Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The sun sets over Haystack Rock and the beach at Cannon Beach.

Winter on the Oregon coast has many faces. Some days it will be its usual blustery self, all windblown and big waves, but other days the coast is peaceful, with calm seas and beautiful sunsets.



Tourists don't tend to flock to the coast during the rainy season, leaving summer favorites like Seaside and Cannon Beach empty, beaches and state parks quiet. If you don't mind the weather, it's a great time to visit.



Every year I preach the gospel of the winter coast, and every year I return to find it empty. This year I decided to take a full week to explore from Astoria down to Newport, storm watching, sightseeing and documenting my journey.



The weather can be rough, but don't let it intimidate you: I know firsthand the magic of the coast, and the miraculous sights that winter can bring.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Astoria Column stands tall on a beautiful clear winter day.

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GLORIOUS WINTER SUN

I arrive in Astoria to a sunny afternoon, the sky a certain cerulean that only comes this time of year. The mighty Columbia River rolls past, freighters cruising by in the distance.



My first stop in town is the Columbia River Maritime Museum, a place I've somehow never been in all my trips here. I pay the $15 admission and step inside, immediately feel transported into the "Graveyard of the Pacific."



If the nickname for the mouth of the Columbia River sounds dramatic, consider the fact that since 1792, some 2,000 ships have sunk here, victims of violent conditions and a massive sandbar that extends six miles into the ocean. The museum recognizes the men and women who built the region's robust fishing and shipping industry – as well as the generations of U.S. Coast Guard crews tasked with protecting their lives.



The maritime museum is a perfect encapsulation of Astoria's history and culture, but in recent years the town has become better known for an emerging industry on shore: craft beer.



Just down the Riverwalk I find Buoy Beer Company, which opened its doors in 2014. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer one of the best restaurant views in Oregon, while a glass panel in the floor provides a peek at sea lions that perch beneath the building. It should go without saying, but the beer's excellent too.



It's only 2 p.m. when I finish, but I decide to see if the Norblad Hotel will let me check in early. The historic building was a hostel for decades, but it recently underwent a renovation and now offers modern hotel rooms with communal bathrooms. The woman at the counter says I can't check in for two hours, but as consolation she hands me a parking pass to the Astoria Column.



Atop a hill overlooking the city, the 125-foot column provides an incredible view of Astoria and the Columbia River, with a look at Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier the other way. I climb 164 steps up the spiral staircase to the top, soaking in the radiant blue sky and crisp winter air. With no wind and a temperature in the mid-50s, it's an idyllic day.



The sun starts to set and, faithful photojournalist that I am, I head back downtown to find a good spot. After checking in at the Norblad and dropping my things off, I set off down the Riverwalk until I reach a viewpoint under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, just as the sky turns deep purple and orange – an auspicious beginning to the trip.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The sun sets over the Astoria-Megler Bridge on a clear winter day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Tillamook Head Trail runs through the coastal rainforest of Ecola State Park.

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The streets of Astoria are noisy at dawn, with trucks rumbling and beeping through town. I pull myself out of bed and grab breakfast at Street 14 Café. My destination today is Cannon Beach, but with another day of clear weather I decide to make a couple stops at state parks along the way.



No trip to Astoria is complete without a visit to Fort Stevens State Park and the iconic Peter Iredale shipwreck. The surf there seems volatile, but allows some room to walk on the beach, over which the sky is painted in beautiful shades of blue, wisps of clouds to the south casting a deep purple haze over Tillamook Head.



The northernmost headland on the Oregon coast is protected and managed as Ecola State Park, a place known for its incredible views and trails through lush rainforest. Most visitors come in through the main entrance at Cannon Beach, but having just hiked that area in October, I decide to go to the smaller trailhead on the north side of Tillamook Head.



Much more rugged than main part of Ecola, the trails here go underneath fallen logs and past gigantic upturned root balls, the view of the ocean obscured by the trees. A few miles into the quiet forest, I find a spot against a trunk and eat lunch, gazing through the branches at the Pacific, a chilly wind blowing off the water.



Back in my car, I drive through Seaside before going down to Cannon Beach, struck by how quiet the towns get this time of year. Just the number of open parking spaces is eerie. For those of us who hate crowds, however, winter here is a dream.



In Cannon Beach I check into my Airbnb, a bright studio apartment above a pizza shop downtown. The bed beneath the skylight looks tempting, but with dusk approaching I head to the beach instead, where it's calm but getting cold, the temperature dropping into the low 40s.



The tide is just beginning to come in, so I take my time walking through the wet sand, when suddenly the sky bursts into a prism of colors: golden yellow at the horizon, pink and red on the clouds to the north, shades of blue covering everything in between. I take what must be hundreds of photos and then hold myself back to just watch, struck with awe at yet another glorious end to a day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The sun sets over Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A great blue heron stands on the shore of Tillamook Bay.

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GRAY DAYS

The next morning I find myself at Hug Point, a state park site just south of Cannon Beach, where clouds have gathered and the surf is high, almost covering the cobblestone beach. The storm has yet to blow in, but already I know my sunny days are gone.



Today my plan is to drive the Three Capes Scenic Route, passing by empty parking lots at Oswald West State Park and the Tillamook Creamery. The northern point of the scenic route is closed at Tillamook Bay, so instead I head to the southern point at Cape Kiwanda, taking the winding roads off the highway past farms and rolling foothills of the Coast Range.



