A Trifecta of “Bests” for Cannon Beach!
By Shannon Smith
It’s a great accomplishment for any special destination to be featured on a national publication’s “Bests List in a single year. So it was downright epic when the charming arts town of Cannon Beach recently found itself listed on not just one, but indeed three different “best of 2017” lists in the span of just one week! The trendy town is listed on a powerhouse trio of the best travel websites as a best in world beach, best US hotel, and as one of the five best coastal towns in America.
National Geographic kicked off the week with inclusion of Cannon Beach in its 2017 Best Beaches in the world list, noting that beyond its breathtaking beauty this wide swath of sand makes for pure bliss when shared by both dogs and their humans. It’s the world’s best beach for Rover too!
Five other US beaches were identified by Nat Geofor the Best in the World list. American beaches included two west coast favorites; Carmel by the Sea California, and Pupakeolea Beach in Hawaii. Eastern favorites listed both Bowen’s Beach, and Sanibel Island in Florida, the beautiful Sunset beach in North Carolina, and a fresh water lake “beach” in Michigan made the list. Beyond North America, the locations became more remote with secret spots tucked away in Cambodia, Australia, the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritus, Seychelles, and Cook Islands. The diversity of our world’s shorelines made it all the more interesting featuring warm turquoise blue hidden gems in Belize, Curacao, and the Philippines, alongside a sparse and sparkling beach found in Iceland.
Two more Best in the US designations came just days later. TripAdvisor, as part of its 2017 Traveler’s Choice Awards, selected the stylish and intimate Stephanie Inn as its number 4 pick in its tally of the 25 Best hotels in United States. This prestigious travel site, with over 390 million users worldwide can literally put a place or a property “on the map” with its best of features, and at last check had registered over 45 million personal reviews.
Then at weeks close, another announcement from the popular site Travelerstoday.comput the icing on the cake listing Cannon Beach as one of the 5 best coastal towns in America, based upon its globally recognized natural beauty, and its diverse and engaging Arts culture.
Cannon Beach Chamber Executive Director, Cort Carrier proudly shared that not only do these awards give recognition to how special the town is, but also acknowledges these listings as signs of success after a long commitment with a strategic and expansive marketing effort to bring travelers to this charming town. “It’s a kind of hitting it out of the ball park moment” related Cort, and a big deal for a team that has literally made it happen with a slim to nothing marketing budget as compared to other coastal towns.
Becoming recognized as a coastal destination brings both great honor and also great responsibility. Cort acknowledged that the Chamber’s focus has now shifted towards encouraging visitors to explore the town during the quieter seasons to give some more balance year round, and ease the crowded summers.
Cannon Beach and all its friends should relish this beautiful time as they prepare to share this rarest of places with a flow of new admirers from across the world. Somehow I know they’ll give it their best.
