Things to see around Florence, OR…

Above is the picturesque town of Florence, Oregon. A quaint little town with a mix of shops that appeal to both tourists and locals alike. The bridge from the south to Florence is below and it too is very picturesque. Just on the south side of the bridge is a bounty of wild blackberries that made us some nice desserts while we have been in Florence.

Traveling south of Florence will find you in the sand dunes part of the Oregon coast. There is a huge Dunefest Festival being held just south of Florence so  you can imagine all the dune buggies, ATV’s etc…that are there to partake in destroying the dunes… Sure looked like a lot of fun though :)

Along the coast in this part of Oregon it has been very windy lately and with temperatures in the low to mid 60’s we aren’t sure we have ever been this cold in August in our entire lives. As we sat on a bluff overlooking the water a curious White-Crowned Sparrow milled around in the bushes below. In the water we saw seals along with Pigeon and Black Guillemots  with their young (we never see these birds in Texas).

   

Walks to the beach required us to don long pants and a wind breaker, or shorts and a jacket as I prefer. The sand is constantly moving and the remnants of trees in the form or driftwood are everywhere. Some locals have even made makeshift shelters on the beach perhaps to escape the winds.

 

Just a bit north of Florence is a small inconspicuous park called the Darlingtonia Wayside. This small 18 acre preserve is the only Oregon state park dedicated to the protection of a single plant species – the Darlingtonia Californica.

This carnivorous California pitcher plant, or cobra lily is abundant in the preserve. It is apparent how they get their name when you see the green "cobra" hoods on the 10 to 20-inch hollow tubes that are in fact what amount to be their digestive tract.  A hidden opening into the stalk is baited with an attractive nectar which attracts insects. Once they enter and make their way to the hood they become confused and eventually fall into the lower part of the tube where they become trapped by downward-pointed hairs. This pushes them further down the tube until they fall into a pool of water at the bottom of the stalk where bacteria in the water begins decomposing the insects who are eventually absorbed by the plant. To us, cool and gruesome were the best words to describe this event.…

Another fun day along the Oregon coast.We head south tomorrow to Bandon RV Park for the weekend and from there where we go is a mystery, even to us…