We drove through this rather large coastal city while on our way to visit family in Charleston, OR…read morefor the weekend. It's known as Oregon's 'Bay Area', and it definitely has that feel with hills and all. Coos Bay is a major port for maritime commerce, namely lumber. Population is over 15,000. It's home to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and hometown of iconic runner Steve Prefontaine. It offers natural beauty for outdoor adventures at Shore Acres State Park and Sunset Bay State Park. There's plenty of hiking and storm watching opportunities. Golden and Silver Falls are popular hiking destinations. If you're a gambler, the Mill Casino is also a popular destination offering lodging at their hotel and RV park. Visit the Marshfield District for shops, restaurants, galleries, historic buildings, museums and theaters. And don't forget the fresh seafood abound. One of our favorite things while driving along highway 101. If you're in the area, I recommend stopping to take in what this coastal city has to offer!

The history of Coos Bay dates back to the days of Lewis and Clark. One of the most famous…read moreresidents, Coos Bay was the birth place of Steve Prefointaine. People come from around the world to participate in the memorial race that was set up in his memory. But, what is Coos Bay known for today, first, world class golf (not my thing), but they are known for it. Second, the sand dunes. The Umpqua Dunes in northern Coos County are the widest and highest in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This section of dunes is closed to off-highway vehicles, so hikers love them. Whether you are looking for hiking, beach exploring, mountain biking, sea lion watching .... it's all within a short distance of Coos Bay. Kind of the hub for the Oregon Coast if you are in the middle region of the state.

This gift shop is adorable! It's mostly touristy stuff, but they do have some food and drinks as…read morewell as some specific souvenirs that you can buy. The people working here are friendly and enjoy their jobs. They seem a little bored but they help you immediately when you need something. Make sure to stop in here after the museum and lighthouse tour! You'll probably find a fun souvenir to take home!

We came to visit the museum in the lighthouse and we were surprised to find this delightful little…read moregift shop and Cafe. The cookies are huge and delicious and the vegetable turnover was such a treat. Reasonably priced and great for a quick lunch or a coffee when you are visiting the museum.

On our quest to see all the available lighthouse stations…read more on the Oregon Coast. This was part of it. Great lighthouse , The keepers home is now a short stay rental with a fenced yard. What a spot.

For us out of staters it costs $12 to park. There was a Park Ranger on site so there's no escaping…read moreit. It's quite a hike up to the lighthouse. It's definitely not recommended for people with disabilities. We stopped a couple times to catch our breath on the way up. They do have a gift shop, but as expected, it was overpriced. Once you get to the top, there are beautiful views of the coastline. The lighthouse itself isn't much. When we were there, there was a volunteer who was there to answer questions. If you're looking for exercise, this is the ticket.

In A Nutshell: -It's…read morenot too often you can actually walk down to a dam & watch real fish inside the water like an aquarium. -You can do that at Winchester Dam and Fish Ladder, which is a National Historic Landmark in our great country the USA. -You can easily find parking in the small lot, then walk down the concrete/mental stairs towards the dam. -There are plenty of places to take some really nice photos of the entire dam & Umpqua River. -As you walk down the steps towards the fish count area, you will be able to see real fish struggling against the strong currents through glass. -You can see all sorts of fish if you wait a little. Overall, this is a nice place to take your family.

This was the first place I ever went to when I first got to Oregon in 2018. It was a wonderful…read moreclimb down but going back up at my age and my disability was hard but I love it. I love going over the bridge and seeing the waterfall. I think everybody would enjoy that's just my opinion.

This is a nice memorial. It's a small token of appreciation from the city of Roseburg to those who…read moredied serving the public. The design is simple, yet effective at conveying a solemn ambiance. A flag pole flanked by a wall listing names of deceased local (city/county) service members and an I-beam from ground zero makes up the open-air memorial. Public access is 24/7.

