This guide takes you west from Portland to the coast. I hope folks will have time to enjoy this part of Oregon too.
From Portland you can get to the Oregon Coast by car in about an hour and a half if you don't stop, but there are numerous attractions along the way. From Portland take US26 - the Sunset Highway west. You will pass exits to Beaverton and Hillsboro, two major Oregon cities home respectively to Nike and Intel. Both have attractions and letterboxes but those will not be described here. Past Hillsboro you quickly leave the Urban Growth Boundary of the metro Portland area and you'll notice the difference in scenery. From here on out to the coast, you'll see mostly fields and forests.A choice is to be made at the junction with Oregon 6. I'll first describe the Oregon 6 route. See below for a shorter trip via US 26.
Coast via HWY 6:
Oregon 6 will take you through the Tillamook State Forest along the Wilson River to Tillamook Oregon. The Tillamook forest was the setting for large forest fires every 6 years from 1933 to 1951. It was been replanted and is a once again a beautiful place. The Tillamook Forest Center is on this route and I highly recommend a stop to learn about the forest, the fires, and the replanting.
Continue on highway 6 to reach Tillamook which is perhaps most famous for its cheese factory which can be toured.
Tillamook Bay and the rivers feeding it are popular for salmon and steelhead fishing.
From Tillamook, head north on highway 101 to drive around the bay. You'll then drive past small coast towns and many scenic views and state waysides. You'll go through a large state park: Oswald West, named for the Oregon governor who protected the beaches of Oregon for public access by declaring them a public highway. Oswald West features camping, hiking, and beach access.
Further north, you'll arrive at Cannon Beach. Please join the folks who took US 26 to the coast a bit further down.
Coast via US 26:
For folks traveling on US26 will find several places of interest along the way. Sharp eyes will spy a hiker sign along the highway marks a trail to Oregon's version of the Four Corners. The mile long trail leads to the meeting of Washington, Columbia, Clatsop, and Tillamook counties and makes for a nice hike to break up the drive to the coast.
Further on, at mile marker 18, you'll find Camp 18, an historic restaurant. Here you'll find all kinds of historical logging equipment and photos and you can eat while marveling at the huge main roof beam. A bit further is the turn off for Saddle Mountain State Park which features camping and a trail up the mountain.
Just before reaching HWY 101, Klootchy Creek Park features what was the biggest Sitka Spruce in the US until it was partly toppled in the December 2007 storms. The huge 17 foot trunk remains standing and much of the fallen parts remain for viewing.
Both HWY 6 and US 26 routes:
Just a bit further is the junction of US26 with US101 on the backside of Tillamook Head, a massive headland separating two of the major north coast towns: Cannon Beach and Seaside. Cannon Beach is a few miles south of the 26/101 junction and Seaside a few miles north. Cannon Beach is more of an artsy/adult town while Seaside is geared more for families and kids.
In between Seaside and Cannon Beach is Ecola State Park which straddles Tillamook Head. You may recognize this state park from some scenes in The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. Car access to the park is from the Cannon Beach side. Ecola State Park features viewpoints, hiking, and beach access. There is a hike-in camp site with shelters and a vault toilet near the top of Tillamook head. A decommissioned lighthouse called "Terrible Tilly" is visible from many locations in the park.
Cannon Beach is famous for Haystack Rock, a massive rock formation. At low tide there are many tide pools to explore with starfish, sea urchins, etc. Mo's, an Oregon institution, is located on the beach on the south side of town and makes for a fine place to eat. In Seaside in addition to the beach you can find all kinds of treats and attractions such as bumper cars, mini golf, and an aquarium to keep the kids occupied.
Heading north you'll find Astoria/Warrenton (and more scenes from the Goonies). Special attractions here include fishing the Columbia estuary for salmon and sturgeon, a Peter Toth carving, and the Astoria Column. 
Bridge lovers will want to drive the 4 mile long Astoria-Megler Bridge - the longest continuous truss bridge in North America - over the Columbia River to Washington State.Fort Stevens State Park with the wreck of the Peter Iredale is nearby and Lewis and Clark fans will not want to miss out visiting the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (Fort Clatsop National Memorial).
From Astoria you have many choices to return to Portland. You can head back south and take 26 back. Or you can take a drive back along the Columbia River on US30.
My suggestion however is to find Oregon 202 in Astoria and take the long way back. Oregon 202 is a less traveled route through the coast range. You will see some big trees and some big clear cuts but there are a few good places to stop along the way. One place is Lee Wooden County Park which features a very short stroll to Fishhawk Falls.
Soon after that diversion you'll come to Jewell, home to the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area which is an elk preserve. Best elk viewing is November to April but you may get lucky at other times. Past Jewell you will travel along side the Nehalem River through the small communities of Birkenfeld and Mist. At Mist, continue straight as the road becomes Oregon 47 south.
Soon you'll arrive at Pittsburgh. You'll see a road heading east to St. Helen's and Scappoose. You
want to stay on 47 and look for a blue building on the right. This is the Blue House Cafe which features fine Mediterranean food. Their beer is made onsite by yours truly.Make sure you visit the restroom and look on the wall where the high water marks from the 1996 and 2007 floods are marked. While the 1996 flood was worse at the Blue House, the 2007 flood was worse in most of Vernonia which is your next stop 4-5 miles south on 47.
You probably heard about the Vernonia flood in the news. There isn't a whole lot of obvious evidence left of the flood but around half the homes here were flooded to some extent. There are several parks, camping, and a historical museum. Grey Dawn Gallery in downtown features photography by world famous (and former resident) Christopher Burkett.
Continue south on 47 which will take you 15 mile back to hwy 26 and your route back to Portland.
Continue south on 47 which will take you 15 mile back to hwy 26 and your route back to Portland.
