For the past two years, I’ve road tripped down to Cannon Beach, OR, or as I like to call it, “The Greatest Place on Earth.” As someone who lives next to a bay, there’s something amazing about standing on a beach and looking straight into open ocean. It will forever be my favorite vacation spot. The off-season is the best time to go, as I’ve gone the first week of January as a treat to myself before the quarter starts.

1. There aren't very many tourists.

This is probably a pretty obvious point to visiting during the off-season, or the "Quiet Season." The beach will still have quite a few visitors, but not nearly as crowded as the summertime when everyone is out of school and trying to escape the heat. I’ve visited in the summer, for couple hours, on a road trip back up from Bend, Oregon, and it was a nightmare. I couldn’t park anywhere, and there were people everywhere. In the off-season, most of the people walking around are the locals.

2. The locals are super friendly.

During the off-season, the locals are definitely more relaxed because of the lack of pushy tourists. There’s also something about a small beach town that makes a person a lot more friendly. I actually lost my wallet on the beach this year and even though I thought it was gone forever, someone had picked it up and turned it into the police with all my cards and license in it. That would’ve never happened in Bellingham, Washington, where I go to school.

3. Restaurants are empty.

Lack of tourists = ample seating. If you find yourself wandering into town for food, every single restaurant will seat you as soon as you walk in the door. I can only imagine that during summer hours, wait times would be enormous.

4. The weather on the beach is amazing.

Both times that I’ve gone to Cannon Beach, the full day I’ve spent there (one day for beach fun, two days for travel) has been sunny and beautiful. The temperature while I was there was actually warm enough for me to walk on the beach in a T-shirt and jeans, in the MIDDLE OF WINTER. I’ve also experienced rain storms while staying there, and those are even better next to crashing waves and sandy beaches.

5. The hotels are way cheaper.

I like staying at the Ecola Creek Lodge, a cute little hotel that’s about a five-minute walk from town. In the off-season, I paid $70 a night. I was curious to see how much the same room would cost in the summer, and if you were to book a room right now, it would be $190 a night. The off-season is a cheap college kid’s best plan for any kind of vacation.

6. The breweries are great.

Since it’s Oregon, there’s obviously going to be some breweries. I went to two while staying there, Public Coast Brewing Company and Pelican Brewing Company. Pelican Brewing blew my freakin’ mind. The beer was amazing and I had a spicy burger that was to die for. Worth every penny. Even if you're not old enough to have a beer while you visit, brewery food is always fantastic, and the off-season gives you more opportunity as there are no crowds.

7. Seaside is close.

Seaside is just a 10-minute drive from Cannon Beach and has a bunch of fun, touristy, coastal things to do. I found it fun to stop in on the way home to check out what Seaside was all about (even if I wouldn’t stay there).

8. Beach-side fires.

Although I haven’t directly done this one, I’ve heard that its pretty fun to have a campfire on the huge beach. Can you imagine sitting around a cozy fire, on a beautiful beach, with clear night skies and no crowds? Sounds like heaven to me.

9. The views are breathtaking.

This is probably the one thing that keeps bringing me back here. I’m absolutely in love with the area and the views. The beach is HUGE and seems like it goes on forever. Plus, it's sand, which something we don’t have up in Bellingham. There’s Haystack Rock, too! The marine fog that lays on the ocean in the morning is something else to experience, as well.