Stormy weather, dramatic sunsets and a warm fireplace for canoodling with your sweetheart: What more could you ask for in a romantic winter getaway? Along Oregon’s North Coast, there’s no shortage of ingredients in the recipe for winter romance.
Rooms at Astoria’s Cannery Pier Hotel (offering a romance package with couples massage, champagne and chocolate) boast incredible views of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, gas fireplaces and a nightly cocktail hour in the lobby. Take a late afternoon walk at Fort Stevens State Park past the ruins of the 1906 Peter Iredale shipwreck, or climb to the top of the Astoria Column for 360-degree views of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean; both offer one-of-a-kind photo ops against the sunset. Enjoy the hotel’s vintage auto chauffeur service for a romantic dinner downtown.
Foodie couples will relish an escape to Cannon Beach and an interactive dining show at EVOO. Enjoy watching the chef prepare three delicious meals that you and your sweetheart can recreate at home. The evening includes a four-course meal with wine pairings. Recharge at Stephanie Inn, awarded a Fodor’s Gold Choice Award for Most Romantic Hotel, which has an array of inventive romance packages. With the beach bonfire option, you can snuggle up and make s’mores in the glow of a beach fire (built by the hotel staff). A rose-petal-strewn bed and Jacuzzi bubble bath await your return.
Without the crowds of summer, Manzanita turns into a sleepy beach town come winter. Relax in the solitude at the Inn at Manzanita, where each guest room has a jetted, two-person spa tub, private deck and fireplace, as well as easy access to the town’s 7-mile stretch of sandy beach. If you’re in the mood for something more vigorous, hike up 1,680-foot Neahkahnie Mountain. This strenuous jaunt will erase any guilt about lazing in front of the evening fire. Hit the T-SPOT boutique for something special to indulge your Valentine (or your own sweet tooth).
Photo by Larry Andreasen