I recently enjoyed a stay on the Oregon coast at Nehalem Bay and thought I better share with you all. I went as a guest of a member of ARA (Advance Resorts of America). We stayed at the Paradise Cove Resort and Marina at Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Paradise Cove is one of three resorts available with the ARA membership, but non-members can stay here as well… It just cost about 2x more than what members pay. Still, it’s a really great place to RV. Paradise Cove is a beautiful 68 acre, multi-level waterfront resort with a complete marina, three clubhouses, two swimming pools, hot tubs, laundry, boat and trailer rentals, indoor basketball court, free WiFi access and 24 hour security. It is located on the Nehalem Bay near Rockaway Beach on the beautiful Oregon Coast between Seaside and Tillamook. The area’s most popular activities include Chinook (King) salmon fishing, crabbing, clamming, hunting, golf, hiking, and enjoying the great local shops and restaurants. Paradise Cove features 140 Full RV sites, 60 partial, and 25 dry sites. There is water, sewer, and the max RV length for this park is 40ft. They also have a 3 bedroom manufactured home on site, as well as a couple of 1 bedroom trailers, and many stationary 5th wheels available for rent. At first glance my 5the wheel looked a little shabby on the outside, and I was a bit concerned, but on the inside, it was completely remodeled. It was clean, nice, and had been equipped with a normal stick home toilet, which was great. I did not have a shower, but I was very close to the Club House and had 24 hour access to the showers there, where the water was good and hot. When renting the trailers or house, you do need to bring your own linens. It is not a fancy resort… Don’t be tricked by the word, “resort”. But it is a really fun and fantastic place to stay. Want to go fishing and crabbing, but don’t have a boat? No problem! You can rent one down at the marina! They provide you with crab pots, but you need your own bait. I went crabbing for the first time ever, and had a blast. We used raw chicken as bait (who knew?) and learned how to grab them, how to tell male from female, and how to measure them to make sure they meet the law for keepers. We caught at least 15 keepers! When you arrive back on the docks, there is a huge pot that they keep boiling and ready so that when you come in off th water you can just toss your catch in, let it boil for 20 minutes, and then take them down to the big sinks on the dock to do the cleaning. The kids LOVED pulling the shells off and cleaning out the guts. It was just gross enough to be fun and not so yucky that they didn’t want to touch it. The ARA membership will get you in at 2 other resorts in the northwest, The Potlatch Resort in La Conner, Washington, and the Willow Bay Resort in Nine Mile Falls, Washington. Along with this program, you receive ownership benefits at condominiums and reciprocal access to many other similar resorts across the country. If you are interested in looking into the membership, you can do so here.
