Terry and Kathy Living Our Dream: Oregon's Southern Coast

After waking up on Friday morning September 23rd I had two things on my mind and that was a cup of coffee and continuing our journey along the Oregon Coast. We only had 94 miles to drive to our next park and that sounded like an easy trip. Well it was not that easy. It started with drizzling rain to break camp and then the rain continues as we make our way along Hwy 101. Remember this is the highway you don't get in a hurry to go anywhere on it especially when you are in a 40 foot motorhome towing a jeep. Now add "share the road" with bicyclist. It seemed as though every bend in the road that was blind to us is where we met bicyclist. We were relieved when we saw the sign that read " The Mill RV Park". After several close encounters with the bikes we were glad to be parked again.

The mountains moved inland and the coastline was dominated by 40 miles of sand dunes just south of Florence that were formed by wind and rain over a long period of time. This is the longest area of coastal sand dunes in North America. Many families make lasting memories riding in the dunes. We met a family from Canada that said they vacation at the dunes every year. There were people riding ATV's, dirt bikes, dune buggies and many other vehicles with four tires that I am not sure what you would call them out on the dunes having a blast. All I could think of was how much our grandsons Devon and Judson would love having access to a place like this to ride and Aayden would have fun just playing in the sand.

We had seen in a brochure that there was an oyster farm in the area. Oyster farm, what is that? We had to go check that out. That is where they grow oysters. Umpqua Aquaculture oyster farm is in the triangular breakwater of Winchester Bay where the Umpqua River meets the Pacific Ocean. But how do they grow oysters? They use suspended long lines that never touch the ocean floor. A picture of the farm is in this post. Umpqua Triangle Oysters are free of the harsh flavor that is sometime associated with the bottom sediment. These oysters have a clean sweet flavor and are sought after by many chefs and everyday folks like me and you.

South of North Bend and Coos Bay is popular Bandon by the Sea. We were on a mission to find a place to buy Dungeness crabs and finally found a place in Bandon. When we order boiled crabs at home we order by the dozen or half dozen, here we paid $28 for one crab, coleslaw, macaroni salad and a piece of bread. Some people say you can only eat one Dungeness crab because they are so big, well to this Cajun that was an appetizer. No wonder we saw so many folks crabbing, who can afford to buy them at $28 a piece. It was delicious and is my favorite of all the crabs that I have eaten.

We only stayed 3 nights at The Mill RV Park and then moved on down the coast to Brookings where we checked in at the Driftwood RV Park on September 26th for three nights. The nice lady that checked us in said that one of their local boys had moved to Lake Charles to play baseball for McNeese State University. We were only five miles from the California state line. We had finally made it to the end of the Oregon Coast.

Oregon's Southern Coast

Danger for small boats. At the boat launch there were warning signs about the bar.

Winchester Bay area where the Umpqua River meets the Pacific Ocean.

He had caught six crabs but only one stayed on board. There is a minimum size for the Dungeness crabs.

Can you imagine how rough the water would be without the jetty there.

Oyster Farm - the long lines are hung from these barrels.

Umpqua River Lighthouse illuminated in 1894.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area - the dunes extend 2.5 miles inland

A mother leading the way.

Some of the dunes are 500 feet high.

This guy was booking it. The riders have to be mindful of the others because accidents do happen. There was a fatality Labor Day weekend.

Not sure what you call this ride.

Bandon Beach

Face Rock - the story of Face Rock tells of a disaster late one night that changed the landscape and warns people to follow the direction of their Elders and respect the Power of Nature.

The next few pictures were taken from Face Rock State Park in Bandon.

At home we serve boil corn and potatoes with our crabs but here it was coleslaw, macaroni salad and bread. The hot sauce they served was "Slap ya Mama" from Ville Plate, Louisiana.

Cajun hot sauce sitting on all the tables at Tony's Crabshack.

Coquille River Lighthouse was commissioned in 1896 to guide mariners across a dangerous bar.

Sculpture on the Boardwalk at Weber's Pier in Bandon

Our site at The Mill RV Park

Cape Arago State Park has an island and reef that attracts sea lions and seals. The next few pictures were taken by Joe when he and Crickett visited the park.

These rascals are noisy.

Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor has some of the best scenic views along the southern coast.

Port Orford where boats are raised and lowered to the ocean daily by the giant cranes in this picture. Port Orford is one of six "dolly" ports in the world.

When the boats are taken out of the ocean they are placed on trailers and stay here until their next voyage.

The Port of Orford Overlook walls are decorated with a series of mosaic ocean scenes.

This wall helps to keep you from being blown over by the high winds that are always in this area.

We watched two gray whales show off for everyone.

Port Orford is another place on the coast where the forest and mountains meet the ocean.

The sea breeze was very strong and chilly.

Better shot of the white caps.

We drove up to Cape Blanco State Park only to find the entire area covered with fog. The high winds were freezing. Not many pictures taken there. That is Arch Rock in the distance.