The Adventure Coast

Traveling up the beautiful Oregon coast reminded us again of just how beautiful and vibrant a landscape of trees can be when mother nature is so bountiful. With an seemingly endless water supply...and then coupled with the early morning marine layer and an afternoon session of bright sun...key ingredients that will always equate to the perfect recipe for a healthy forest. And what more can be said about that rugged coastline. A demonstration of pure power is on stage every moment...fierce white caps dancing to their own beat, wind blown ghostlike froth skimming upon the surface and high surf & waves pounding the off shore rocks and shoreline with unforgiving intensity...what a blessing to see that the land is being seen in such a natural state...and with the sparse population and lack of development, this may be a vision of ours for many generations.

Oregon and Coos Bay welcomed us with a full moon, high wind, patchy cloud cover and brisk temperatures in the low 60's...but still a very far cry from the winter days we experienced as we departed the state in March. But we did find a scenic site to park our coach, overlooking the bay, at The Mill Casino RV Resort.

This unique section of the Oregon oceanfront is known as Oregon's Adventure Coast. And with the exception of Coos Bay, there are some really charming towns on this southern coast. Bandon-by-the-Sea has always been one our favorite seaport villages, offering some unique attractions...located near the mouth of the Coquille River and overlooking the Pacific.

"Old Town" on the waterfront is an offering of cutesy art & crafts, tourista boutiques and small dining establishments.

Across the river is the picturesque Coquille River Lighthouse built in 1896. We both agreed it would be a lot of fun to be a volunteer in the lighthouse gift shop...when weather is more temperate. Maybe in the future.

Pristine white sand beaches, dotted with rock "castles and turrets" that stretch endlessly in each direction...showing no signs of any human presence...not even foot prints.

A short drive from Coos Bay is the small coastal fishing village of Charleston, located just inside the entrance of the bay. Have a taste for fresh dungeness crab, fish or clams?...then a visit to the Charleston Marina is a must. We found fresh albacore tuna for $2.50lb. and live crabs for $6.50lb., a bargain for these Californios to say the least.

Just a short 4 mile drive south of Charleston was a treasure of a find, and mind you, only if you possessed a "relentless passion to find every one of nature's theme parks" would you find this place...the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. A beautiful interpretive center welcomes you to the reserve and will provide you all the necessary information needed for your exploration. Miles of hiking trails will transport you through a multitude of habitats...forests, salt marshes, mudflats and channels.