We then drove to Ecola State Park just north of the Cannon Beach city limits, a prime whale-watching spot with scenic overlooks, beaches and forest trails. It was just past 9 a.m. when we walked in the fog along a paved footpath leading to an overlook. We spotted the Tillamook Lighthouse in the distance, but no whales. At Indian Beach at the northern end of the park, local surfers were already in the water, catching the waves at high-tide. When the tide is out, this is a prime spot for beachcombing, one of the surfers told us as she tended a bonfire.
Sand dollars are what most people find.
This morning we had it to ourselves. Back in town, the shops along Hemlock were opening for the day. We bought a plastic container of smoked mussels at the Ecola Seafoods Restaurant and Market, and spent the afternoon browsing art galleries, shops and bookstores. We planned to spend the evening reading and relaxing at the inn, but had we been in the mood to go out, we could have taken in a play at the Coaster Theater Playhouse or dropped in at the American Legion's Saturday night fish and oyster feed. Perhaps this is why so many people regularly wait until after Labor Day to visit the towns along the Oregon coast.