Whether you’re heading out for a mid-week escape or a weekend re-charge, the charming village of Wheeler, Oregon is a delightful destination for a quick getaway.
Wheeler is tiny (pop. 414). It’s an easy 1 1/2 hour drive from Portland and sits at the edge of the Pacific Ocean on Nehalem Bay. In the early 1900’s Wheeler was a bustling railroad depot. Trains delivered lumber and seafood from the bay into Portland. Today tourism is the main industry. Bustling? Not so much. It’s not much more than a dot on the map along US Highway 101, but whether you stop for lunch, some serious antiquing, or an overnight stay like my husband and I enjoyed a while back, Wheeler is definitely worth your time.
We checked in at the Old Wheeler Hotel – an eight room beauty with stunning views of the bay. Like the town itself, the Old Wheeler Hotel is a tiny gem – complete with creaky wooden floors, well appointed rooms, lots of light, comfortable beds, quality linens and interesting antiques. Many rooms have private baths, but a few have a bath “down the hall”. Not to worry, the Wheeler provides fluffy robes and the bathroom is “all yours” while you are there. A common room with comfy couches, a small kitchen area, a spectacular view, lots of board games and a large library of DVD’s is located on the second floor. Sit a while and you are sure to meet some very interesting people. We brought our own wine and cocktail snacks and enjoyed a sunset happy hour in the lounge.
During check-in, the desk clerk advised that the room I had originally reserved was not available but we were being upgraded. Our new room had the same spectacular view, but was larger and came with a spa tub.
We also noticed a lot of unusual activity for such a tiny hotel, but didn’t think much of it until we starting chatting with some folks over happy hour cocktails in the lounge. That’s where we met the “ghost chasers”. It turns out we had decided to spend the night at the Wheeler Hotel on the same weekend as a well-known paranormal investigation team was filming. Long before it became the Wheeler Hotel, this old building had a more colorful life as the Rinehart Hospital where, unfortunately, not everyone left through the front door. According to the investigation crew, the building was humming with paranormal energy. They had tested the rooms for “activity” and our original room seemed a likely candidate for spirits. Hence the move. I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed that nothing visited us during the night. Perhaps the snoring from one particular side of the bed kept them at bay.
Twenty-Four Hours in Wheeler ~
This is a sleepy little place. You park your car and walk. Less than 10 minutes in any direction and you’ve covered it, but we still found plenty to entertain ourselves. We wandered through two large antique stores and ogled beautiful art and handmade craft treasures at lovely little stories like Trillium. Across the street from the hotel is a small marina offering boat and kayak rentals. What a great way to explore Nehalem Bay. A short trip across the bay leads you to a wildlife viewing area where, if you are lucky, you will spot blue heron, eagles and herds of elks that routinely inhabit the landscape.
I’m not always a fan of small town food, but we discovered an absolute gem in the Rising Star Cafe where we managed to slide into the last available table for a delightful dinner. Good food. Nice people. Local wine. Great evening! There is also a nice pub and a quaint cafe within a half block of the hotel.
Wheeler is well located for exploring the North Oregon Coast. It is a gorgeous 30 mile drive along the coast from the Tillamook Cheese Factory to the art galleries of Cannon Beach. Wheeler lies right in the middle of these two well know tourist destinations.
We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight in Wheeler. Sometimes great things really do come in small packages.
