This was a day of extensive driving, which left us time to visit only a few of the possible stops. We attempted to see the Ghost Forest at Neskowin Beach, a collection of ancient tree trunks visible only at low tide. We misjudged our time, however, and were unable to see anything other than a nice vista. We then took in a quick view of Cape Kiwanda before heading for perhaps the most iconic sight on the coast, Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.

That turned out to be easier said than done. Cannon Beach at midday has a carnival feel in the worst way, with pedestrians taking great liberties with their right-of-way and parking woefully inadequate. There was no way we were going to get up close to Haystack Rock, but I saw another possibility on the map. I set the GPS for a viewpoint at Ecola State Park, which made for a vastly more enjoyable experience. This viewpoint was actually where the Fratellis’ hideout was filmed in The Goonies, and the view of Haystack Rock positioned it in context to the shoreline and actually looked more like the final scene in the movie. There were not too many people there, so we had more time and space to explore.

We skipped several more spots so Jeff could visit the Oregon film museum in Astoria before it closed inside were exhibits dedicated to The Goonies, including Data’s costume and the statue the kids knocked over in Mikey’s house.

Our room for the night was in a turn of the century house called the Rose River Inn Bed and Breakfast. With the windows open, we were assured of a good night’s sleep.