Where Stardust Meets Sea
The Lodge at Cannon Beach
Nestled along the moody Oregon shores, The Lodge at Cannon Beach offers a lovely coastal retreat experience just steps away from the Pacific. From your window, you'll witness perfect views of the iconic Haystack Rock, famously featured in the beloved 80s classic "The Goonies."
A true pet paradise
First things first! We especially treasure the Lodge's inclusive pet policy. In Oregon, finding cat-friendly accommodations can be super difficult – many properties advertise themselves as "pet-friendly" but actually only welcome dogs, a disappointing discovery we've made too many times.
The Lodge stands apart in this regard, offering a genuine welcome to our feline baby. This rare acceptance is reflected in one of the lobby's most charming touches: a chalkboard displaying the names of all four-legged guests, both canine and feline. Our cat adores these family getaways, spending hours gazing at the ocean and, when feeling adventurous, sunbathing on our private balcony.
Coastal comfort meets not-so-modern amenities
The Lodge balances comfort with coastal charm, though time seems to have paused somewhere in the 1990s – and that's part of its appeal. While well maintained, the furnishings tell stories of decades of visitors seeking solace by the sea. Our preferred room features a generous seating area and private balcony offering unobstructed views of Mama Ocean.
The layout has its quirks: the designated bedroom sits oddly disconnected from the ocean views, relegated to becoming our de facto luggage room. Instead, we opt for the pull-out couch in the living area, positioning ourselves to fall asleep to the sound of the waves. This choice requires some problem-solving, as the pull-out's scrawny mattress demands engineering with multiple layers of blankets to build up some cushioning.
Despite its dated elements, the Lodge maintains basic comforts. Each room features a well-appointed kitchenette (complete with silverware, cups, dishes, paper towels, etc.) and a recently updated bathroom that strike a balance between casual luxury and coastal simplicity.
Wildlife, weather and provisions
The Lodge grounds come alive with their own cast of wild residents. Throughout the day, adorable wild bunnies, fur coats shining, graze fearlessly on the manicured lawns.
During one stay, we witnessed a jawdropping sight epitomizing the raw beauty and untamed spirit of the Oregon coast: a family of wild elk strolling along the beach.
The coastal weather here dances to its own rhythm, many times limiting outdoor activities with rain and winds. Yet these meteorological mood swings only enhance the spectacular sunsets when they appear, painting the sky in brilliant golds that feel even more precious against the typically cloudy canvas.
As for the food situation in Cannon Beach: it’s not ideal. While the Lodge offers a complimentary breakfast, we've developed our own culinary strategy over multiple visits. The town's dining infrastructure is limited – a common challenge in coastal communities that primarily serve weekend visitors and summer tourists.
Restaurant choices in town are sparse, with few establishments catering to vegetarians. This reality has shaped our approach to stays at the Lodge – we've learned to come prepared with our own food and a portable induction cooktop. This self-sufficiency allows us to maintain our vegetarian lifestyle without compromising or spending precious beach time hunting for suitable dining options. That said, some local traditions are worth maintaining: my partner never misses the chance for local clam strips, a rare departure from our usual plant-based fare.
There is one saving grace for basic needs: a small but well-curated organic grocery store located near the Lodge. Despite its tiny produce section, it stocks an impressive selection of natural products, from essential oils to organic soaps.
Our love affair with the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest holds a special place in our hearts, particularly as we witness its resilience against the tide of development that has transformed other coastal regions. Unlike the Bay Area, where astronomical prices have reshaped communities, the Oregon coast maintains its authentic charm and remarkably reasonable cost of living. Cannon Beach exemplifies this perfect balance: close enough to Portland to access big-city resources while preserving its small-town character.
As ocean babies, we find solace in the musical waves and salty air. The Pacific here speaks a different language than its southern waters – rawer, more primitive, carrying whispers of ancient forests and untamed wilderness. Each visit strengthens our connection to Oregon's unique energy. The state's commitment to environmental preservation, combined with its relatively accessible real estate market, offer tantalizing possibilities for establishing our future retreat.
Sacred beach bonfire
Our beach bonfires at Cannon Beach have become transformative spiritual gatherings, enriched by our various healing practices and guidance received along our path. One memorable ceremony followed an extraordinary session with a gifted young clairvoyant who helped us connect with our starseed origins. This spiritual guide illuminated unresolved threads from our non-human previous existences that had drawn us to this earthly incarnation.
Following her suggestion, we conducted a cleansing ceremony beside the crackling flames, writing cathartic letters to our parallel selves – the beings we were in other lifetimes – acknowledging these cosmic connections and healing ancient wounds. We also wrote to significant figures in our current human experience, particularly our parents, using the power of the fire to release and transmute trapped energies.
Our beach ceremonies carry forward the sacred wisdom we received through our experiences in the Lakota tradition of inipi, or sweat lodge. In those gatherings, we learned how a circle of human beings can come together around a firekeeper and spiritual teacher to pray for one another. The sweat lodge creates a sacred container where physical and emotional purging intertwine – a space where participants bring their whole selves, including relationships with loved ones both physically present and held in heart. Within that circle, the community receives and helps transform suffering, grief, and anger. The fire burns away that which no longer serves while the smoke carries prayers skyward.
We've gratefully integrated these teachings into our beach ceremonies. The tradition of red prayer ties, which we learned in the lodge, has become central to our beach ritual. Each lovingly fashioned bundle holds intentions that ripple outward in expanding circles of awareness. We begin at the center with prayers for our own healing and growth, then extend outward to embrace our beloved family members and friends, including those who have crossed into the spiritual world. Our prayers grow to embrace our community, our nation, and ultimately reaching out to hold the entire Earth and all living beings. My partner and I take turns creating these sacred bundles, investing each with our secret hopes and dream castles, passing the lengthening line of prayer ties back and forth, before finally offering them up to the fire.
After carefully wrapping our prayer ties and writing our letters of release, we are drawn to the water's edge, where earth meets ocean in an eternal dance. The bracing cold of the water, far from being a deterrent, awakens us – each wave that washes over our feet brings both cleansing and strength. As we sink deeper into the sand, the waves pulling and pushing our bodies, we are anchored to the Divine Mother herself.
In this liminal space, we connect to both our terrestrial present and our celestial origins. The rhythm of the waves provides a constant reminder of nature's eternal cycles, while the vast starry sky above connects us to our cosmic heritage. The beach bonfire behind us illuminates a threshold before which multiple dimensions of existence converge – the earthly and cosmic, the physical and spiritual, the temporal and eternal. In these moments, we honor not only our current earthly journey but also our star-born essence.
The Lodge at Cannon Beach represents more than just a coastal getaway – it's become a sanctuary for us, helping us connect with the powerful energies of the Pacific Northwest. As we continue exploring Oregon's possibilities for our future wellness and worship resort, we find ourselves drawn back here time and again, each visit deepening our love for this remarkable corner of the world.