What a beautiful bridge! We were on our way to meet family in Charleston, OR. Such a treat to come…read moreacross this old bridge. Gorgeous views from both sides while driving over it. It's a cantilever bridge built in the 1930's. It spans a mile over Coos Bay. At the end of the bridge driving South on highway 101, you come up to the cool neon North Bend sign welcoming you. It's named after it's designer who has designed numerous other bridges in Oregon along highway 101. If you're in the area, I highly recommend driving over it and experiencing the beautiful structure and views!

If you've ever driven many miles along US Route 101 you're one of the lucky ones, the California,…read moreOregon and Washington coast lines holds some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see, I've been fortunate to have driven the entire coast line over several years and some extended sections multiple times. One of the things I've most admired were the bridges that cross the many rivers, canyons and valleys along the way. All of these bridges are unique in design and presented different challenges for the engineers that were assigned to complete this sometimes daunting task but it was always a labor of love. You also may notice that some of the bridges are eerie similar in design even though they cross a variety of different terrains this is especially true along the sections of highway along the Oregon coast - this particular bridge was engineered by its namesake Conde Balcom McCullough who worked for the Oregon DOT from 1919 - 1935 and returned to service again in 1937 until 1946. McCullough personally designed a number of bridges in Oregon over his lengthy career and aided in the design of over 600 bridges across the continent and abroad. The cantilever design was chosen due to the high volume of traffic passing under it, the 793-foot main span has 145 feet of vertical clearance and is part of a 1,708-foot long steel cantilever span. Overall length, including the concrete approach spans is 5,305 feet. The approach spans are concrete arches more typical of McCullough's designs with main towers rising 280 feet above the water surface, with curved sway bracing in a Gothic arch style. The ends of the bridge are marked by pedestrian plazas meant to provide a viewing point for the bridge and to provide access to the shoreline. The stairs descend in sweeping curves to the park below. This bridge opened in 1936 and at some point will be tagged for replacement so spending a few minutes admiring this historic structure while it's still in service is something to behold....

When you visit it, the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House comes alive with history. Here, you'll get…read moresome good insights into some strong women's lives. Tip: The stairs are steep so be aware; they're not recommended for small children or people with mobility issues. When you ascend to the attic, you'll find an impressive replica of the house, and also a nice collection of war memorabilia (Swords, flags, photos, medical instruments, etc.). We very much enjoyed learning more about the history of Eugene; the docents were both friendly and knowledgeable. The furnishings and architecture are from a different time and the tour was informative.

Read a review from 3 years ago and it said it was only $6 to get in and guess what? It's still only…read more$6 to get in! The docent was a very kind and friendly lady who knew the most about Aida but knew something about all of them. I appreciate her honesty when we asked a wished didn't know she would tell us she was not sure but would offer a maybe because... or probably because.... She pointed out what pieces of furniture were original to the home and explained how the rest were donated. So much history! She said the last lady who owned the home was raised in the Campbell House Inn which is actually where we stayed! I didn't take a bunch of photos as I was enjoying the moment and listening to the docent tell us the history of the home. Also many other people have posted great photos here already so no point in being redundant. The docent said it is decorated for Christmas during the holidays and recommended to visit it if I'm the area during that time. The theme was weddings do when we visited as the docent explained that someone had donated a tremendous amount of wedding gowns to the museum.

We are trying to find all the oregon lighthouses near us before we move on to Washington State…read more The area is wonderful to just stand and listen.

This lighthouse is located in such a beautiful location. There is a nice path leading up to the…read morelighthouse that can get gusty at times. You do have to drive out of the way to get here and I wish parking wasn't $10.00, as most people just come here to take a quick look and leave. There isn't much to do here but they do have a gift shop.

Didn't get a chance to check it out due to timing but the clerk gave us a intro viewing of what we…read morewould have seen and it was actually pretty cool The tour is said to be able 1-1.5 hours so plan accordingly Check out the pics for some of the history behind it Definitely want to go back and check it out

Very interesting place to take the family and friends! Fun and entertaining! A lot of history and…read moremystery at the Oregon Vortex.