35. Scenic loop meanders through varied coastal zones.
The
Coastal Rivers Scenic Loop is a full-day drive through which visitors
and
locals alike can experience the variety of environments on the South Coast.
Sandy
beaches, sea stars, ancient trees and rugged mountain crests all are
connected by the
loop, which crosses through Bandon, Coquille Powers, Agness, Gold Beach
and Port Orford.
The 170-mile journey
takes intrepid visitors through some uncrowded areas in
the Siskiyou
Mountains, one of the most complex botanical and geological
areas in the Pacific
Northwest. Opportunities for interesting side trips
abound.
The route takes
motorists up to the Siskiyou Mountains, over Agness Pass,
into the valley of
the wild and scenic Rogue River and out to the ocean.
Following the
coastal highway north and back to the mouth of the Coquille
River brings drivers
back to the starting point.
The section between
Highway 42 and Gold Beach recently was designated as a
national scenic
byway.
The total trip takes
about six hours, although visitors may want to spend
more time exploring
the area.
Except for 12 miles
between Agness and Powers, the entire loop is paved.
Parts of the route,
however, involve steep inclines and sharp curves with
seasonal closures
due to snow, falling rock or landslides. During the route,
travelers will climb
to approximately 2,300 feet in elevation and back down
to sea level.
36.
Golden and Silver Falls takes hikers into forest, mist.
If you want to spend
a day out in nature, with a minimum of cars, houses and
people, Golden and
Silver Falls State Park might be just the right place.
To get to the falls,
visitors must do a little hiking, but it is an easy
hike and well worth
the trouble.
The first falls is
Silver Falls and is the shortest hike. Golden Falls is
farther up and a
slightly more difficult trek. You can hike to the top and
get an awesome view
of the falls and the forest around it.
Besides the falls,
the woods in the area are lush and interspersed with old
growth Douglas fir,
in addition to many varieties of animals and birds.
Along with the
hiking and nature, there are picnic tables, restrooms, even
fishing. Everything
needed to make a day of it.
It is a little bit
of a drive, 24 miles east of Coos Bay on the Coos River
Highway. The last
few miles are over gravel roads, but very passable. There
is no fee for using
the park. For those who would like to find out more,
check the Oregon
State Parks and Recreation Department Web site at
www.prd.state.or.us.
37. Coast trails are designed not only for hikers, but
mountain bikers, too.
The South Coast is
thriving with incredible mountain biking opportunities.
Its abundance of
trails, wildlife and natural beauty create a picturesque
backdrop for those
seeking adventure.
Coos Bay and North
Bend offer in-town rides that are fun and relaxing. Near
Southwestern Oregon
Community College is John Topits Park/Empire Lakes. From
U.S. Highway 101,
follow Newmark Avenue west and turn north on Hull or
Ackerman streets.
There are four miles of paved and dirt trails that
interconnect and
circumnavigate the lakes.
Mingus Park trail is located in the heart of Coos Bay. This
paved trail is
short, approximately
four-tenths of a mile, and offers spectacular scenery
of the park. From
downtown Coos Bay, follow Commercial Street west and turn
north on 10th
Street.
For those seeking
more adventure, distance and challenge, set out from
Charleston and
cruise down Cape Arago Highway. Sunset Bay, Shore Acres,
Shell Island
Overlook and Cape Arago are a few of the natural wonders this
ride has to offer.
Technical riders
will find thrills at the Winchester Trail system. Thirty
miles of trails are
available, located south of Coos Bay at milepost 251 on
U.S. Highway 101.
For more information
on South Coast mountain biking, pick up a copy of “Coos
Region Bike Ride
Guide,” available at the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce in
downtown Coos Bay.
38.
Catch the wind with a kite.
Just about any
Oregon beach makes a great spot to start a kite-flying
adventure.
All you need to get
started are a kite, good winds, which are hard to escape
during summer months
on the South Coast and a place to run.
When looking for a
kite, choose one that meets your budget and ask for
recommendations from
kite shop personnel for a kite to meet your skill
level. It’s best
to start with a basic kite. Ranging in price from $2 to
$20, there’s a
wide variety of kites available from eagles to kittens at
many kite shops from
Florence to Brookings.
Depending upon where
you choose to fly your kite, sooner or later kites
generally begin to
wear and rip. Although these can be repaired with a patch
kit, it’s not
worth getting a high-end kite full of holes and patches while
learning to fly it.
The history of kites
dates back 3,000 years, when kites were made in China,
using bamboo and
silk. In the 19th century, kites were used for scientific
experiments and in
the 20th and 21st centuries, they have been used for
military purposes.
In the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, kites were also used for lifting
military observers
in the air so they could observe enemy forces. During
World War II, kites
were also used as gunnery targets.
Here are some tips
to make kite-flying more fun:
--Don’t fly near
people, especially young children.
--- Don’t fly
close to roads. Landing a kite in a road could cause a serious
accident.
--Keep away from
overhead power lines.
-- Don’t fly near
airports.
--Don’t fly the
kite in winds stronger than recommended.
