11. Climb aboard to sail inland bays and out to sea
For those who want to sail coastal bays and nearby Pacific Ocean but don’t have the boat, there are several excursion opportunities available.
For the past two years, the 60-foot Rendevous has been plying the waters of Coos Bay, giving tours during the weekends along with dinner cruises and charter cruises for groups and special occasions, such as weddings.
Operators Ron and Renee deRonden-Pos built the all-steel, diesel-powered craft at their home beside the Coos River, where it was launched two years ago. The double-decked vessel can accommodate up to 49 people at a time.
For tour schedules and information on charter rates, those interested can call Ron and Renee at (541) 267-5661.
People who seek more excitement than a harbor cruise can find their fill by booking a spot on an ocean fishing day cruise with one of several boat charter companies operating along the South Coast.
In Charleston, Bob’s Sport Fishing and Betty Kay Charters are both long-time experienced operators who offer charter trips for bottom fish, halibut, salmon and whale watching excursions. Operators provide all necessary equipment, from bait to rods and reels, but purchase of a one-day Oregon fishing license, cost $8, is required in addition to the charter fee, which may vary. However, according to Dick Herrington of Bob’s Sport Fishing, the average cost for a charter tour is $55 per person.
For information on charter prices and schedules, people can call Bob’s Sport Fishing at (800) 628-9633 or locally at 541-888-4241. The number for Betty Kay Charters is (800) 752-6303 or 541-888-9021.
Other charter operators on the South Coast include Tidewind Sportfishing in Brookings, (800) 799-0337 or 541-469-0337; Star Charters Ocean Fishing in Brookings, 541-469-5151; and Strike Zone Marine and Charters in Winchester Bay, (800) 230-5350 or 541-271-9706.
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For
those people who want to go camping but don’t want to lug around the
equipment, yurt camping might be the preference.
A
yurt is a conical-topped, circular Mongolian tent on a wooden frame. Each yurt
can sleep up to five people and offers electricity, heater, lights, a skylight,
bunk beds and a futon sofa. Other features include large windows, a lockable
door and some even have front decks. Although the bunk beds and futons come
equipped with vinyl mattresses, visitors need to bring their own sleeping bags
or bedding.
Yurts
are located at several state parks along the coast. The Mongolian yurts are at
Carl Washburne and Honeyman State Parks near Florence; at Umpqua Lighthouse
State Park near Winchester Bay; at the William M. Tugman State Park near
Lakeside; at Sunset Beach State Park on Cape Arago south of Coos Bay; at
Bullards Beach State Park north of Bandon; and at Harris Beach State Park in
Brookings.
Renting
for $27 a night, there is a high demand for the yurts and the amount of the
yurts available at each park varies.
Reservations
can be made up to 11 months in advance by calling Reservations Northwest at
(800) 452-5687.
More of Interest:
State
Parks
Surplus Center
Sunset Sports
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13.
Bring a camera; the bridges are spectacular
In Coos county and surrounding areas, there are many historic and lesser-known bridges to photograph. Photographers should first make sure they have plenty of gas in the car. There are quite a few bridges that require some travel off U.S. Highway 101.
The Chandler Bridge up the Coos River Highway is a good place to start, as you take an excursion around the Coos Bay. Follow North Bay Drive around through Cooston to the tiny settlement of Glasgow and on to the McCullough Bridge. Along the route, there are many places to stop and take pictures without having to worry about crossing private property. Not only is McCullough Bridge beautiful from the topside, a short hike down the stairs on the south end of the bridge will take photographers underneath for a view of the bridge’s spectacular understructure.
The bridges at Florence, Reedsport and Gold Beach also are popular with photographers. For those who travel Highway 42, the covered bridge near Bridge is also a good place to picnic and take photos.
The Charleston Bridge also can make an interesting photo, if you happen to catch it open. The bridge opens to allow fishing boats to pass. Typically fishermen are early risers and move their boats according to the tide. Also keep watch for boats moving out of the Charleston Shipyard and heading toward the marina.
