The Oregon coast in the winter is unbelievably gorgeous. It’s moody, stormy, dramatic and the perfect excuse to spend a weekend relaxing. Pacific City has always been our favorite coast town and Headlands Lodge is one of our favorite places to stay in all of the PNW. It’s a luxury spa + resort on the beach, next to Cape Kiwanda, and they’ve truly thought of everything to make your experience special and memorable. Every night, we fell asleep and woke up to the sound of the ocean waves right outside our patio.
There’s nothing like it.
The team at Headlands Lodge is especially gifted in creating beautiful experiences. We booked the Storm Watching Experience and were amazed at the thoughtful details of our trip. Excited to share with you in hopes that you’ll be able to book your own trip. Safety and hospitality are their top priorities and we felt incredibly safe being there during this time. The employees and guests must wear masks in any general spaces and there was hand sanitizer spread out throughout the property. It’s also thoroughly cleaned often and all drinks + meals must be taken to your room. Didn’t bother me at all.
Spoiler alert: there’s a 20% discount code at the end of this post to help make it happen!
The Storm Watching Experience includes a three night stay in an ocean facing room. Upon check-in, we received bottles of cold beer from Pelican Brewing Company, located right next door, and a bottle of local Pinot Noir was waiting in our room. They also supplied binoculars and trekking poles to explore around the dunes during the stay. Some might prefer to never leave their room and honestly, I don’t blame you.
The first night, I took a long bath in that glorious bathtub (yes, it’s right in the room!) and Matt went on a nighttime dune exploration, headlamp and all. Typical us. The next morning, we woke up to most GORGEOUS sunset I may have ever seen on the coast. It was INSANE! We walked across the street to grab coffee + baked goods at Stimulus Coffee then rushed back for our appointments at the spa. THE SPA!! I cannot stress enough how incredible this morning was. We had the salt water hot tub to ourselves for 45 minutes before our hour long hot stone massages (OMG OMG OMG!) with a 30 minute scalp treatment add on. Yep, these come with the Storm Watching Experience! For the safety of the guests, you must book 45 minute private hot tub sessions. I loved it.
It was one of the best massages of my life. Matt would agree. We were so blissed out afterwards we could barely talk. And y’all, that is saying something for us! I’ve never had a hot stone massage and I went into it thinking they just place hot stones along your spine while massaging around them. Nope! THEY USE THE HOT STONES TO MASSAGE YOU! I’m getting chills just typing it out. It was incredible. The head massage was also lovely and the therapists are knowledgeable and incredibly kind. I’ll say it time and time again, the staff at Headlands are wonderful. After our massages, we went back to our room for lunch, which was a Taste of Meridian seafood charcuterie board and a flight of Oregon spirits. Food and cocktails delivered to my room all weekend long?! I am sold! Pro Tip: you can also get drinks (zero proof, too!) delivered while you’re in the hot tub. It’s my Disneyland. The food and beverages from Meridian are fresh and everything tastes amazing.
SO GOOD!! We were surprised with a sunny day and checked out fat tire bikes from the front desk. Guests are allowed to use them for 4 hour slots and they’re complimentary. Pretty amazing. It was a workout but so dang fun. And so beautiful enjoying a sunny Oregon coast day in the winter! My legs felt like proper jelly after a few hours of trying to keep up with Matt on those bikes! The struggle is real.
Because the weather was amazing, we were able to meet up with friends to build a bonfire on the beach. We made s’mores and bundled up and listened to the waves as it's King Tide season. I love looking out across the beach and seeing all the bonfires with people gathered around, especially during this season. It felt especially sweet to be surrounded by strangers in a totally safe way. We chatted into the night until the fire went dim. Another tip, Headlands offers bundles of firewood if you need them for the beach! I’m telling you, they have it all! The next morning, we slept in then went out for a hike in the dunes. At the start of our hike, Matt noticed a pair of bald eagles at the top of Cape Kiwanda! It was amazing!!
We explored a bit then went back to the room and read + watched movies for the rest of the afternoon while snacking on salad and clam chowder. We ordered clam chowder almost every day! It’s so good! You know the kind with extra potatoes?! Yep, that’s what I’m talking about. That evening, we had our final experience which was Fireside Hot Chocolate and S’mores. The staff set up a fire pit on the back deck and we made s’mores while drinking boozy hot cocoa under a Pendleton blanket, which we were able to take home after our stay. It was the perfect ending to our trip and I already cannot wait to go back!
Now for the code! The crew at Headlands was so kind to offer 20% off your room bookings now through the end of March if you use the code STORM. There are certain blackout dates that apply and the code is good for room bookings, not the experience packages. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the staff at Headlands Lodge. They’re wonderful! If you book, let us know! I’d love to know what you think. But I already know you’re gonna love every second of it.