Bargain Winter Getaways

BEND, ORE.

PLAY Skiers roam Mt. Bachelor, the state’s largest resort, on 71 runs overlooking peaks in Three Sisters Wilderness Area. Lift tickets from $49. (800) 829-2442, mtbachelor.com [2].

STAY On a wooded stretch of Highway 46, between town and mountain, lies clean, quiet, skier-friendly Entrada Lodge. From $79. (888)505-6343, entradalodge.com [3].

EAT At the Pilot Butte Drive-In sip a chocolate blackberry shake ($4.50) or grab a booth to order one of 18 distinctive burgers under $10. (541) 382-2972, pilotbutte.com [4].

CAYUCOS, CALIF.

PLAY Good Clean Fun, a surf shop, rents kayaks by the hour on clear days. Book a tour or paddle solo to a kelp forest to spy sea otters and pelicans. (805) 995-1993, gcfsurf.com [5].

STAY Guests at the Seaside Motel stroll on sand in late-winter sunshine, then barbecue on a patio surrounded by flowers. From $73. (800) 549-0900, seasidemotel.com [6].

EAT In an outdoor pavilion at Hoppe’s Garden Bistro, savor local abalone in lemon butter ($18), then share a smoked-pheasant pizza ($10). (805) 995-1006, hoppesbistro.com [7].

MANZANITA, ORE.

PLAY In Oswald West State Park, hike Short Sand Creek trail to Necarney Creek, then cross a bridge to coastside Lookout Point. (503) 368-3575, oregonstateparks.org [8].

STAY Find heated yurts amid low pines at Nehalem Bay State Park. Visitors venture over the dunes to watch roaring waves. $27. (800) 452-5687, oregonstateparks.org [9].

EAT At Marzano’s Pizza Pie in Manzanita, imported cheeses and house-cured sausage enliven hearty pies. From $9. (503) 368-3663, marzanospizza.com [10].

MOUNT SHASTA, CALIF.

PLAY Welcoming Mt. Shasta Ski Park, just five miles east of I-5, boasts 32 runs and two terrain parks spread over 425 acres. Lift tickets start at $16. (800) 754-7427, skipark.com [11].

STAY Ten miles from the ski slopes, Mount Shasta Resort offers chalets near a lake or lodge rooms with Jacuzzi tubs. From $80. (800) 958-3363, mountshastaresort.com [12].

EAT Locals crowd downtown’s Billy Goat's Tavern for hot garlic fries ($2) and blue cheese burgers with caramelized onions and mushrooms ($10). (530) 926-0209.

POINT ARENA, CALIF.

PLAY Park at Schooner Gulch State Beach, then walk north on the sand to Bowling Ball Beach, paved with hundreds of wave-smoothed boulders. (707) 937-5804, parks.ca.gov [13].

STAY A continental breakfast, balconies, and surf are standard amenities at the Wharf Master’s Inn, perched above a fishing pier. From $85. (800) 932-4031, wharfmasters.com [14].

 EAT Enjoy locally caught rock cod and chips ($14) with one of 31 draft beers ($4) at the Pier Chowder House & Tap Room.
(707) 882-3400, thepierchowderhouse.com [15].

Photography by Visuals Unlimited/Corbis

This article was first published in March 2010. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.