Winchester Bay to Coos Bay, OR
Trip Start
May 31, 2010
1
67
82
Trip End
Ongoing
Winchester Bay, Oregon
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
--Salmon Harbor Blvd: Scenic drive along the shoreline and then through the Umpqua Dunes
--Umpqua River Lighthouse: Views of Umpqua River Jetty and Umpqua Dunes; very cloudy; visibility not very good. This is a whale-watching area with good information boards. The Museum has excellent displays.
SIGHTSEEING from WINCHESTER BAY south to COOS BAY
John Dellenback Dunes Loop Trail: 1-mile trail mostly through forest; about one third is through the sand dunes, a killer on the legs. It's really neat walking between the mountainous dunes.
McCullough Memorial Bridge just north of North Bend is another beautiful bridge. The Veterans' Memorial overlooks the bay with great views of the bridge.
Shore Lakes State Park: Wonderful Botanical Gardens with fabulous roses and dahlias—spectacular blooms! Took too many pictures in the All American Rose Display Garden. Beautiful pond and fountain. Great place for garden lovers. The fog rolled in so no view out into the ocean. The huge rocks along shore have spectacular wave action, which we love watching.
Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area: Drove back north by Reedsport to see the herd of about 100 Roosevelt elk that are here all year. Quite a few by the observation building; watched two young males clashing horns. A large herd were at the next viewing area including quite a few fawns.
Sundown by the Umpqua Lighthouse on the cliff was perfect for seeing the last colors in the sky.
Lighthouse’s Lantern at night--truly amazing! As it rotates, red and white lights flash around the trees and long rays shoot high into the night sky. What a light show!
