LINCOLN CITY

This is the town where beachcombing is a sport, kites are a competitive art form, and someone probably just tripped over a hidden glass float while chasing their dog named Pickles. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the sky explodes into a ballet of giant jellyfish kites while a child next to you explains thermals like a tiny wind scientist. Typically…For us Lincoln City is less of a town and more of a long-running game of hide and seek.

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Kite Festival

Look at all the majestic photos we took—whales soaring, dragons slicing through the sky, octopuses doing aerials. Just kidding. There was absolutely no wind. Zero. The beach was basically a giant kite graveyard. All the kites just laid there, limp and tragic, like a scene from a very colorful apocalypse.

Then, out of nowhere, a couple of powered paragliders buzzed overhead like airborne lawnmowers. Were they part of the show? An elaborate taunt? Hard to say. All I know is they were flying, the kites weren’t, and we cheered anyway.

We still took lots of photos, though. Not of kites, but of the collective hope slowly leaving everyone’s eyes. Beautiful day.

Pro Tip’s:

• Check the weather report.
• Stay within walking distance of  D River State Recreation Site

For Festival Dates Click Here

Finders Keepers – Glass floats

Let’s talk about Lincoln City’s Finders Keepers glass float hunt—a whimsical coastal tradition where local artists hide beautiful hand-blown glass orbs along the beach for lucky beachcombers to find. Sounds magical, right? Yeah, well. We’ve gone on three different drop dates and found exactly zero floats. Not even a shard. At this point, I’m convinced the floats are either a myth, a government experiment, or being hoarded by one very aggressive local.  They are hidden anywhere along the 7mile stretch of beaches. The only hope that I’ve read is try to spot someone early morning carrying a large bag or backpack as this is probably the person hiding the floats. Otherwise you’ll just be looking at sand, shame, and a growing personal vendetta against decorative glass.

Try your luck with this years Float Drop Schedule

Neskowin Ghost Forest

The Neskowin Ghost Forest is basically a bunch of ancient tree stumps that decided to haunt the beach instead of a spooky old house. These 2,000-year-old stumps show up when Mother Nature is feeling dramatic—usually after a big storm washes away enough sand to say, “Surprise! Here we are.” They look like tree zombies rising from the sand, perfect for that eerie beach stroll or a nature-themed Halloween party. Just don’t expect them to show up on demand. They’re like that one friend who only comes out when the vibe is just right—or when the beach decides to rearrange itself for maximum mystery. We showed up ready for spooky vibes. Nope. The stumps were buried under so much sand they might as well have vanished. We stared at a normal beach. No ghosts. No trees. Just sand.

Pro tip: Go in winter when there are a lot of storms to wash the sand away. Or bring a backhoe. Maybe a Ouija board. You’ll need it.

Drift Creek Falls – Hike

We went hiking to Drift Creek Falls with a charcuterie board because, obviously, nature tastes better with fancy cheese and questionable meat. The trail was pretty easy, which was great because I’m convinced some people brought their entire extended family.

The parking lot was packed like a Costco on a Sunday, and we almost gave up and just ate the salami in the car. (We did that the first time we made it to this trailhead)

But once we got past the initial people-jam, the trail had these quiet little stretches where it was just us, the trees, and the haunting sound of someone’s Bluetooth speaker fading into the distance.

Places To Eat

Oshens Restaurant – Possibly now rebranded to Pioneer Joe’s

We went to Oshens Restaurant, Deli & Market—Though showing temporarily closed it is possibly reopening as Pioneer Joe’s Table. We YOLO’ed hard and ordered the tomahawk steak like we were royalty on vacation from our peasant lives. It arrived like a meat sculpture—glorious, intimidating, slightly life-changing. The drinks were equally handcrafted. They brought out our drinks in a table smoker and tasted like a lavender dream. Ten out of ten would make questionable financial decisions there again.

Kyllo’s Seafood & Grill

We also went to Kyllo’s Seafood & Grill because sometimes you just need to eat fish within eyeshot of the ocean it used to live in. The location? Chef’s kiss. Especially if you’re staying within walking distance of the D River State Recreation Site. You can basically roll out of the waves and straight into a fancy seafood coma.