[category]
[title]
If you want to find the coastal cozy vibes of fictional island town Widow’s Bay in our own reality, it’s understandable to only turn to New England—after all, the hit Apple TV horror-comedy series is filmed in a handful of towns in Massachusetts. But as anyone who loves the soon-to-be-sequeled Practical Magic knows (the movie was set in New England but filmed in Washington), the West Coast secretly harbors its own magnetic seaside stays. From the San Juan Islands in Washington to the coast of Northern California, there are harbor towns, beachside resorts and island ports with rich history, well-weathered shingle architecture and fantastically fresh seafood capable of competing with any East Coast getaway.
While there’s a cornucopia of charming coastal villages on the West Coast, these six specifically come closest to capturing that hauntingly enticing New England vibe of Widow’s Bay. Each is worth a visit to find out just what hides out in the Pacific fog… which is probably nothing. Right?
Roche Harbor, Washington
Nestled on San Juan Island with a view out towards the Salish Sea, Roche Harbor feels like an escape from the 21st century. Three hours by road and ferry from Seattle, with a stop along the way in scenic Friday Harbor, expect to slow down and meander the marina before crashing at the historic and supposedly haunted Hotel De Haro or one of the rentable cottages dotting the village. The former lime and cement town has transformed into a full resort, with historic homes and buildings that have been converted into lodging. The Victorian-era architecture, tiny white chapel facing the water and skyline of sails in the marina all give off that debonair charm you expect from places like Bar Harbor or Block Island.
Charter a trip onto the water for crabbing, shrimping or lingcod fishing, wander the trails towards the gothic mausoleum in the forest, or hop in a kayak and hope for a chance to spot one of the many orcas that make their way around the waters by the island.
Coupeville, Washington
As a stand-in for Massachusetts, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman and Stockard Channing came and turned this sleepy fishing port on Whidbey Island into a must-visit every fall as fans of Practical Magic come for a chance to experience the setting of a cinematic treasure. An hour-and-a-half trip from Seattle, including the ferry ride, Coupeville’s Front Street retains the storefronts filmed along with bookstores, antique stores, cafes and restaurants for visitors to peruse. Venture around the cove to Captain Whidbey, a sea shanty chic lodge from 1907 that brings a touch of glamour to the nautical aesthetic. The historic and picturesque red wharf offers a means to hit the waters with kayak rentals, or you can stay dry and soak up the views of the marina with a coffee from the on-site cafe. If you’re lucky, you might spot jellyfish jumping around in the waters. Fans of the film should plan a late-October visit for the Practically Magic Halloweekend festival, which celebrates the cult classic with a pumpkin race and not-quite-midnight margaritas.
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Hardly a secret, Cannon Beach is an inescapable must on the Oregon Coast for good reason. Named after a cannon washing up on the shores in 1898, the small town an hour-and-a-half drive from Portland has long since boomed into a tourist destination for the state. The shingle style architecture framing the various shops and restaurants almost feel freshly picked from Cape Cod, except you occasionally catch a glimpse of towering natural landmark Haystack Rock to remind you you’re in Oregon. While there are several great resorts facing the beach, Cannon Beach Hotel provides that cozy coastal vibe you might seek, with a handful of rooms and a restaurant on site.
While taking in the waters might be a bit too chilly for most, the more popular seaside activity here is go to tidepooling. See a rainbow of life as colorful starfish cling to coral and rocks along the shore, and if you visit in the spring, you have a high chance of spotting puffins perched on Haystack Rock. Just beware the Bandage Man. Part of an urban legend targeting teens driving at night, rumor has it that a former logger or possibly electrician–turned–mummy-in-bandages stalks cars and trucks on the coast. You’ll apparently know he’s there when you smell a rotting stench.
Yachats, Oregon
Nestled on rocky shores by the sandy Yachats River delta is one of the overlooked gems of Southern Oregon’s coast. Yachats is a photogenic hamlet three hours from Portland with a sense of originality well intact that could feel at home neighboring the other Portland in Maine. The Drift Inn offers far more than its humble exterior suggests with several lightly themed rooms with clawfoot tubs, and its on-site restaurant adorned with upside-down umbrellas speaks to the untamed artistic spirit of the town. The inverse answer to Haystack Rock in the north, Thor’s Well appears as a bottomless pit drinking in the Pacific. Likely a former sea cave with a collapsed ceiling, the well draws in the ocean and neighbors like the Spouting Horn appear to shoot it back out like a geyser.
Mendocino, California
A three-hour drive from the Bay Area, this coastal California town is more Maine than Malibu. Mendocino is perched on a cliffside above Mendocino Bay with charming seaside Victorian architecture left over from its days as a logging community. Settled by New Englanders, the East Coast vibe’s alive and well with pastel colored shops and cafes dotting Main Street with views of the bay. Just across the water, Stanford Inn & Resort provides a garden-like escape with warm wood-paneled walls and outrigger canoes for rent to take out on Big River nearby.
Head to Russian Gulch State Park, a short nine-minute drive from town, to take in the scenery of the river meeting the sea alongside towering redwoods, or go a bit farther north to see Glass Beach. Trading sand for smooth, colorful beads of glass, this former dump turned destination delights visitors with its technicolor “sand” made from eroded broken bottles and various glass of the past. Over the years tourists collecting mementos (despite the fact it’s highly discouraged) have diminished the amount of eroded glass on the beach, so please leave it be for future visitors to enjoy.
Elk, California
Before reaching Mendocino, there is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hamlet by the sea called Elk.
Made up of a general store, art gallery, cafe and mercantile, this stretch of Shoreline Highway about three hours outside of the Bay Area feels almost like a Hollywood re-creation of a small town rather than a real locale. The unassuming shingle style Harbor House Inn quietly boasts a Michelin two star restaurant with towering windows looking out to Wharf Rock and provides a bed to sleep off the multicourse meal of hyper-seasonal and local dishes.
You’ll find easy access down to Greenwood Creek State Beach, so pack up a picnic lunch from the Elk Store with sandwiches from the deli, hike down to the shore and consider beachcombing to find a one-of-a-kind souvenir. For a little more action, go horseback riding along the shore with Ross Ranch, or venture inwards to see the coastal redwoods.