1.
Slide down a sand dune into a lake
Golden
sand dunes next to freshwater lakes are common in the Oregon Dunes National
Recreation Area that stretches from North Bend to Florence. Some lakes are
bordered by really awesome steep dunes where you can slide right down into the
water. One of these places is at Honeyman State Park just south of Florence.
Although some of the small rainwater-filled lakes in the dunes tend to disappear
as the summer season progresses, others are deep permanent lakes fed by streams
and maintain their water level all summer. Hall Lake, just west of Tugman Park
near Lakeside, is one of these. A hike is required to get to the lake, which has
one of the highest, steepest dunes in the whole 40-mile stretch, rearing right
out of the end of the lake. Managers of the recreation area are in the process
of making plans for trail, parking and facility improvements at Hall Lake and
want to offer many types of educational and recreational experiences for
visitors to the dunes.
2.
Smelt jigging great for beginners and pros
Jigging
for smelt can be called “cheap entertainment” for the whole family, said
Sandy Warner, owner of Basin Tackle in Charleston.
For less than $5, you can buy a herring jig setup that has six size 6 or 8 hooks
on it and a 1/2- or 1-ounce bank sinker and be ready to go. The only other
necessity is a fishing pole and a bucket for the fish.
No bait is required. Smelt are attracted to the bright shiny hook bobbing up and
down in the water.
Smelt usually show up in the bay in May and June. The most popular spots to drop
a jig in the water are on `B’ dock, the transient dock, in the Charleston Boat
Basin or the public fishing dock between Hallmark Fisheries and the South Slough
Bridge at the county park.
No license is required and each person can catch up to 25 pounds --- quite a lot
using a jig, and seldom does anyone actually catch that many.
Warner said cleaning smelt is easy. The fish is gutted, then dipped or rolled in
flour, possibly with a little corn meal added in, and then quick-fried. The meat
peels away from the bones.
As with any outdoor activity, it’s always best to check the regulations. The
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife provides free fishing and hunting
regulations at its offices and most outdoor stores.
3.
Coos Bay offers historical building tours
Coos
Bay is full of historical buildings just waiting to be discovered. Buildings on
this tour were built as early as 1893 and show different styles of architecture.
Elks
Temple - 170 S. Second St. (1920
National Register). The building served as the Elks Club from 1920 to 1980.
After extensive exterior restoration and interior remodeling, the building was
reopened in 1985.
Chandler
Hotel and Annex
- 187 W. Central (1909 and 1913 National Register). The Chandler Hotel served as
a focal point for downtown development. The restoration of the building and
renovation was begun in the summer of 1985.
Tioga
Hotel - 275 N. Broadway (1925 and
1928, completed in 1948 National Register). The Depression and World War II
halted completion of the tallest building on the Oregon Coast. The building has
been remodeled to provide low-cost housing for seniors.
Joseph
W. Bennett House
- 202 Alder St. (1898) Joseph Bennett emigrated from Ireland in 1873 with his
father, George Bennett, the founder of Bandon. The younger Bennett established
the Flanagan and Bennett Bank of Coos Bay. The house was originally located at
the present site of the Tioga Hotel.
Nels
Rasmussen House
- 276 Birch St. (1893). Nels Rasmussen, a saloon owner, had this house built as
a present for his bride, Jennie Larson.
Andrew
Nasburg House
- 687 N. Third St., (1884 National Register nomination). The Nasburg House was
the home of a Swedish immigrant who became a local merchant and the first
postmaster.
Henry
Sengstacken House
- 682 N. Third St. (1904 National Register). A German immigrant, Henry
Sengstacken was a local businessman and landowner who became the mayor of
Marshfield in 1903.
Siglin/Flanagan
House
- 474 Park, (1889). A major in the Union Army during the Civil War, J.M. Siglin
was an attorney and the editor of the first weekly newspaper in Coos County, The
Coos Bay News. James H. Flanagan was a banker, owned the Marshfield Water
Company and was involved with logging and coal mining.
