In Coos County and Curry County Oregon along the coast are bays with small towns and very large dunes. Our campground at Boice-Cope is in a remote area surrounded by farm fields and situated on a small bluff above Floras Lake which is a fresh water lake between our campground and the ocean which is only a half mile walk away. It is a small campground with partial hook-ups, laundry, and an outdated but functional comfort station. The host Ron is very friendly and helpful. The lake is very popular for kite-surfing -there is a kite-surf school next door where they also have canoe/kayak and paddleboard rentals.
. We saw at least 10 surfers on the lake one blustery day and it looked like a blast – if I was younger I would love to try it, but it looks like a sport that takes a lot of upper body strength and a lot of practice to get the wind and sail techniques, not to mention staying upright. It is goose hunting season and we chatted one evening with a hunter who had been given permission from local farmers to hunt geese on his land -booooo. Chris heard a few shots one morning. I hope they missed!
A beach all to ourselves
We took some walks on the deserted beach and watched the sunset a couple times. Judging by the large pieces of driftwood on this beach, the surf must be quite fierce here sometimes. We also played a round of golf at the Bandon Crossing Golf Course on a beautiful sunny day. The course is in great shape and offers some challenging holes. Although we took a cart out (because it was recommended – bit of a scam and pricey to boot), the course is easily walkable.
ATV tracks in the sand and smoky haze in the distance – Local forest fire that was quickly brought under control
A trip into Bandon today to check out the town and stock up on groceries before we leave tomorrow. The Old Town is very well done – The entrance is well marked by 2 arches -one from either direction coming off Hwy. 101 and the visitor centre is right there, stocked with tons of brochures. We stopped in to ask about buying local fish and the woman who helped us gave us a lot of information on local sites to visit. Walking along there are gift shops galore, candy shops (cranberries are grown all around this area so of course there is a Cranberry candy shop), restaurants and pubs, and crab shacks. We tried to buy our fresh fish at the market but it was closed (off season). It is open Friday and Saturday. The pier was lined with people either fishing or crabbing and the marina dotted with local fishing boats. All along the streets are wood benches and sculptures locally crafted and beautiful. Good impressions – everything was clean and it shows the town makes an effort to impress. Even the public restroom was clean and modern. A very nice drive from the town centre – the Scenic Loop – takes you down to the jetty where you can get a good view of the Coquille lighthouse across the harbour (no longer in service) and a foghorn on the jetty at the mouth of the harbour. Continuing along is a mix of large and small homes, gated communities, hotel/motels, restaurants, and scenic viewpoints (some with steps down to the beach below). Furthur on are parks with ocean views and beach access where the many haystacks and tidal pools can be reached. The road winds back to Hwy 101 south of Bandon.