39. Experience coast life through community festivals.
Reedsport/Winchester
Bay
July 21-23, 2000
Ocean Festival,
watch the community parade in Reedsport and see
the Quilt Show in
Winchester Bay. Attend a dance or check out the crafts and
food booths.
271-3495
Lakeside
July 28-30, 2000
Lakeside Water Festival, focuses on lake side and water
activities such as
camping, boating, fishing and water sports. The Salmon
Trout Enhancement
Program will sponsor a trout fishing pond for all ages and
the Lakeside Lions
Club will sponsor the Chowder Cook-Off for professional
chefs. Enjoy the
fishing derby; amateur water sports competitions; street
fair;
watermelon-eating contest; the large RV, ATV and Boat Show; music and
other entertainment.
759-3981.
Bay Area
July 15-29, 2000
Oregon Coast
Music
Festival, Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston,
Bandon and
Reedsport. Evening events 7:30 p.m.; outdoor events 12:30 p.m.
Oregon Institute of
Marine Biology event, 2 p.m. 267-0938. See No. 98.
Aug. 19-20
Charleston
Seafood
Festival, including Salmon Trout Enhancement
Program fishing
pond. Great seafood, music and more. Charleston Marina. 7
a.m. to 6 p.m.
888-2311 or 888-2548.
Aug. 26-27, 2000
Blackberry Arts
Festival, scrumptious blackberry treats, food
booths and crafts in
downtown Coos Bay from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 269-0215.
Bandon
May 27-28,2000
Bandon's Food
and Wine Festival, two days of food and wine tasting with
crafts and music at
the Community Center in the city park on 11th Street.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 347-9616
Coquille
June 3, 2000
Coquille
Gay
90s Celebration, “Clowning Around” is this year’s
theme. The parade
begins at 10:30 a.m. A Kiwanis Breakfast will be from 7
a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
at the Community Building, 117 N. Birch just off Highway
42. The Eagles Arts
and Crafts Fair will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. also
at the Community
Building. An afternoon beer garden will feature the music
of Frosty West and
Ramey’s Winter Lake Band. In the evening, a teen dance
with music by the
Brick Pig Band and an adult dance with music by Winter
Lake will be held at
the Community Building. Admission to either dance is $3
each or $5 a couple.
396-3414.
Gold Beach
June 3-4, 2000 Rogue
River Jet Boat
Marathon, call Ed Cammer at 247-7636.
June 8-11 Annual
Pistol River
Wave
Bash, biggest windsurfing event in the
United States. (509)
493-4494.
Brookings-Harbor
May 26-29, 2000
Azalea Festival, includes Azalea Festival Dried Flower Sale: Flora
Pacifica, from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m., 469-9741 or (800) 877-9741; music on the
Boardwalk from 12-4
p.m. on May 28, 469-6070; Old Town Sidewalk Sales in
downtown Brookings
on the 29th, 469-3181.
July 15-16, 2000
So. Oregon Kite
Festival, Port of
Brookings- Harbor from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.,
469-2218.
Aug. 19-20, 2000
Festival of the Arts,
by the Boardwalk on
Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 8 p.m. and Sunday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 469-6070.
40.
Swimmers can dive into pools or backstroke in the river.
There is plenty of
water for those want to get their feet wet around the
South Coast. Two
major options for the serious swimmer in Coos Bay are
Mingus Park near
downtown and the Bay Area Athletic Club. Mingus Park has an
outdoor pool while
the athletic club has an indoor pool, and both are
equipped for lap
swimming.
North Bend High
School has the largest public swimming facility in the Bay
Area with two indoor
pools. The pool is located next to the high school on
Pacific Avenue.
Another public pool
on the South Coast is Highland Pool in Reedsport,
located on 2605
Longwood Drive.
For the more
adventurous swimmers, there are swimming holes scattered
everywhere. For
example, Loon Lake northeast of Reedsport off Highway 38,
Tenmile Lakes in
Lakeside, the Coos River and Millicoma rivers, and, of
course, the Pacific
Ocean.
41. Loon Lake, the hottest beach around.
People who want to
sit on a sandy beach without the wind typically found at
the ocean have an
alternative some 20 miles inland along the edge of the
Elliott State
Forest.
The Loon Lake
Recreation Area, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management, includes
a number of recreation opportunities.
Visitors also can go
swimming, enjoy picnics, hiking trails, a full
campground, fishing
dock and boat ramp. People in boats can fish or water
ski on the lake and
there’s a sandy beach.
BLM has made some
improvements to the popular park this year, including a
new boat ramp,
picnic tables and grills in the day-use area and a new dock
in the East Shore
Campground, a primitive campground a few miles around the
lake from the main
recreation area.
The park is popular,
with the campground filling up nearly every summer
weekend. Five
campsites for groups can be reserved, at a price of $35 per
night plus a $6
reservation fee, but the rest are on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Regular campsites are $13 a night, with a $7 charge for
additional vehicles.
Loon Lake also has a
day-use fee of $5 per vehicle, though people who want
to visit the park
often can buy a seasonal pass for $25.
