The Promenade and Broadway

Sightseeing in Seaside [1] means bustling up and down Broadway and strolling leisurely along the Prom. This three-mile-long concrete walkway, extending from Avenue U north to 12th Avenue, was initially constructed in 1908 to protect ocean properties from the waves. A pleasant walk alongside the beach, the boardwalk offers a fine vantage point from which to contemplate the sand, surf, frolicking beach-lovers, and the massive contours of 1,200-foot-high Tillamook Head [2] to the south. The Prom is also popular for jogging, bicycle riding, and in-line skating.

Midway along the Prom is the Turnaround, a concrete-and-brick traffic circle that is the western terminus of Broadway. A bronze statue of Lewis and Clark gazing ever seaward proclaims this point the end of the trail for their expedition, though in fact they explored a bit farther south, beyond Tillamook Head. Eight blocks south of the Turnaround, between Beach Drive and the Prom, is a replica of the Lewis and Clark salt cairn [3].

Running east from the Turnaround, Broadway runs 0.5 miles to Roosevelt Avenue (U.S. 101) through a dizzy gamut of tourist attractions, arcades, restaurants, and bars. Along Broadway, in a four-block area running west of U.S. 101 and bordered by the Necanicum River, First Avenue, and Avenue A, you’ll find some fancy Victorian frame houses, some of the few old buildings that survived the 1912 fire that destroyed much of the town.

Today, the most notable sight in this busy section of Seaside [1] is the enormous $73.3 million TrendWest time-share condo development containing nearly 300 living units. Condos in this outsized structure aren’t available for rent directly from TrendWest, though vacation property rental companies can handle sublets.