Carnegie
Library
- 515 Market St. (1915). One of many Carnegie libraries located throughout the
United States. Marshfield’s (Coos Bay’s) Progress Club began efforts to
secure a library in 1906. Funds were obtained from lectures, socials and a
donation from Andrew Carnegie.
Coos
Bay National Bank
- 245 Central Ave. (1923). Designed by Portland architect John E. Tourtellotte,
the building was designed in a simplified Renaissance revival style. It is
frequently referred to as the “Bugge Bank.”
Myrtle
Arms Apartments
- Sixth and Central (1914 National Register nomination). A rare Oregon example
of the Mission and Pueblo styles of architecture. One of the first large
apartment buildings in Coos Bay, it retains many of its original exterior and
interior features. A major restoration and renovation was begun on the site in
1985.
R.F.
Williams House
- 936 Central Ave. (1896). Built for a local banker, the stones in the
foundation arrived in the area as ballast aboard sailing ships.
Wesley
Methodist Hospital
- 790 Commercial St. (1925). Originally a Methodist hospital, the building was
taken over by the Sisters of Mercy in 1939 and became known as McAuley Hospital.
In 1982, the building was remodeled and opened as the Ken Keyes College.
Luse
House - 487 N. Fourth St. (1885).
Built for newspaper owner and editor Jesse Luse. The house has a long history of
unchanged family ownership.
Marshfield
Sun Building
- 1049 N. Front St. (1895). Jesse Luse published the Marshfield Sun Newspaper
from 1891 to 1944 and was the building’s sole tenant. The newspaper was the
longest continuously published paper under a single owner operator in Oregon.
The original equipment and many artifacts remain at the site. Tours are
available.
For more information on the Marshfield Sun Building tours and walking tours of Coos Bay’s historic downtown and neighborhoods, those interested can contact the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
More
of interest:
Security
Bank
All
it takes is children (or anyone young at heart), water, sun and sand! Nothing
more is needed to spend creative and entertaining hours on one of the long
stretches of sandy beaches located between Southern Oregon’s rocky headlands.
Wet sand can be sculpted into almost any shape that can be imagined. That is the
charm of building sandcastles, whales, mermaids, dragons or whatever.
For
those wanting precise shapes, containers and other tools can be used to form the
sand. And to join a contest in building with sand, journey to Bandon on
Saturday, May 27, 2000 for the Bandon Lions and Bullards State Park Annual Sand
Sculpture Contest.
Entrants
under the age of 12 can enter free and will receive ribbons. Other entrants have
a theme, Dragons of Folklore and Legend, and will pay a $5 fee for up to six
team contestants. Ribbons and prizes of $25 for first place and $15 for second
place will be awarded for four different categories: 1. Best depiction of theme,
2. Most humorous, 3. Most elaborate, and 4. Most creative. A fifth category,
best sculpture of show, will also receive $25 and a ribbon.
The
contest is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the beach at the end of Seabird Drive.
Awards will be given out at 2 p.m. For those wanting more information, contact
the Bandon Chamber of Commerce at 347-9616.
5. Say cheese please and you can see cheese
A quick stop at the A quick stop at the Bandon Cheese
Factory on U.S. Highway 101 can provide picnickers and travelers with the
perfect compliment to any meal.
Bandon
Cheese, which was recently purchased by Tillamook Cheese, makes more than 50
varieties of cheese from monterey jack to blue cheese, made from milk produced
by Coos and Curry county dairies.
Bandon
Cheese's long heritage of producing high-quality cheese has continued since the
1900s.
While
visitors taste free samples of the cheeses available, a large window allows an
up-close view of the production of hand-cheddared cheeses.
For
those who miss the day's cheese-making process, a video is available to explain
the process. Along with many varieties of jams and jellies also available are
gourmet products and Oregon wines.
The
Bandon Cheese Factory also offers many selections of locally made Umpqua ice
cream.
Summer
2000 hours are from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parking is available along the highway
in front of the business and recreational vehicles park behind the store.
Bandon Cheese Factory on U.S. Highway 101 can provide picnickers and travelers with the perfect compliment to any meal.
6.
