It’s low tide twice a day in Cannon Beach, and if you’re lucky, one of them will be bright and early. Time it correctly, and you’ll be able to walk right up to the 17-million-year-old Haystack Rock to observe up-close the ochre sea stars, giant green anemones, mussels and barnacles that cling to it, among many other species. This activity, called tide-pooling, is like walking on the bottom of a drained ocean. Be sure to gaze up, too: Between April and August, you’ll see black oystercatchers, pigeon guillemots and, famously, tufted puffins, circling or roosting no matter the tide. The access point with the shortest walk is tucked at the intersection of Pacific Drive and West Grover Avenue; free two-hour street parking is available throughout town.

After working up an appetite, head to Wayfarer Restaurant & Lounge, where you’ll be able to keep an eye on Haystack through large picture windows as the tide sweeps in. Fresh crab ($28) and smoked salmon ($26) Benedicts offer one last seafood bite before you head back inland. Before you get in the car, take a final wander along Hemlock Street, where those galleries and stores you missed last night will just be starting to open. Hours can vary, but you might find the ceramicist Michelle Valigura in her working showroom, Basalt Studio, which offers finished pieces as well as retail wine, tinned fish and packets of ramen. Cross the street to Bruce’s Candy Kitchen to watch the machine in back cut and wrap salt water taffy at 140 pieces per minute; then sift through the rainbow of bulk treats for some sweet souvenirs to take home.