Run Oregon loves running – that’s no surprise. In our Run Oregon Road Trip series, we aim to showcase some great locations to make your running basecamp on your next vacation of staycation. We recently spent a few days on the coast at the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach, WA.
The Adrift Hotel & Spa is one of six lodging locations that are part of the Adrift Hospitality portfolio. These locations stretch along the NW Oregon and SW Washington coast and offer up some really cool renovated locations. I love the fact that there are entities who are stepping up to renew and restore old properties to bring in line with current lodging standards. Why rebuild when you can renovate? We love this!
Long Beach is not a huge town, but along with multiple other smaller towns (i.e. Ilwaco) it assists in stretching to cover much of the longest continuous sand beach in the United States. Its just a few blocks from the main stretch, and also has direct access to the beach and the Discovery Trail (more on that now).
First the Running:
The Discovery Trail is the perfect spot to get in some running while exploring Long Beach. This 8.5 mile trail is paved – making it perfect for running or cycling with the family The hotel sits sort of in the middle of the trail, so you can run south to Ilwaco or north to the Breakers hotel.
Discovery Trail
Heading north on the trail right from the hotel will place you on the Long Beach Boardwalk – a half mile stretch that meanders along the sand dunes. At the northernmost point of the trail, check out the bronze replica of the tree Clark (from Lewis & Clark) carved his initials into over two hundred years ago.
Heading South you will hit Beard’s Hollow Trailhead at almost exactly 4 miles. From there, you can head into Ilwaco or up to Cape Disappointment State Park and up to the North Head Lighthouse.
Cape Disappointment
Clearly, you can run up and down the Discovery Trail as many times as you want for any number of miles that you may desire. If you are looking for more “real” trail, consider breaking off from this trail at the Beards Hollow Trailhead and connecting with the North Head Trail. This can add another 3+ one-way miles on some dirt that can can get a little mucky from time to time (Long Beach get 200 inches of rain/year). This will take you to Battery 247, a WWII outpost.
Our Room:
The Adrift Hotel has a variety of rooms that can meet the needs of however you are travelling. From single queen rooms all the way up to suites and a bunk room (great for a running-group excursion), you are covered. We stayed in a 2Q room. Overall, the room has a small table and chairs, flat screen TV, and a tub/shower. It was a little cramped for our family (we brought our Golden Retriever too), but we made it work and actually tried to spend as little amount of time in the room as possible. The trails, beach, and amenities were calling our name!
2 Queen Room
All the rooms are designed nicely, using recycled materials when possible with modern accents. But what stands out is the uniquely Oregon feel to the rooms – and the hotel in general. The rooms have a certain interesting combo of being rustic and modern, and yet also somehow retro – a minimalistic take without feeling completely deprived. The rooms have no carpets – solely hard floors – which is a no brainer due to the proximity to the beach (and sand).
Refueling:
The Adrift Hotel really has a bunch of amenities on site where you would be completely fine in never leaving the property (not that we necessarily recommend that when traveling).
Pickled Fish views
The Pickled Fish is the on-site restaurant that is on the top floor of the hotel. The menu features (duh) a lot of seafood dishes, with a focus on simplicity and locality. We can attest that it was delicious. They are open for all meals, as well as for drinks and even have a kids menu. They will deliver to you room for free as well. There are also a ton of concerts on-site here if you are looking for a chilled out music night.
Lobby
Also on site is the Adrift Distillery, specializing in vodka, gin, whiskey, and liquors (the cranberry is especially great). They are open til 8pm most days of the week and you get a free tasting just for staying at the hotel. If beer is more your style, you can grab some cans in the lobby, or consider exploring some of this area’s prime breweries. North Jetty Brewing is just a stone’s throw away in Seaview, and make you sure you check out Fort George in Astoria on your way in and/or out.
Beyond food, there are other ways to refuel your body at the Adrift Hotel. The kids loved the warm, small, indoor pool and us adults enjoyed the on-site barrel sauna to clear the toxins. They even have a Spa if you need a little massage or facial to relax (my wife did). Feel free to borrow a yoga mat or get a pass to the local Snap Fitness for complimentary day passes as well.
Speaking of kids, we don’t always travel with them, but it’s nice when there are ways to keep them entertained. Outside of the proximity to the beach and the pool, the lobby had board games, and the was a seperate game room with table tennis and shuffleboard, a library, an outdoor firepit, and even bikes for rent. There are no excuses for anyone to be bored!
Overall
The Adrift Hotel is highly recommended by us! It’s nice to get away, yet still be able to be home within 2-3 hours. The hotel was really welcoming and clean and we could not have asked for much more. The easy proximity to running locations makes it ideal to have both a fitness and relaxation trip packed into one. We don’t think you will be disappointed.
The famed Great Columbia Crossing is coming up in October and May’s Run on the River is a fun one, so consider booking here for those! But really, the Adrift Hotel is great for any time!
The Adrift Hotel Details:
Instagram | Facebook
Address:
- 409 Sid Snyder Dr.Long Beach, WA 98631
Phone:
- 360.642.2311
More about the Adrift Hotel:
You’re here to look at a hotel, so we won’t waffle. We know you expect comfortable rooms, ocean views, and cozy amenities. But in our little slice of Long Beach, we do all the above and more. Whether you want quiet time in our library, a culinary adventure in our locavore restaurant, or to explore the trails on our complimentary bicycles, we got you covered. And when you’re done soaking it all up, you can kick back in one of our chic rooms. Enjoy.
Many thanks to the Adrift Hotel for allowing us to check out their property! Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