Hiking, canoeing, learning all in a day’s fun at South Slough
The
halting of development here almost 25 years ago has allowed much of the South
Slough National Estuarine Reserve to return to a seemingly untouched forest and
estuary interface. Surrounded by two cities, a fishing village and the largest
coastal deep water port between San Francisco and Seattle, South Slough is a
sanctuary.
The
South Slough became the first of the protected estuaries in the United States,
of which there are now 25.
That
is all the more reason to take the opportunity to visit the pristine area.
Whether by canoes or on foot, the South Slough can provide visitors with an
extensive view of a unique estuary where fresh water marshes blend into the salt
water environment.
Despite
the fact that recreation is not the primary motivation for the South Slough,
some walkable trails are available to explore the area. Two trail systems take
hikers through the reserve’s 5,000 acres.
For access to the South Slough, follow Cape Arago Highway past Charleston. Take a left on Seven Devils Road and drive for several miles and watch for signs pointing to access points to parking and recreational trails. For information, those interested can contact the interpretive center at 541-888-5558.
More
of interest:
Adventure Kayak
Wavecrest
Discoveries
Surplus Center
7.
Pioneer cemeteries hard to find, worth the effort
Many
famous and infamous residents of the South Coast eventually ended up in one of
the pioneer cemeteries found in nearly every community on the South Coast.
Reading the inscriptions on the tombstones gives an insight into our history.
Many
pioneer cemeteries that are now within city limits have been lost under
buildings or are inaccessible. Others, however, remain a part of their
communities, such as the International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery, located
adjacent to Marshfield High School in Coos Bay.
Those
in search of familiar names can find the graves of Dr. and Mrs. Horsfall at the
Coos River Cemetery or the Munson family in the Templeton Pioneer Cemetery on
Shutters Landing Road in Hauser.
Wandering
the paths of the Lakeside Cemetery, located off Wildwood Drive near the junction
of U.S. Highway 101 and Airport Road, one can find plots from the turn of the
century alongside contemporary graves. Hours can be spent wandering the sandy
trails finding hidden areas amongst the brushy growth. The Coos County
Historical Society (756-6320) can point visitors in the direction of other
pioneer cemeteries in the area.
Southern
Coos and Curry counties also have numerous pioneer cemeteries, including one in
a picturesque setting at the base of Cape Blanco. A call to the Bandon
Historical Society (347-2164) will point people to cemetery sites including one
of three former Randolph townsites, a Civil War-era Grand Army of the Republic
cemetery, an IOOF Cemetery and a remote area of the campground at Bullards Beach
State Park.
More of interest:
http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/OR/CO.html
http://www.livgenmi.com/coosOR.htm
Sometimes the best camping spots are in the most remote locations.
One such spot to set up for lunch is the rocks near Coquille Falls, located about 20 miles southeast of Powers.
The drive isn’t the only long part of this picnic outing. The trail winds down through an old-growth forest a half-mile to the falls, which are in the upper portion of the Coquille River’s south fork. The hike up from the falls can be strenuous for some people.
While the cascading water is beautiful, hikers should remember to be cautious because the rocks can be slippery. A plaque on a rock near the top of the falls indicates where a Boy Scout fell to his death trying to climb the rocks a few decades ago.
To
get to the Coquille Falls trailhead, travel south of Powers on the Powers
Highway to Forest Service Road No. 33. The trailhead is about one mile up the
road. The drive from Powers to the trailhead takes about 30 minutes.
For
a less strenuous hike to another picturesque waterfall, people can give Elk
Creek Falls a try.
The trailhead is located five miles southeast of Powers along the main road. The trail is mostly flat and an easy hike. The falls are about one-fourth of a mile from the road and a few benches are available for people who want to sit and watch the water.
Both trails are maintained by the Powers Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service.
Note: People who travel to either Coquille Falls or Elk Creek Falls should be aware of a new U.S. Forest Service day-use fee required for all people who want to have picnics or hike on the ranger district’s trails.
The daily permit fee is $5 and permits can be picked up at the Powers Ranger District office at the north end of Powers.
