Thursday August 11, Winchester Bay, OR
Have had a really relaxing few days, feel like the batteries have been recharged. Quite a slow start this morning, interesting there was sea fog around the coast a bit further south, but as the wind got up it disappeared. The clear cloudless blue skies continue, can’t remember when we last had rain.
First stop was Bandon, a little community at the mouth of the Coquille River, with a number of quite new homes built on the cliff overlooking the coast with really spectacular views from a number of coastal viewing spots. The old town by the wharf has been developed into a quaint tourist area, with lots of tacky gift shops but in amongst them are a few really nice stores and galleries. Nice place to amble around in the sun.
The coastal areas remind us a lot of NZ especially places like the Coromandel, with windy roads and little pockets of marginal land being farmed.
We meandered up the coast through to Coos Bay and North Bend, stopping at some of the beaches, then on through the Dunes. This is a very popular area for OHV’s ( Off Road Vehicles….took us awhile to figure it out when we saw the signs!), and the State campgrounds were full with campers and heaps of these vehicles that ride all over the dunes.
It was getting later in the afternoon when we arrived at Winchester Bay at the mouth of the Umpqua River and were just amazed to see RV’s everywhere. This a big fishing area as well as close to the dunes for the OHV’s so they have made large parts of the paved area around the marina primitive RV campsites. There was also an RV resort which had an overflow camping area out on a spit overlooking the marina with no facilities but a prime area as far as we were concerned. Met Janey and Mike, the only other campers here, and they were like us, far preferred to be here than in a side by side resort style camp. Joined them for a few drinks before dinner tonight.
Have had a really relaxing few days, feel like the batteries have been recharged. Quite a slow start this morning, interesting there was sea fog around the coast a bit further south, but as the wind got up it disappeared. The clear cloudless blue skies continue, can’t remember when we last had rain.
First stop was Bandon, a little community at the mouth of the Coquille River, with a number of quite new homes built on the cliff overlooking the coast with really spectacular views from a number of coastal viewing spots. The old town by the wharf has been developed into a quaint tourist area, with lots of tacky gift shops but in amongst them are a few really nice stores and galleries. Nice place to amble around in the sun.
The coastal areas remind us a lot of NZ especially places like the Coromandel, with windy roads and little pockets of marginal land being farmed.
We meandered up the coast through to Coos Bay and North Bend, stopping at some of the beaches, then on through the Dunes. This is a very popular area for OHV’s ( Off Road Vehicles….took us awhile to figure it out when we saw the signs!), and the State campgrounds were full with campers and heaps of these vehicles that ride all over the dunes.
Walked around the main resort camp this evening after sunset and were really impressed, some of the sites had great views down the river and out to the coast. I guess many of these are here for the summer, escaping the heat of further south, and their rigs are the size of small houses.
I had a surprise today with a comment on my blog entry several weeks ago in Preston, Idaho. It was from an English person who has been following the blog, her family live in Preston and she knew the name of the Samoan lady that we met in town. Can’t believe what a small world we live in, and would love to know who the person is and how they came to be following my blog.
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