Becoming burnt out at work and dreading the upcoming school year, I wanted to go on one last small vacation before summer ended. My friends and I had always talked about taking a road trip but never really followed through with it. Well this time I seriously needed a break from work and luckily I got four days off. Vancouver, BC was one option, but one of my friends had an expired passport. I had never been to the Oregon coast so I suggested going to Seaside. We weren't exactly sure how to get there, had no idea where we were going to stay/sleep, and had no idea of what there was to do there.
The drive down took about five and a half hours (yes, we got a little lost). We rolled into Seaside at about 8:30pm...it was dark and restaurants were closing so we quickly asked a local riding his bike at night for a good bar to get some beer and food. Without hesitation he pointed us toward the Beach N Brew. The bartender was very friendly (she not only suggested an oceanfront hotel with low rates, but also drew us a very detailed map). It was also here that we learned that restaurants at Seaside always offer fries or tots with your entree.
The hotel we were directed to was full so we walked to the next hotel over, the Ebb Tide, and ended up getting a great deal on a large room with two queen-sized beds and an amazing oceanfront view. The front desk staff was great at recommending other bars and restaurants to visit. The first night we just explored the town. Most of downtown Seaside lies along one road: Broadway Street. Along here you'll find the gift shops, major restaurants, activities like bumper cars and bike rentals, and some of the more popular bars. We found a lounge called Pudgy's on this road that was a restaurant during the day and a bar at night. You could immediately tell this was a favorite hangout spot among the locals and they're open until 2:30am!
The next day we got lunch at Dundee's (also on Broadway, great clam chowder, individual TVs at each table, and perfect for a late night pizza run) and spent the rest of the day on the beach and exploring the rest of the town. On our last day we got garlic swiss burgers at Girtles, where our waitress told us we had to walk across the street to Flashback for a good old fashioned milkshake before we left Seaside. Once you walk in, the atmosphere and decor transplants you to the 1950's malt shops. They have a variety of flavors for their ice cream, shakes and sundaes.
What I liked most about Seaside is that the locals in this small beach town were so friendly and helpful; almost our entire stay consisted of asking locals where to go and what to do next and we were never disappointed with their advice. It was extremely fun being spontaneous and just driving somewhere, but the trip would not have been as great if it were not for the residents of Seaside we met once we got there.