Tips: Identify a point of interest before taking a photo, then snap the shot to emphasize that point. Don’t just shoot one photo. Try different angles. Sometimes walking a few feet in another direction will give you a different angle and change the entire picture.
More of Interest:
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14. Lakeside’s Tenmile Lakes place to plug for bass
One of the most-used lakes in Oregon, Tenmile Lakes is a virtual haven for bass fishermen.
Summer months can provide fantastic catches of bass, with half-pound to three pounders being common.
There are six major tournaments during the year on Tenmile Lakes. The last, the Tenmile Open, is held on Aug. 6 and 7. Local clubs often host smaller tournaments on weekends.
Both the north and south lakes offer competing catches in size and weight. Last year’s largest catch was a 10 3/4-pound bass.
Fishing the shoreline in the morning and deeper areas with the sunshine can provide some of the most gratifying catches. According to Derik Anderson, owner of Lakeside Hardware and Tackle, bass have been biting near flat points at the weed lines. Anderson said bass have been hitting spinner baits, plastic or live worms and Rapallas.
Early mornings and late evenings provide for the best fishing, although during the daytime the bass will cruise for food.
Tenmile Lakes is located in the heart of Lakeside, about 15 miles north of Coos Bay and North Bend. Boat rentals are available at the Tenmile Marina and at Sun Lake Marina. More of Interest:
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15.Go to stock car races at speedway
Some of the fastest action around can be found at the
Coos Bay International Speedway. The speedway is home to stock car and National
Hot Rod Association racing that began on May 6 and will last until Sept. 17.
Built in 1972, the speedway has a 3,000-seat grandstand that overlooks an
8th-of-a-mile drag strip, a quarter-mile oval and a one-mile road course. Racing
is usually one day a week with drag racing and stock car racing rotating
weekends. Sometimes, weather permitting, stock car races will hit the track on
Saturday and drag racing will follow on Sunday. First race usually begins at 7
p.m. until dark when the lights are turned on and racing is switched to circle
tracking.
One of the top features at the speedway is spectators can see the whole road
course from the grandstand -- uncommon for speedways across America.
Some of the featured events on the 2000 season are a monster truck show on July
1, a demolition derby on July 29, and the 3rd annual Northwest Jr. Dragster
Championships on Sept. 17. Ticket prices are $2 for children 5-12 years of age
(4 and under free), $5 adult and $14 family (two adults, three kids).
To get to the speedway, take Highway 42 (Coquille exit) off U.S. Highway 101,
travel three miles until the speedway sign and take the next exit. The speedway,
located at 2501 Hwy. 42, can be seen from the highway. For more information,
call 269-2474.
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16. Visit the
site where the American fur trapper Jedediah Smith and his party who visited the
South Coast in 1828 met with disaster Nineteen men and hundreds of horses traveled along the
coast of Southern Oregon in the days when only the Indians had villages along
its bays and rivers.
Near the Junction of the Smith River with the powerful Umpqua River, the
Jedediah Smith’s party was attacked by the Indians of the Lower Umpqua region.
Only a few men survived, one of whom was Smith who was away from the main party
on a scouting for the best way to get to the Willamette Valley.
Today, a historical marker is located near the spot where the massacre is
believed to have taken place, just north of the bridge across the Umpqua River
at Reedsport. Local historical societies have information about Smith’s
journey as well as other events of South Coast history.
Return to 101 Things to do on Oregon's South Coast
17. Where is that famous hulk---the New Carissa?
A must-see for many South Coast visitors is the site of the stern of the wrecked freighter New Carissa, which ran aground near Coos Bay on Feb. 4, 1999.
Access to the ship’s site is fairly easy, but visitors will need a four-wheel drive vehicle or all-terrain vehicle to make it out to the beach on the roads.
Heading north on U.S. Highway 101, visitors will pass through North Bend and across the McCullough Bridge, then make a left turn at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area/Horsfall Beach turnoff.
The road takes drivers across the north bay and over railroad tracks. At a fork in the road. Take the left fork onto the Trans-Pacific Parkway and follow the road for a few miles to the Bureau of Land Management boat ramp. Go about 100 yards farther and the entrance to the North Spit road to the New Carissa is on the right.
