This is near our stay. We wanted to go down to the beach…read moreto tide pool search but it was still too wet. 60 degree water is chilly. Maybe next time.

This is a great place to come to find gourmet products. They run a classy operation by providing…read morefree cheese samples for their creations. I was happily surprised to see they also sold my favorite Italian Asiago cheese. The only bummer was looking into the ingredient list for there Umpqua over the counter ice cream to find it is ultra processed using high frutose corn syrup to make this product.

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....

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 is basically a nice walk mostly in the woods so it's shady. We went in August. There is free…read moreparking at the entrance, and an information stand. There is also an office but we didn't go in. Bathrooms are available. There were no bugs but there were bees. There is sand ... a lot of it ... on the trails. We all ended up with shoe's full of sand, and it made for slow going in spots. As you near the New River, you'll hear ocean waves crashing. We never saw them just a glimpse of the ocean across the river. There were tons of huckleberries, and we ate quite a few!

If you like nature trails, this would be a great place to explore. Ponds, woods, creeks and all…read moresorts of trails. Wildlife and plants.

I never realized the importance of jetties until actually seeing one at the mouth of Coquille River…read more(Coquille River North Jetty). This is where the Coquille River enters the Pacific Ocean. Jetties are piles of rocks that extends far out into the ocean or bay. Early sailing vessels crossed dangerous bars (sholes) to leave as well return to the harbor. Depending on the changing tides or massive storms, the main channel may change. Thus making the return trip very dangerous. Captain Judah Parker was a local sea captain whom built the first jetty in Bandon in the late 1890's. Years later the US government built the jetties to keep the channels from moving. A quick history lesson. Thanks for reading! Enjoy !

Great stop to enjoy the beach...lots of washed up wood and treasure trove for beach wood…read morecollectors. It's very windy here a quite cool for a summers day. Light coat is definitely recommended. If you walk out the jetty it offers spectacular reviews. The jetty has an age from the 1890's and serves a purpose for keeping the CQ river mouth in place and assisting in navigation for boats with tides and low areas. Quite beautiful and I recommend the stop!

Through the years, coastal towns have gone to great lengths to attract visitors. There are…read morefestivals, of course, but I'm more fascinated by the wacky ways that some places have tried to generate buzz. Like ghost stories and bizarre events like the Redhead Roundup they used to have in Lincoln City. But as a visitor to your city, I'm really interested in three things: -- Easy (free) parking -- Collection of shops and restaurants within walking distance -- That certain something that is hard to quantify and highly subjective - charm Bandon-by-the-Sea has all this and more. But rather than mention the city in general, I need to call attention to the Port of Bandon and River Walk. Along the Coquille River in Old Town they've built and beautifully maintained a number of visitor friendly attractions. A pier for fishing and crabbing (they provide free life vests for kids), an outdoor amphitheater and enclosed picnic shelter. Even during the summer months, coastal towns can be windy and chilly, so having a glass structure on the pier so you can enjoy the view without the cold is very welcoming. The shelter has one large community table and chairs all uniquely carved out of wood. They even have an outlet for those wanting to hop on their laptop or charge their phone. Bandon Fish Market is close by and very crowded, so a lot of people were grabbing food to go and eating it here. The River Walk is filled with public art and is located right in the heart of Old Town. I think my son pet over 100 dogs that afternoon. So kudos to Bandon for making it easy and fun to visit your city.

Kudos to the local municipality for knowing all of the correct priorities for a tourist hot spot…read moreand then some: 1) Spacious, free, public parking in the quaint bustling little "old town" tourist hub. Including boat trailer and RV parking. 2) Clean, free, centrally located public bathrooms. 3) A freaking water fountain/ water bottle filler. Praise be. And thank you. 4) A WORKING bike repair center complete with tools and a pump!!!! This saved my bacon during our recent visit- brought the bikes, forgot the pump. OOPS. (and the local bike repair place is closed this week- seriously made all the difference here.) 5) Public access fishing and crabbing Pier complete w/ local art and a boardwalk. Out of the ballpark, Bandon.

Recently renovated, love the new space! Staff are friendly and helpful. North Bend is lucky to have…read moresuch a great library. It's part of the Coastline library network, which means you can easily request books from other libraries in the system. You also get free access to audiobooks, ebooks, digital comics, and lots of other online stuff. The library is for everyone!

On our way through here to camping in Southern ORegon..we stopped here to use the restroom. It was…read moreclean and nicely located in the lobby. Also discovered a rack of free magazines there including past New Yorkers! It was a total score! Very nice of them to do that. So, was very thankful for that! :) I'll be sure to stop here again if passing through. Nice little library.

Here's the BEST part about a small town like Coquille: If there's an issue they CAN recognize it…read moreand deal with it right away. We've had patrol IN the store recently (yay for that) and even had a parental visit from someone making sure their kid isn't one of the "turds". Renewed hope for continuing improvements. It's truly a wonderful place to do business! As for buildings that aren't up to code... well FEW are in Coquille. THAT could be improved upon for the safety and financial security for those trying to succeed in business. On one hand, it's nice to not have months of permits involved in getting started, but NO building code standards for commercial landowners? Really? And who actually pays for that kind of neglect? The inhabitants of the old crusty buildings. Not out of love just yet.