, Oregon, for our friends Geoff and Maria Folsom’s wedding, I asked all the Oregonians I know if they had any recommendations or advice.

Nearly all of them either said they’d never been there or that there is nothing to do there.

Color me a bit surprised after spending a weekend there that the natives I talked to had so much apathy about the place.

While Newport is certainly a bit more blue collar than the other sea towns I’ve visited, that just added a level of charm for me. I’d rather visit a town with a commercial fishing operation right in the middle of the downtown area. Or a pub featuring a cigarette machine (when is the last time you saw one of those in person?) and multiple dead animals on the wall.

But beyond the Tacoma-like nature of Newport, it is also stunning. Despite being socked in by fog most of the weekend, we were still able to enjoy wide sandy beaches, a historic lighthouse tour, lots of good food, and a fantastic room at the Hallmark Resort right on the beach.

They even had a Dutch Brothers within walking distance, which really was all Veronica cared about.

Newport actually has two lighthouses you can visit, and it has the stunning Yaquina Bay bridge spanning the river and separating the different sides of town.

There is also an aquarium we were told is really good, though we didn’t visit.

About the only downside to Newport is that it is hard to get to, but that is the case for any of the coastal towns in Washington and Oregon. And after driving through Lincoln City on the way home, suffice to say, I’ll take Newport any day. Ya’ll can have your condos, overpriced gift shops and traffic!

– Craig Craker