We arrived home last night from our family vacation to the Pacific Northwest. Here are my highlights from our time spent in Cannon Beach!

Haystock Rock US-101
I can't say I've loved every experience at a cold beach, but despite the chilly water and afternoon wind, the rock was fun to see. I was totally unaware this rock, of all things, could look good in any lighting. It was especially gorgeous when paired with a morning fog or sunset.
​Tip: Public parking is available on W Gower Ave and S Hemlock St if you need it. 

Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters​ 1235 S Hemlock St. A
My favorite way to enjoy the chill in the air was with coffee. Get an organic coffee and a fresh pastry at Sleepy Monk Coffee! I tried the brew "Fiddler's Fusion", a medium roast, which was was right up my alley. 
Tip: Order a flavored bagel with cream cheese - They were fresh and light.

Take your coffee to go and spend time admiring the houses near the water. Our family spent almost an hour driving around, lol.

Bald Eagle Coffee House 1064 S Hemlock St.
Get a pretty mug of Starbucks coffee at Bald Eagle Coffee House for $1.50! That's my kinda coffee. Ordinarily, I'm not a Starbs coffee fan, yet the owner had out a medium roast that wasn't too bitter. She was also super sweet and even offered me a to go cup before I left. It was fun to take advantage of the front patio seating, especially since it was sunny out!

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Find a hotel on the water
We stayed at the Surfsand! (148 W Gower Ave.) It was fun to keep the screen door open overnight and fall asleep to the sound of waves rolling in.

Ecola State Park​ Off Hwy. 101
At five dollars a vehicle, this place was super chill. It was gorgeous. I definitely recommend stopping by Indian Beach, it had a wonderful view. This was definitely the first landscape that screamed "Oregon" to me. 
We saw a handful of surfers here too. Honestly, I wasn't aware anyone surfed on the West coast, other than in California. Silly me.
The park had plenty of picnic tables, walking trails, and sandy spots to post up with a beach chair and book.

Schwietert's 144 N Hemlock St.
Check out the shops on the North side of town. Grab an ice cream or a stick of cotton candy at Schwietert's. My sister bought a waffle cone of Coffee Walnut Fudge. It was $4.50 for a single scoop.  
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Cannon Beach Book Company 130 N Hemlock St. 
This was another favorite shop of mine. They had a variety of journals I was drawn to, the kind with original designs and simple phrases that weren't cliche. I was surprised by the number of books in this place. It reminded me of a book store nestled in the middle of Old Town in Fort Collins, CO, not a smaller coastal town. 

Pelican Brewing 1371 S Hemlock St. 
I did quite the research on restaurants in Cannon Beach. Overall, I felt as if Pelican Brewing was the only restaurant I could highly recommend, out of the places we tried. 
Though it sits a block from the water, it was a perfect coastal dining experience. Our waitress was super friendly and upbeat. The building had an open floor design with high ceilings, which felt very inviting.
I ordered the Smoked Half Chicken, which came with cheddar smashed potatoes and coleslaw. Everything on the plate was fresh, it was pretty easy to see and taste the quality of the food. My meal was priced at $17.99, so if you are planning on splurging on a nice meal, let it be this one. 

Did I miss some of your Cannon Beach favorites?

A little over two weeks ago, my roommate and I headed down to Fort Collins for a weekend of fun before finals.

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Snag an Airbnb
We spent a combined $110 on two nights in Fort Collins. (Which is hella cheap!) We had a phenomenal host, Diane, who had an adorable cat and dog. :) Diane was extremely helpful, especially when it came to recommending places to eat and explore.

Our planning was pretty last minute for this trip. We opted for a private room, which had better availability and inevitably was much cheaper. I would definitely stay with Diane again! 

 Sunrise/Sunset:
Horsetooth Reservoir
Check out Horsetooth for a place to run off energy and good views. You can hike, picnic, or campout if you'd like. We spent $7 on a one day vehicle pass, so we milked all its worth and went for both sunrise and sunset. Keep in mind, the weather might not cooperate so be prepared.
 
One morning we got up at 5am to catch the sunrise and it ended up being overcast. But ya know what? We were so hyped to see water and tiny mountains that we didn't care. We captured perfect lighting for photos. E.Beth also managed to find herself ten feet from a pretty little deer. 

Breakfast:
I got two options for ya. 
#1 Lucile's
Want to try something different for breakfast? Check out Lucile's for New Orleans style food. This place was packed, an hour after it opened. If there's a wait, wait, it's worth it.
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I ordered Eggs Eisenhower and E.Beth ordered the French Toast. Try to find something that comes with a biscuit, they're huge, crumbly, and amazing. Also, don't be afraid to try the jams on the table, the berry one was my fav! I spent a little under $20 here, including the tip.
*400 S Meldrum Street

#2 Cafe Bluebird
Want a place that's classy and quiet to dine for breakfast? Try Cafe Bluebird. They have a giant menu with every combination you can think of. I liked their hazelnut coffee and their home fries were the bomb. I ordered the breakfast croissant with ham and bacon, which as it looks, was delicious. Items on their breakfast menu ranged from eight to fourteen dollars.
*524 W Laurel Street

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Lunch:
The Colorado Room
This is by far the cheapest place we found to eat in Old Town. The menu is a little daunting when you walk in, but a guy immediately explained how it worked when we said it was our first time. My meal, on the left, was only $7.50 with a salad and drink. I ordered the cheese-steak slider and E.Beth got the southwest chicken sliders. 
*642 S College Ave

Explore:
Walk around Old Town and pop into some fun shops, museums, and galleries. Ragstock was our favorite clothing shop, which is where I bought a crop top and a floral dress. Everything was reasonably priced and there was plenty of stuff under ten dollars. They even had a section in the back that sold 90's Nike jackets!

Coffee:
Throughout the trip, we tried a fair amount of coffee places. Surprisingly, we weren't that impressed. We opted to grab coffee at a Shell gas station over any coffee shop we found. Email me if you're serious about your coffee and want to avoid these places in Ft. Collins. 

Dinner:
Italian or Mexican, take your pick.
#1 Twisted Noodle
I want to apologize in advance for the crummy photo of the Twisted Noodle. I kid you not there was a Starbucks next door and five sorority girls outside staring at me as I took it. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi and it tasted lighter than I expected. It was a little oily for my liking, but still had great flavor. My meal was a little over ten dollars. 
*1335 W. Elizabeth St. Suite 135

#2 Pueblo Viejo
Do you ever roll into town and just crave chicken enchiladas? We do. Our first night in Fort Collins we stopped at Pueblo Viejo. I spent around thirteen dollars, including the tip, so the amount of food for price ratio was pretty reasonable. Their refried beans were my favorite and they brought out free chips and salsa! 
*185 N College Ave # 102

For more photos, check out E.Beth's photography blog @ https://candidlye.wordpress.com/
Do you have a different fav hiking place in Fort Collins?
What is your favorite place to eat in Old Town?
Know any other place to catch a good sunrise?