The most overdeveloped section of the Oregon coast stretches for miles along US-101 through Lincoln City (pop. 7,437), seven miles of strip malls, outlet stores, motels, and fast-food franchises. With more than 1,000 oceanside rooms, Lincoln City does offer some of the coast’s cheapest lodging, especially in the off-season when sign after sign advertises rooms for as low as $25 a night. Apart from cheap rooms, with so much scenic splendor nearby there’s no great reason to stop—unless you’re a cheeseburger fanatic, in which case you ought to stop by the Dory Cove (541/994-5180), a marshland shack at 5819 Logan Road off US-101 near Road’s End State Park. They also make great pies, as many as a dozen different kinds every day, so bring an appetite.
Five miles northeast of Lincoln City, just east of US-101 on Hwy-18, the Otis Cafe (541/994-2813) immortalizes American road food, offering excellent waffles and other breakfast treats along with epicurean lunches and berry pies for dessert. It’s open for breakfast and lunch daily, plus dinner Thursday–Sunday.
Seven miles south of Lincoln City, a sign announces the Salishan Lodge (541/764-3600 or 800/452-2300), a beautifully landscaped rustic resort with good off-season value packages (three nights for $239), a five-star dining room, and a surprisingly affordable coffee shop, The Sun Room. Down the hill across US-101, Siletz Bay is a birdwatcher’s paradise.
