True, gathering with family and relatives is the preferred way to celebrate the holidays. And, natch, because you live on the coast, everybody wants to gather at your place for Christmas dinner, perhaps even hang out for a day or two.

But how do you unwind after Uncle Mort and Aunt Martha, Nana Ellie and Grampa Jake and the other out-of-towners have headed back home? By then, you’ll be itchin’ for a weekend removed from all that seasonal sensory overload.

Why not go south? Depending on how far you travel and how much time you have to invest in post-holiday bliss, here are suggestions about where to stay and dine on Oregon’s central and south coasts. Note that some lodgings have two-night minimum stays, and all require reservations.

Read yourself to sleep

In Newport, a city of a zillion lodgings – and seemingly, a new one weekly – the Sylvia Beach Hotel (267 N.W. Cliff St., Newport, (888) 795-8422, www.sylviabeachhotel.com, $91-$178) stands out like a 70-degree December day and is the preferred sleepover for voracious readers. Every room is dedicated to a renowned author, and tomes and periodicals are everywhere. Guests gather, family-style, in the downstairs Tables of Content restaurant, where interaction is encouraged. Price of the room includes breakfast.

Beach eats: Like Astoria, Newport enjoys an abundance of fine restaurants. Best of the bunch may be Saffron Salmon (859 S.W. Bay Blvd., Newport, (541) 265-8921), a bayfront eatery that serves messy-good burgers and salmon sandwiches, along with a complement of seafood and killer lemon curd-filled layer cake.

Area attractions: Culture vultures thrive here. Newport Performing Arts Center (777 S. Olive St., Newport, (541) 265-ARTS, www.coastarts.org/pac) offers regional-caliber events and galleries abound throughout town, particularly along Bay Boulevard. Across the bay is the Oregon Coast Aquarium (2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Road, Newport, (541) 867-3474, www.aquarium.org); nearby you’ll find the Hatfield Marine Science Center (2030 S. Marine Science Drive, Newport, (541) 867-0100, hmsc.oregonstate.edu). Both institutions feature sea life and interactive exhibits. North of town off U.S. Highway 101 is Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, with the restored Yaquina Head Lighthouse, an interpretive center, hiking trails and wheelchair-accessible intertidal areas.

A tree house by the sea

You can’t get more cozy than Coast House (10 miles north of Florence, (541) 997-7888, www.coasthouseflorence.com, $440 for a two-night minimum stay), a romantic lodging suitable for one or two couples that’s hidden in the trees a hundred or so feet above the Pacific on precipitous Heceta Head. There’s not much to do at this isolated four-level retreat, save read, chat, play CDs and one of the board games, or simply stare at the horizon. Especially at high tide, surf pounds the rocks below, and like a sea-born lullaby, the rumble reverberates up from the ocean. Just bring food; everything else is provided, including a very good bottle of wine.

Beach eats: Try Cafe Francais, (30th Street and U.S. Highway 101 N., Florence, (541) 997-6767), for Gallic country cooking, say thyme-infused rack of lamb, quail with seasonal mushrooms and, of course, escargots.

Area attractions: At Sea Lion Caves (north of Coast House at 91560 U.S. Highway 101, (541) 547-3111, www.sealioncaves.com), you descend 21 stories to a natural surf-swept cavern where hundreds of Steller sea lions frolic. Cape Perpetua Scenic Area (14 miles north of Coast House) is a 2,700-acre rain forest with an interpretive center, hiking trails and secluded coves. Beginning just south of Florence at Jessie Honeyman State Park, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a land of expansive, wind-sculpted dunes, forest and freshwater lakes.

A new age in Port Orford

Port Orford’s surroundings are spectacular, yet this this tiny town hasn’t experienced the influx of visitors who come to Bandon, 36 miles to the north, and Gold Beach, a half hour south. WildSpring Guest Habitat (92978 Cemetery Loop, Port Orford, (866) 333-9453, www.wildspring.com, $175-$225) is Port Orford’s first attempt at an upscale lodging, and this New Age place is a dandy, although not for everyone. Situated in a parklike setting, WildSpring offers five well-appointed cabin suites (one sleeps six; the rest four), meditation alcoves and a walking labyrinth, along with an open-air spa overlooking the ocean. Come mornings, there’s a bounteous continental breakfast, and hot fudge sundaes are served Saturday evenings. Wellness workshops are scheduled throughout the year.

Beach eats: Almost everybody who stays here ends up at Port Orford Breadworks (190 Sixth St., Port Orford, (541) 332-4022), a rustic Italian-style trattoria, bakery and deli owned by Nancy Fraser and her husband “Breadman” (the only name he uses). Look for an intriguing selection of 15 or so meats, more than 60 cheeses, three or more artisan breads, plus a sophisticated array of wines, olive oils, packaged pasta and gift baskets with some or all of the above. Lunches (create your own panini) and dinners (osso bucco, roasted pork with garlic mashers, “adult” mac ‘n cheese) are top notch.

Area attractions: All Oregon Coast state parks are special, but Port Orford is bookended by two especially breathtaking ones. Three miles north and another six miles west, Cape Blanco State Park features usually deserted beaches and the oldest (since 1870) and the most westerly lighthouse in the lower 48 states. Hardy hikers can trek 3.5 miles to the summit of Humbug Mountain within Humbug Mountain State Park, five miles south of Port Orford.

Up the Rogue River

It’s off season on the Rogue River, and you’ll likely find solitude at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge (96550 North Bank Rogue Road, Gold Beach, (800) 864-6357, www.tututun.com, $95-$170), located seven miles up the river and arguably Oregon’s prettiest getaway. Accommodations range from 16 units in the two-story main building, with fireplaces and porches overlooking the river, to the two-bedroom Garden and River houses. Continental breakfast is brought to your room, and the lodge, with its massive river-rock fireplace, is an awe-inspiring setting to sight a bald eagle or osprey and watch the Rogue roll by.

Beach eats: Find scrumptious country-style cooking, including can’t-miss desserts, in a pint-sized laid-back setting at Patti’s Rollin’ n Dough Bakery, Deli & Bistro (94257 North Bank Rogue Road, Wedderburn, (541) 247-4438).

Area attractions: The southern coast is unsurpassed in beauty, and you can find stretches of beach all for yourself, particularly from the trailheads within Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor (milepost 344 to 353). For indoor fun, don’t miss Gold Beach Books Biscuit Coffeehouse & Art Gallery (29707 U.S. Highway 101, Gold Beach, (541) 247-2495, www.OregonCoastBooks.com), the Northwest coast’s largest repository of tomes. Farther south is Brandy Peak Distillery (18526 Tetley Road, Brookings, (541) 469-0194, www.brandypeak.com) a micro-distillery up in the hills above Brookings that closes for the season after the first week in January.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 or phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com