The stretch of coast around Manzanita rewards exploration. North on US-101, Cannon Beach is twenty minutes away — galleries, cafes, Haystack Rock at low tide, and the crowds that Manzanita specifically lacks. Worth a morning or afternoon if you haven't been.
South of Manzanita, the small town of Wheeler sits on the shore of Nehalem Bay and offers kayak rentals, crabbing gear, and a couple of waterfront spots for oysters and chowder. It makes a good half-day outing combined with Nehalem Bay State Park.
Tillamook, about 35 miles south, is home to the Tillamook Creamery — a working dairy and cheese factory with a viewing deck, a solid café, and a shop stocked with everything the local co-operative produces. The drive south along US-101 passes Cape Lookout and Three Capes Scenic Route, two of the best headlands on the Oregon coast.
