The Lovely Warmth
Brookings is the beach city that is closest to the California border and also provides the warmest temperatures. It provides a complete experience in the fact that you can walk along a nice sandy beach looking for sand dollars and then walk through a rock formation tunnel and find tide pools galore. Of course you need to time going through the rock tunnel at the right time or you will end up swimming until the wave/tide goes back out.
Brookings has a great Best Western hotel right on the beach with all rooms having an ocean view. You really can't beat that, especially with the low rates. If you are the adventurous type and want to camp on the beach you really don't have many options except for Sportsmans Park but the "campsite" was just an afterthought. You can always just pull your vehicle off to the side of the road and camp there without services. Waking up to the sound and smells of the ocean is hard to beat.
Down at the harbor there are plenty of restaurants and shops for you to browse and get your fill of whatever you are looking for. Of course down at the harbor you will find the jetty which juts out into the ocean and provides beach goers with some great views of seals, dolphins and some great waves crashing against the rocks. It also provides a great fishing spot, if you don't mind your catch being taken away occasionally by a random seal. They do like an easy meal also.
You can pick up a great charter boat that will take you out for some great fishing or crabbing, or both. Your charter doesn't have to be for fishing you can grab a charter boat that will take you out whale watching during migrating seasons. That is always a joy to see.