For more information
on the park, check BLM’s Web page .:
42.
Who needs Hawaii for surfing?
The South Coast is a
surfer’s paradise. From Brookings on the
Oregon-California
border, to north of the Bay Area, rideable waves can be
found almost
everywhere.
Lighthouse Beach,
just south of Bastendorff Beach, is said to be one of the
best beginner
beaches. No parking is available, so surfers must park off of
Cape Arago Highway
and hike to reach the ocean.
The last beginner to
intermediate stop off the highway is at Sunset Beach,
which gets a minimal
swell.
Probably the
best-known site for intermediate to advanced surfers near the
Bay Area is
Bastendorff Beach. The waves are good, with nice swells on
less-windy days, but
watch for shifting sand bars. Access to Bastendorff is
easy off of Cape
Arago Highway. The Cape Arago areas can be difficult to
surf, however,
because of weather and tides. A two-hour window for good
surfing is usually
the norm.
One of the most
popular spots on the South Coast is Bullards Beach near
Bandon. The beach,
just north of Bandon U.S. Highway 101, is near the
Coquille River
Lighthouse.
For surf gear,
instructions or rental equipment, Rocky Point Surf and Sport
in Coos Bay is the
only surf shop between Brookings and Newport. It is
located at 125
Anderson Ave. and can be reached at 266-9020.
Traveling south,
watch for the tell-tale sign of surfers: vans and cars with
racks pulled off
alongside the highway near the towns of Gold Beach and Port
Orford.
In Brookings,
Sessions Surf Co. (800 Chetco Ave.) is the store of choice and
can be contacted at
412-0810.
Body surfing and
boogie boarding have become popular sports at the beaches,
too, with
windsurfing picking up in the bay and at Pistol River and Floras
Lake.
43.
Disc golf is for the energetic, turf-shy.
If golf is too
stressful, try disc golf. Disc golf is a game that can be
played by one or
more people using regular or specially designed Frisbees.
To play the game,
participants try to throw the Frisbee into a specially
designed basket.
Just like in regular golf the idea is to get the lowest
score possible.
Nine-hole courses
are located in Simpson Park in North Bend and Mingus Park
in Coos Bay.
The game offers a
nice walk in the park with a little bit of a challenge.
And best of all
there is no fee to play. Just bring along a disc.
44.
No sense sitting in a motel room or RV when you can go dancing.
For those who are
looking to kick up their feet and get down with the tunes
of country, dance or
rock and roll, there are many places on the coast for
such entertainment.
One option is to
learn to dance at the Pacific School of Dance that offers
classes for
beginners and advanced students of all ages. For children ages 4
to 6, basic dance
elementary is available from June 19, 2000 through the 23.
Introduction to
dance classes are available for children ages 7 to 9, from
June 19, 2000 to
June 23. Each class costs $40 and
pre-registration is required
before June 10th.
For adults there are
an array of classes from ballet to jazz available in
monthly or one-day
sessions. Regular dance classes are held Monday through
Wednesday from June
19 to Aug. 24, 2000.
The classes are held
upstairs at the Harding building, 755 South Seventh,
Coos Bay. For more
information about schedules and rates, those interested
can call 269-7163.
If dancing is
already in your blood the Bay Area has many locales from which
to choose.
Wanda’s Food and
Beverage House offers a jam night every Thursday when
people can bring an
instrument or their favorite dancing partner.
The Coney Station in
Coos Bay offers dancing on Friday and Saturday and The
Pony Village Motor
Lodge in North Bend also offers dancing on weekends. The
Portside in
Charleston offers live entertainment on Friday and Saturday,
also featuring laser
karaoke. The Timber Inn in Coos Bay features karaoke
every night of the
week with dancing.
45. There’s no way to see entire coast, unless you fly.
One of the best ways
to see the South Coast sights is from the air. Not
something for the
faint of heart, chartering a small plane is an easy way to
cover a large number
of sites in a relatively short amount of time.
There are a few
places between Florence and Brookings that provide charter
plane rides for
visitors and residents alike. One is Coos Aviation, which is
located at the North
Bend Municipal Airport.
For up to a half
hour of flight time, three passengers can rent a plane and
pilot for $49.
Some of the sights
to see while flying over the coast are the many
lighthouses. From
south to north, passengers can see the historic Cape
Blanco Lighthouse,
nine miles north of Port Orford. Next is the Coquille
River Lighthouse in
Bandon. At Charleston is the Cape Arago Lighthouse and
then near Winchester
Bay passengers can see the Umpqua River Lighthouse.
If time allows, head
north to fly over the much-photographed Heceta Head
Lighthouse, located
12 miles north of Florence. While flying near the
lighthouse you also
can see the Sea Lion Caves.
On the return to
North Bend, the stern of the New Carissa is visible just
offshore, north of
the entrance to Coos Bay.
For more information
about chartering a plane and other sights to see, those
interested can call
Coos Aviation at 756-5181 or M&M Seaplanes in Dunes City
at 997-6567.