9. World-class links
attract golfers
Golf fanatics don't have to search far for a golf course on the South Coast. The
South Coast is littered with state-of-the-art courses that engulf the unique
coastal lands and the old standbys. Leading the way in popularity and tee time
reservations is the year-old Bandon Dunes. The Scottish-style links course on
the Oregon Coast just north of Bandon is a can't miss for golfers of all skill
levels. It opened in 1999 and has become one of the most recognized courses in
the United States, recently being named the No. 1 golf course among new upscale
publics courses by Golf Digest; No. 3 in the country among all courses built
since 1960; and no. 80 in the world among all courses by Golf Magazine. Bandon
Dunes' summer rates, which began on May 2 and last to November, are $135 for 18
hole, $110 for hotel guests. For more information, call 541-347-4380.
Also in Bandon is Bandon Face Rock Golf Course, a nine-hole adventure for a
fair price and can be contacted at 541-347-3818.
Bandon Dunes isn't the only
impressive course on the coast. Salmon Run Golf & Wilderness Preserve in
Brookings opened in January of 1999 and is nestled along Salmon Creek and has a
beautiful No. 4 hole where the green is surrounded by water -- the courses
signature hole. The course can be reached at 541-469-4888.
The Bay area has two public courses to offer: the 18-hole Kentuck
Golf course in
North Bend (541-756-4464) and Sunset Bay (541-888-9301) near Charleston, which is nine holes.
Gold Beach and Reedsport also have nine-hole courses with Cedar Bend
(541-247-6911)
and Forest Hills (541-271-2626), respectively.
Rounding out the South Coast links are two courses in Florence, Ocean Dunes and
Sandpines -- both 18-hole courses. Ocean Dunes can be contacted at 541-997-3232 and
Sandpines is available at 541-917-4653.
More of interest:
Best Western Inn
at Face Rock, Bandon
Coastal Vacation Rentals, Bandon
Sunset Motel, Bandon
Harbor View Motel, Bandon
Pony Village Lodge, North Bend
Best Western Holiday Motel, Coos Bay
Sand-N-Sea Motel, Gold Beach
Marina RV Resort, Salmon Harbor
(Reedsport)
River House, Florence
Coos Country Club, Coos Bay
Cedar Bend Golf, Gold Beach
GibsRV, Coos Bay
10. Don’t need a cruise ship for skeet shooting here
Locals love to go trapshooting in Myrtle Point or at the Cape Blanco Gun Club near Port Orford, and there’s no reason visitors can’t join them.
Although some trapshooters don’t pack their guns when they go on vacation, some do. For those in the latter category, shooting clubs based in Port Orford and Myrtle Point offer places to practice and a chance to compete in friendly weekend competitions.
The Cape Blanco Gun Club is located at the end of a gravel road off Grassy Knob Road, which intersects with U.S. Highway 101 just north of Port Orford. The club is open for practice every Wednesday at 4 p.m. and generally stays open until 6:30 or 7 p.m., said club member Bill Oleson.
Meets are held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, starting at 9:30 a.m. The club recently upgraded its trap houses with new machines and added new walkways at the stations. Range fees are $3 per 25-shot round for practices and $4 per round during competitions, with $1 going for purse prizes. For more information, those interested can call Oleson at 541-332-9535.
The Myrtle Point Sportsmen’s Club also has trap and pistol ranges at its facility located at 95414 Sitkum Road near Myrtle Point. To get to the club, travelers coming from Coquille need to turn left on Sitkum Road just as they enter town. The club is located approximately one mile away.
Practices are held beginning at 5 p.m. each Thursday until closing and club trap shoots are held on the third Sunday of each month, starting about 10 a.m. A range fee of $4 is charged for non-members, but for visitors “the first couple of rounds are free,” said club member Mike Sullivan. Now that’s South Coast hospitality!
The club’s pistol range is open daily for unsupervised target practice with a range fee of $3 for non-members. A new action pistol shooting group is holding meets every other Sunday at the range starting about 11 a.m. For more information on this group, people can call Fran Moore at 541-572-4867.
Schedules are listed on the club’s phone message system, 541-572-5332.
More of Interest: