Gearhart is home to a community of comfortable retirees, vacation cottage renters, and the occasional herd of elk passing through downtown, but its sleepy-yet-upscale vibe is appealing to everyone. Just ten miles from the northwest tip of Oregon, with grassy reeds and a flat, sprawling shoreline, Gearhart looks straight out of a Nicholas Sparks film.

To best enjoy the scenery, go whale watching, take a hike at Tillamook Head — a rocky headland traversed in 1806 by Captain William Clark on his expedition with Meriwether Lewis — or head to one of the town’s two seaside golf courses to putt as the sun sets. This is also one of the few public beaches in Oregon where visitors are permitted to drive their cars on the hard-packed sand to picnic during the day or stargaze at night.

In town, stop by Pacific Way Bakery & Cafe for warm homemade muffins in the morning and crab cakes in the afternoon, or check out Trails End Art Gallery to see stunning depictions of the Oregon coast’s wildlife and scenery.