My husband and I renewed a long-standing tradition this year by returning to the Oregon coast—Newport, to be exact. We used to visit every year when our daughters were small, then for a while we took a break while we had our own beach house. Last week we decided to relive those memories and take a quiet trip back to the coast.
It felt wonderful to reconnect with an earlier chapter of our lives and also to create new memories together. We’ve been together since I was nineteen, so we have a lot of shared history. This escape was exactly the gentle, restorative break we needed.
Our favorite place to stay is the Sylvia Beach Hotel. It’s a charming, book-themed hotel designed for readers, writers, and anyone who appreciates a calm, unplugged getaway. The rooms are intentionally free of TVs, phones, and internet—just the sound of the ocean outside your window. For us, that quiet is the perfect retreat.
We do enjoy luxury hotels occasionally, but we’re drawn to the Sylvia Beach Hotel’s unpretentious character and peaceful solitude. It’s simple, comfortable, and feels like a place where you can truly slow down and think. That kind of quiet is rare and precious.
Every room highlights an author, and over the years we’ve stayed in many of them. Each room is unique and full of personality—nothing overly fancy, just thoughtfully curated and cozy. The individuality of the rooms is part of the charm.
I almost wanted to keep this place to ourselves since it feels like our private hideaway, but I’m happy to share it. Just please don’t book our favorite room when we’re planning our next visit—that’s my only request.
During our stay we enjoyed simple pleasures: a delicious salad across the street at April’s, long walks on the beach, browsing local shops, good coffee, and lots of reading and writing. We even bought a piece of art to bring home—collecting artwork has become a small tradition for us after trips, and it’s a lovely way to remember a place.
I didn’t capture a perfect shot of the hotel from the water or the full beach view, but the property sits right on the beachfront with a spectacular outlook. The weather treated us well—windy in the way the coast often is, but warm and bright for the whole week.
I spent much of my time in a cozy corner of the upstairs library overlooking the water. It became my quiet workspace while I worked on an important project—one I’m excited about and will share when the time is right. There’s something inspiring about writing with the sea just beyond the window.
Do you have a favorite little escape? I’d love to hear about your special place—whether it’s a hidden inn, a mountain cabin, or a coastal hideaway.