Meredith Lodging’s beloved Sand Dollar Home sits just above beautiful Roads End beach – with only a grassy oceanfront yard) perfect for pups!) between you and the sand. I have long been a fan of A-frames in general…and one ON the beach where we could also bring our pup along for the weekend? SOLD….and booked as soon as we could find an open date.
When we pulled up to Sand Dollar home, I was struck by the cozy size of this oceanfront cabin…and as soon as I walked in the door I was struck by everything else about it – amazing light, luxury finishes and magazine-worthy décor – and that wall of windows! For a cozy cabin, Sand Dollar has one of the biggest views I have ever seen!
We unpacked as the sun came out – and once we realized we were going to have full sun for the rest of the evening, we cancelled our reservations for dinner our in Lincoln City and instead my husband made the quick run to
Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Market for some fresh Dungeness crab, salt and pepper prawns and smoked salmon. Oceanfront seafood picnic for two, please!
While my husband was away getting dinner, I unpacked and settled into the undeniable luxury of Sand Dollar. This cozy space literally has everything you could ever want for a perfect weekend away… from the aforementioned fine furnishings to a spa-like shower, impressive little kitchen and luxury linens atop the coziest beds. Most of all the sounds of the ocean outside your door and the views out the window…it’s impossible not to feel like you have arrived someplace truly special. I felt like I have left the chaos of the workweek behind and stepped into the pages of some perfectly curated “Weekend Away” magazine.
The door opening downstairs let me know dinner had arrived and it was time to set up for sunset. We took our pup out for a romp on the oceanfront grassy yard and realized maybe the only thing happier than a dog on the beach is a dog with a front yard on the beach! We moved our perfectly-weathered and very comfortable deck chairs and side tables to the lawn, grabbed a beach blanket form the well-stocked cedar chest and settled in for a sunset seafood feast.
What is it about having the time to watch the sun drop all the way into the sea that makes time seem to actually slow down a bit? As we washed our delicious seafood, cocktail sauce and saltine cracker feast down with some champagne, we had just enough left to raise a glass to the spectacular sunset and our good luck.
Off to bed upstairs on the king-size extra comfortable bed and Belgian linen bedding and the cozy dog bed we brought along with us and the three of us were asleep in no time.
The next morning, I had no expectations of good weather after we were treated to a late season sunset the night before. I woke up just before sunrise and realized that Roads End beach was starting to be awash in color. The tide had left behind perfect pools of water that were now reflecting pink and gold. I remembered why people say there is nothing quite like being oceanfront – it’s like the best movie in the world playing out before you all day. We fired up some local favorite
Left Coast Coffee in the coffee maker and watched the sunrise show for a bit before we headed out for a beach stroll with the pup and to have a look for the famous
“Finders Keepers” glass floats. Local glass-blowing artists hide glass floats year-round in
Lincoln City – and if you are lucky enough to find one, its. yours for the taking. We struck out on the glass floats, but struck lucky when we headed back home to watch the beach come to life from our cozy Sand Dollar perch…outside it was sunny and cold and inside it was all about getting cozy with a side of ocean waves.
After a lazy morning, we decided we should venture out at least a bit and headed to
Blackfish Cafe for lunch (the place we were supposed to go the night before). We love this charming café, located right along Hwy 101 as you head south through town. While I have never had a bad meal here, what keeps me coming back is the salmon Caesar salad…the best I have ever had!
Feeling energized we headed to another favorite local stop –
Scout Northwest Trading Company. This well curated collection has something for everyone from outdoor gear, to local foods and cute clothing – but today we were here for a very important purchase – our first Yeti cooler. If you are in the market for anything Yeti, Scout is the place to go – they have one of the best selections of coolers, tumblers and camp cups we have seen! After a lot of looking we quickly settled on a Yeti Roadie and headed home to Sand Dollar.
We were treated to another spectacular sunset and took that as a sign that we were simply not supposed to leave this magical little cabin for the rest of the weekend – and chose to spend out the rest of the weekend right there. From frequent strolls with our pup on Roads End Beach to cooking locally-caught fish in the well-equipped kitchen, to toasting the sunset from our deck and raising a cup of coffee to the sunrise…Meredith Lodging’s pet-friendly Sand Dollar home is one of the most magical places we have ever stayed. We can’t wait to check-in to Sand Dollar again soon!