There are several openings along the road that afford a glimpse of the wrecked stern, but the best site is an overlook two miles down the road from the start of the North Spit access.
One caution: During summer months, the dry sand area of the North Spit’s beaches are off-limits, since this is one of the preferred nesting areas of the threatened snowy plover. The BLM requires visitors to keep pets on leashes and stay in the wet sand portion of the beach exposed at low tide to avoid disturbing the nesting shorebirds.
18. Watch the waves
beat ceaselessly and powerfully against the dark rocky cliffs
For thousands of unrestricted miles, wind and waves travel to the Oregon coast
and can be especially sensational when they meet the cliffs and reefs of Cape
Arago. Shore Acres State Park is one of the best known and photographed places
where there is collision of wind-hurled water against resistant stone. The
action on a windy summer day at high tide is only a fraction of what happens
during winter storms, so plan to come back and bring your camera. During the
most ferocious weather, water is sprayed 100 feet high with a sound like cannon
fire each time a wave meets the rocks. Yellow sea foam, beaten into froth,
accumulates in every cove and is blown about like shreds of lace in the
maelstrom. The best place to watch is on the trail heading north of the park,
but a shelter with glass walls and excellent views has been built on the edge of
the cape near the parking area.
Return to 101 Things to do on Oregon's South Coast
19.
Charter boating takes you to adventure on the Pacific
Taking
a trip on a charter boat can be a great way to experience the ocean and its
inhabitants without having to buy a boat.
Several
charter boat operators offer packages that include bottom fishing for rockfish
and lingcod, or tuna, halibut or salmon fishing. Some even offer whale-watching
trips during the gray whales’ annual migrations in the spring and fall.
The
boats often make two trips a day for bottom fish, leaving port in the early
morning and returning around noon. For tuna and halibut, fish that are farther
offshore, a trip lasts a whole day. Costs range from around $60 for a half day
to $150 for a full day.
Most companies have all the equipment necessary for a good day’s worth of fishing and also have one-day fishing licenses available. Many of the vessels are also handicapped-accessible.
Regulations have changed recently and the skippers and deckhands will let you know how many fish you can keep, what kinds and what sizes. To take advantage of a charter boat trip, set the alarm clock for the early morning hours, dress in layers, bring the camera and be ready for some great ocean scenery.
More of Interest:
The
adage “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is a perfect
description when directed towards the superabundance of garage sales offered
once sunny skies brighten the Oregon Coast.
Seasoned
garage-salers know that nearly anything can be purchased for a meager cash
outlay if one is only willing to spend the time and energy required to search
for it. Bargain hunters seem to fall into one of three categories:
Hard-core
Weekend Warriors
These
treasure hunters relentlessly pursue garage sales as if their very lives depend
on saving money. They are up at
dawn scouring classified ads in their local papers as they plan their mode of
attack with expertise. They are aware of local hot spots for posted garage
sales. Their vehicles sport full gas tanks, maps and bumper stickers saying “I
stop for garage sales!” They have perfected the art of haggling.
The
Moderately Addicted
Enthusiastic garage-salers who are able to pursue their hobby without being excessive, they include other priorities in their lives. Known to miss a weekend of bargain hunting, they use a more lackadaisical approach such as just driving around touring side roads in smaller communities and checking for signs at intersections of main thoroughfares in larger ones. They are still able to close their own garage doors because they are able to resist some temptations.
Spur-of-the-moment
Take it or leave it garage-salers do not have a strong need to stockpile treasures but still enjoy the thrill of the hunt --- on a sunny day --- when they can find the time. They are often spotted driving behind cars sporting the “I stop for garage sales” bumper stickers or checking for gaily colored balloons tied to mailboxes. The worst that happens with this approach is occasionally finding a birthday party instead of a garage sale.
No matter how you look at it, going to garage sales can be a light-hearted, inexpensive way to spend the day. There is a feeling of excitement just wondering what might be found around the corner.More
of Interest:
ATM Machines
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