Gray has enveloped the coast when I arrive at Pacific City, casting a dim light on the sandstone cliffs of Cape Kiwanda. A short hike takes me to the top, where I watch as waves tumble and roar, the ocean getting rougher. After lunch at Pelican Brewing, I take the Three Capes route north, all the way to Cape Meares, a true gem of a state park that's home to a little lighthouse, great views and the mysterious Octopus Tree.



As I make my way down to Cape Lookout State Park for the night, I find my mood has shifted with the change in weather, my sunny joy replaced with a gloomy calm. It's not a bad thing, really – that's just the way things go out here.



I'm excited to take a walk before dusk, but a startling site greets me at the beach: Countless moon jellies cover the sand, the surf high and ocean churning violently. It's clearly not a day for a stroll, so instead I hole up in the yurt for the night. As the gray light grows darker, the dribbling rain begins, gently tapping on the canvas as I drift off to sleep.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The beach at Cape Lookout State Park is covered in moon jellyfish on a stormy day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A man and his dog watch waves crash into the rocks at Boiler Bay, an Oregon state park site in Depoe Bay.

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THE RAIN, THE RAIN

At dawn there's no beach at Cape Lookout at all. The surf is so high today that the waves are lapping at rocks that normally lead down to the sand. Standing atop a dune, I stare out at the turquoise ocean as raindrops soak my jacket and hat.



The highway is quiet as I quickly make my way down to Neskowin, where I stop for breakfast at the Café on Hawk Creek. Only two other tables are occupied this morning, so my smoked salmon benedict comes out quickly, and is so far the best meal I've had on the trip.



On the other side of Cascade Head, I pass through Lincoln City and pull off at Boiler Bay, just as the wind and rain picks up. The state park site is named for a real boiler that landed here after a ship crashed ashore and exploded. You can still hike down and see it when the tide is especially low.



After getting soaked to the bone in the rain watching waves, I drive down into Depoe Bay, a small town propped up on the rocky coastline, to find refuge. Still dripping, I decide to hole up at The Horn, a pub that's also home to Depoe Bay Brewing. A table by the window upstairs provides a gorgeous view of the stormy sea, where a cup of chowder and beer warm me through.



I stop by Robba Gump Smoke'n Fish next door, home to some of the best smoked salmon around. A sizable salmon steak costs me $18, and I take it back up to Lincoln City, where I check in at the Ester Lee Motel, famous for its motto, "Oh the things you can see from the Ester Lee!" The motel is far from fancy, but with a gas fireplace and windows overlooking the ocean, it feels like a little slice of heaven today.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A cup of clam chowder at The Horn Public House in Depoe Bay.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Waves crash against the rocks at Devils Punchbowl during a winter storm.

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The rain persists in the morning, but my final destination, Newport, is only a short drive south. On the way I stop at Devils Punchbowl, a collapsed sea cave that visitors can explore at low tide but that waves punish when a storm rolls in. This has never been on my radar as a storm watching spot, but after a long while watching the crashing waves, it certainly is now.



Through Newport and across the Yaquina Bay Bridge, I make my way to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. I haven't been here been here since I was a kid, and a rainy day seems like a perfect opportunity to return. It's easy to spend hours inside, and so I do, hypnotized by the jellyfish and delighted by sea lions as they fly past underwater windows, fins outstretched like wings. Only a few dozen other people are here as I wander through the underwater tunnels, bat rays and sharks swimming dreamily above.



I make my way back across the bridge to check in at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, a fanciful spot with 21 literary-themed rooms in its historic building at Nye Beach. I'm staying the night in the Hemingway room, decorated with fake taxidermy heads and photos on the wall of the great author himself.



The hotel offers dinner, but it's not quite on my eating schedule, so instead I grab a cup of chowder at the Chowder Bowl and a big, healthy meal at the funky Café Mundo nearby. Night has fallen now, and I while I'd love to stroll along the beach in the dark, the roaring ocean warns me away.



Instead I take refuge in the reading room upstairs, where guests sit quietly on couches and chairs, a fire crackling in the corner. There are few better ways to end a winter road trip than in luxurious warmth and relaxation. Rain pounds the roof as I read, as huge gusts of wind shake the building.



My mind drifts away from the book and over the week that's slipped by. It's foolish to carry expectations to the coast – and it almost feels like I've been rewarded for being open. This week I've seen every facet of the season, from sunsets to storms, big waves and blue days. You never know what you'll get out here, but play your cards right and you might get a taste of everything.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Visitors walk through the Passages of the Deep exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A couple relaxes in the third-floor reading room at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB



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SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A display shows a U.S. Coast Guard ship on rough seas at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Astoria Column stands tall on a beautiful clear winter day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Buoy Beer Company opened in Astoria in 2014, and is known for its beautiful setting on the Columbia River.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Surf engulfs the Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The sun sets over the beach at Cannon Beach, creating a colorful scene in the surf and sky.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A winter storm rolls in over Hug Point State Recreation Site south of Cannon Beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest publicly accessible lighthouse on the Oregon coast.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The southern Haystack Rock stands offshore at Cape Kiwanda on a gray winter afternoon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Yurts at Cape Lookout State Park are a perfect for a rainy day.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A room at the Ester Lee Motel in Lincoln City offers great views of the ocean.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Sea lions glide past a window looking into their enclosure at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

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