The little community of Lincoln Beach lies between Lincoln City and Depoe Bay, where another charming enclave is cloistered within. Bella Beach is a bit like the archetypal, cozy suburban neighborhood that could be the stuff of "living happily ever after," (coming complete with the white picket fence), except that it's really a collection of rather upscale, gorgeous beach cottages that are vacation rentals or for sale. There are about 40 rentals available inside this pretty place, and more are still being built.

The philosophy of Bella Beach is to create a place with a "neighborly feel," and indeed they've succeeded. Set in the midst of a Central Coast wooded area, there are the rustic architectural themes common to places like Manzanita or Cannon Beach, where garages are tucked away behind the buildings and front porches are the emphasis.

It's early summer, and I'm slated to stay there with a group of friends - except all my friends disappear on me and cancel within the week before the prearranged stay. So, for better or for worse (depending on how you think about it), I have this entire home to myself.

"Song of the Sea," as it's called, sits in a little park-like area in the middle of Bella Beach: the last in a row of quaint, rather diminutive houses that ooze cuteness. It's red and adorable as all get-out.

Inside, it's absolutely immaculate, decorated with a lighthouse theme and filled with a myriad of lighthouse knick-knacks and artwork - right down to a lighthouse clock. This beautiful pad sleeps six. There are two bedrooms, each with an elegant bathroom nearby and a ceiling fan. (Thank goodness for that, as it's one of those extremely hot days we've had on the coast this summer.) A couch in the living room folds out to accommodate persons number five and six. A full kitchen with coffee maker and loads of utensils helps complete the dream vacation home thing, as does a VCR and really big TV with satellite.

Oh yeah, and there's a hot tub in the backyard.

There's a playground for the kiddies, and the homes vary from hideaway lodgings for two with oceanfront hot tubs, to larger accommodations for bigger groups. Bella Beach also offers up accommodations for groups as large as 60, if you happen to have a business retreat or reunion of some sort.

The phone lines provide the opportunity for dialup Internet access, if you have a toll free number for your laptop.

Then there's that wondrous beach. Like many of the beaches in the area, the tide line is at a rather steep slope, so waves come in fast and hard, but dissipate quickly to shyly lap at your feet.

A few awesome homes line the cliffs here, with a solid stairway for guests to access the beach. On this night, it seems everyone had gathered here for the spectacular sunset to come. It disappointed no one.

Staying at Bella Beach certainly won't disappoint anyone, either. Beauty, charm, chic, all the modern amenities you could ever want and a sense of old fashioned Americana combine with a day at the beach to create a place poised to make lots of memories.

Each home is individually designed, and made from materials that stand the harsh coastal weather. Some homes occasionally become for sale, but they go fast. These days, they go for no less than $425,000. Soon, Bella Beach will become its own self-contained city, with a market, cafe and shops. Recently added to all homes were barbecue grills.

The formula for Bella Beach is a highly successful one, although completely unusual in the Northwest. In recent years, the developers at Bella Beach started another such rental vacation community on the Washington coast. Seabrook, as it's called, this development has about 300 cottages.

Prices on rentals vary greatly, depending on stay, size of home and number of people and amenities. 866-994-7026 or www.bellabeach.com.

For more on the Oregon Coast, including extensive virtual tours, see www.beachconnection.net
About the Author

Andre' Hagestedt is edtior of Beach Connection, a tourism publication that covers the upper half of Oregon's coast - some 180 miles.