Barely a 30 minute drive north of our little haven is the artsy and adorable town of Cannon Beach. We enjoy a morning exploring the downtown and surrounding area, full of quaint stores and homes adorned with beautiful, colorful flowers. The contrast is quite palpable as we stray from the bustling downtown hub into the neighboring cottage lined residential streets just blocks from the beach. 
Lush landscapes prevail and the residents clearly take much pride in their little heaven. We virtually have these back streets to ourselves as we peek through gardens and imagine living in several of these cozy, welcoming homes. Every corner brings even prettier sights and we spend a good amount of time exploring this peaceful, lovely place.
A trek down to the gorgeous beach showcases the famous haystacks landmark and, listening to expert advise, we time the visit at low tide so we are able to get really up close and personal with the natural beauty and witness the marine garden wonders with awe. Huge star fish are in abundance in a variety of rich, beautiful colors. Gorgeous!
We are amazed at what we are able to find in this pool of lushness and are thrilled at the ability to visit it so intimately. Though a popular place for tourists, we don't even mind as this is one really cool place! Well worth the hike down the beach for a tour. We will take this memory with us for quite a while.
