Monday, August 6, 2012

Face Rock and more south of Bandon OR…

Face Rock

Face Rock Beach Bandon OR Just a short drive south of Bandon is the Beach Loop which is a short and scenic drive along the coastline. On the agenda for the day was to see Face Rock. We attempted to see it the previous day but the thick fog had set in hiding the rock from view. On this drive we left earlier in the day to hopefully see it before the fog rolled in as it seems to do every day late in the afternoon. Yep! There she was… staring into the sky above with her hair falling back into the ocean.

Face Rock Beach Bandon OR Driving further along this part of the coastline we saw more rocks and stacks out in the Pacific each with its own beauty. Every view has an inviting beach or area of exposed rock during low tide that beckons one to get out of the car and go exploring.

Not much further down the coast we came upon the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. A grassy bluff overlooking the ocean, the trail has informative plaques that better explain the nature of the area and how time has changed it . The views from the bluff overlooking the Pacific are breathtaking. After taking in the nice walk along the trail we headed further south to the town of Port Orford where we stumbled upon the Blessing of the Fleet Fest where a very lively band was playing a variety of upbeat music.

Oregon Islands NWR     Port Orford band

Cape Blanco State Park Heading back to Bandon we stopped by the Cape Blanco State Park to see if we could meet some bloggers we follow who pen the blog Wheeling lt. Although we missed meeting the bloggers (it was their day off) we found this was a really beautiful park. There is a very quaint lighthouse and an older farm house (Hughes House) within the park where tours are offered for each. The lighthouse charges $2.00 per person for the tour but you can walk around the grounds for free. Other than a fairly rough road coming into the park the camp sites are big rig friendly and are really wonderful sites. There is a Cape Blanco State Park lighthousenice drive down to the beach just past the hosts’ RV sites. If you decide to stay at this park be sure to call the park and ask about the entrance road. We say this because coming from the south our GPS put us on a one lane road that turned into a private dirt road that ended in a locked gate. Thank goodness we were in the car and not the motorhome, so make sure to take the right road into the park!

The next day we broke camp and made a drive of about 140 miles south. We crossed the state line into California and left Oregon behind. We really enjoyed our stay in Oregon.We loved seeing the beauty of the state and visiting friends along the way.

We are now in Klamath, California where we checked into a Passport America Park called Golden Bear. A little close to highway 101 but the views of the Klamath River more than make up for any road noise. No WIFI or cable (it was on the fritz) but for 15.00 per night this is a gem of a park. There is a two night maximum stay so we will either leave tomorrow or stay here if we can extend our stay. Time to go visit the redwoods…

10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful area. Love face rock

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  2. It's hard not to take a great picture of the Oregon coast, as long as you keep your fingers from in front of the lens. ;c)

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  3. We are so looking forward to experiencing the Oregon coast, only about a month away now. :)

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  4. Yep; see the face in the rock; she needs a dye job, though; seems like the silver is peeking through.

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  5. I'm so sorry to see you leaving Oregon. I have really enjoyed reading about your time there and seeing the beautiful pictures. I've been to California and Washington but never Oregon. Have to fix that soon and now I have some great ideas of where to go. Thanks!!

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  6. Sorry we missed you guys, but thanks for the call (and your lovely pics of the coast). Enjoy your trip south and hope we get to cross paths again.
    Nina

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  7. This brings back fond memories of our trip down the coast last summer. We even stayed a night at Golden Bear. You got some great pictures, especially Face Rock and Cape Blanco.

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