Lincoln City, OR - Lincoln City, located on the central Oregon Coast, has beauty, romance, and adventure waiting to be explored. Turquoise waves crash on the beach and lush, green forests surround the perimeters of Devils Lake and Lincoln City.

Lincoln City is a resort community with a wide variety of lodging options to suit every budget and taste. In the winter, Mother Nature's fury makes storm watching from a toasty warm ocean view room an inviting prospect. Following the storm, beachcombing is at its best. Agates, sand dollars and shells of all varieties can be found along Lincoln City's public beaches. At low tide the wonders of tide pool life can be viewed from close up at several beach locations. Mussel harvesting for dinner is a popular activity at the tide pools and can be done with a license and very little equipment.

While the gray whale migration happens twice a year, generally concentrated in late December and late March, about 200 whales have Lincoln City as their permanent home, making whale watching a year-round activity. Here the whales come so close to shore at times you don't need binoculars! Whale watching trips by sea are close at hand.

In Lincoln City our most obvious attraction is certainly appealing, but as you move away from the wonders of the beach, you discover another world awaiting you, a great place to try new things.

Outdoor Adventure
Entering the city from the north, your first captivating view is glistening freshwater Devils Lake where water recreation abounds. Blue Heron Landing has boats, mountain bikes, and fishing gear rentals. Just north of the lake is the Chinook Winds Golf Resort, which features 18 challenging holes, an indoor driving range, a pro-shop, and an extensive health club.

The D River, only 120 feet (36.5 m) long is the world's shortest river, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It links the Pacific Ocean to Devils Lake. It was here, in 1853 the Rogue and Yaquina Indian tribes fought a bloody battle for fishing rights for the salmon returning from the sea to Devils Lake. To learn more about this area's history, visit the North Lincoln Historical Museum located in the Historic Taft District. It has exhibits on the native American population, pioneer settlement, and the fishing and timber industries.

The D River Wayside, a day use state park, is the site of many local festivals including the annual Kite Festivals where giant, colorful kite displays are seen. Lincoln City is positioned right on the 45th parallel, creating the ideal point for the mixing process of warm equatorial air and cold polar air, the reason Lincoln City is dubbed "the Kite Capital of the World."

The central Oregon Coast provides some of the Northwest's finest hiking. Cascade Head, designated the United States' first scenic research area (in 1974), offers three trails (ranging from novice to expert) through seven different eco-systems. Spectacular views await the hiker at the end of the trails. Other trails within the city and near Drift Creek Falls provide unique scenery and wildlife to tantalize the hiker.

Lincoln City is blessed with abundant wildlife, both marine and terrestrial. Siletz Bay is a perfect spot for crabbing, and Eleanor's Undertow rents crab bait and rings, as does Tiki’s on SW 51st. Licenses for crabbing and clamming or gathering mussels may be obtained in several locations in Lincoln City. The friendly staff at Eleanor’s is also known to provide a few tips to the beginner. Bald eagles nest nearby and feed in the bay, as frisky seals perform acrobatics for your entertainment. From SW 51st you can watch the wildlife while they watch you. And you might be fortunate to see the ghost sailing ship that occasionally sails into the bay.

Shopping Adventure
In Lincoln City, there is a wide array of shops that are hard to resist. Offerings range from the tiniest of unique gift and specialty shops to the Tanger Outlet Center with 65 brand name stores -- and no sales tax! Drop into The Red Cock Craftsman for imported jewelry, clothing, or decorator pieces. If you love teddy bears, Parlor Bears is your stop. No self-respecting pet owner can avoid Paws on the Sand, featuring the latest in gourmet kitty cuisine and haute doggie couture. And that perfect, tasteful gift is always available at Savvy.

Antiquing is a favorite pastime in Lincoln City. There is a shop to satisfy nearly every collector. Whether it is furniture, jewelry, glass, dolls and toys, or vintage books, Lincoln City has over 100 antique and antiquarian book dealers to explore. The annual Antique Week festival is held mid-February.

In case you are looking for the pre-loved article now so hard to find, Lincoln City not only offers several thrift stores, but it also boasts the Great Oregon Coast Garage Sale. There, every April, more than 100 private garage sales are held simultaneously to help you find “the other man’s gold.”

Gallery hopping and art collecting may seem an unlikely pastime at the beach, but you will find, here, it is worth the trip. Lincoln City boasts several fine art galleries including Ryan, Earthworks, The Lawrence Gallery at Salishan, and Freed Gallery. The art galleries display their finest collections each June during their weekend Gallery Hop.

Recently Lincoln City has become internationally known for glassblowing. Oregon's oldest glassblowing operation, Alder House III, is nestled in a grove of ancient alder trees, with nearby Mossy Creek Pottery as neighbors, featuring the works of over 60 Northwest artists. Lincoln City is quickly becoming a glass artist's mecca with its annual glass float project, which places the number of hand-blown glass floats reflecting the number of the year on the beach for alert beach combers to find and keep. The project began in 1999 to celebrate the millennium and to acknowledge the age-old tradition of finding Japanese glass floats on the beaches of Oregon. Lincoln City recently added the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio at 4821 SW Hwy 101, where you can watch glassblowing demonstrations or learn how to do it.

Dining and Nightlife
Lincoln City is Pacific Northwest cuisine. From bakeries to seafood to pasta, Lincoln City is home to some of the coast's finest restaurants. Start off the morning at one of Lincoln City's favorites – Wildflower Grill , the Beach Dog Café or Java Depot -- for breakfast or just espresso and delicious homemade muffins and pastries. For bigger appetites, try the Sambo’s or Hilltop Inn. For lunch you could lose yourself (or your waistline) sampling the variety of clam chowders or fish & chips at Mo’s or Captain Ron’s. And there are restaurants that serve Asian, Mexican, Italian, or vegetarian choices, to make the selection a little more difficult. Then, there is dinner with an ocean view at Kyllo's, The Rogue River Room, Ki West, and Fathoms at The Inn at Spanish Head, or intimate fine dining at the Bay House overlooking Siletz Bay or the award-winning Blackfish Café.

When the sun sets in Lincoln City, there is still plenty to discover. Lincoln City's own Theatre West presents live drama and comedy productions, the historic Bijou Theatre with its Mighty Allen theater organ and Lincoln City Cinemas six-plex offer a variety of the latest movie releases. Lincoln City's microbrewery, The Lighthouse Brew Pub concocts seven varieties on site, including its famous Cascade Head and Hammerhead brews. Don't forget--Chinook Winds Casino Resort offers the best Las Vegas style games and entertainment twenty-four hours per day. Many local restaurants also offer live entertainment, dancing, or games of chance.

For their nightly entertainment many people choose simply to take a moonlit walk on the public beach. Rolling waves turn silver as the moon illuminates the surf crashing upon the beach -- a tranquil way to end the day in Lincoln City.

Whether you are here for a few days or an entire vacation, there is something for everyone in Lincoln City, a great place to try new things---and where you can leave the cares of home behind for a few moments.

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Lincoln City, located on the central Oregon Coast, is a scenic two-hour drive from the Portland International Airport through Oregon's premium wine country. For free visitor information, contact the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau at (800) 452-2151, (541) 996-1274, FAX (541) 994-2408, visit our website at www.oregoncoast.org or email us at events@lincolncity.org. The Visitor Center, located at 801 SW Highway 101, is open 24 hours, seven days a week.

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