Apr 26, 2013 - Oregon Coast (Southern)

Days 52-53 of The Big Trip It was cooler, when we got up on the 25th. Off we went, driving through foggy scenery. The best thing about US101, in Oregon, is that most of it is actually on the coast. We arrived in Bandon, shortly after noon, and parked at Bullards Beach State Park. After getting set up and having lunch, we were off. At the state park, located at the mouth of the Coquille River, is an old lighthouse, which was decommissioned in 1939. Sandi had seen a news segment, on TV, about a group in Bandon, which makes and displays art...

Apr 1, 2013 - Love Bandon, Oregon!

We stopped in Bandon, Oregon a couple of years ago after Pam's brother and sister-in-law raved about it. We loved it too! It is a small town on the rugged Oregon Coast with an amazing beach. We stayed in a great hotel, the Bandon Inn, that looks out over Old Town Bandon to the jetty and ocean. We ate some great seafood, went for some walks and a run on the beach and played some golf at the great Bandon Crossing golf course. Don't miss Bandon if you're in this area!

Sep 8, 2012 - Bandon, OR

Today was a trip into Bandon for the Cranberry Festival. We walked around town, stopped at the Bandon Fish Market for lunch and spent some time on the Crabbing Dock watching the crabbers. It was a fun time in Bandon then we took a drive down the coast on our way back to our camp site.

Sep 5, 2012 - Winchester Bay Oregon - Winchester RV park

headed to Winchester Bay, but Nuvi says it is only an hour and we have a reserved site, so we decided to stay and play at Bandon. The wind was almost non-existent, so the mosquitoes were out in mass. We took the bikes to the entrance area which has a big grass field for Abby to play ball, but we got attacked by the starved bugs and had to head back to get our bug spray. We headed out again and this time crossed 101 (kids don’t try that at home) and headed up a road towards a county park a couple of miles up the road. Nice ride and when we...

Sep 4, 2012 - Bandon Oregon - Bullard Beach State Park

Woke up to a bit less wind at the campground. We took Abby over to the state beach off the cliff drive area. When we stayed at a hotel near there a couple of years ago, we loved those beaches. Well Abby loves them to. We hit the beach at low tide, so the rock formations were mostly high and dry and the beach very level with lots of rocks to toss in the water for Abby to chase. She had a blast, we also walked quite a long ways down the beach as well as going through the tunnels in the rock formations. After the beach we attempted to clean...

Sep 3, 2012 - Bandon Oregon - Bullard Beach State Park

Tried to get out by 9am, but the wife lost her sunglasses and we spent 30 minutes looking for them. They were with the remotes, why they were there will remain a mystery. Lots of hills into Crescent City, then easy peasy to the border. We stopped at the Fred Meyers in Brookings for our first gas, 4.39 for diesel about the same as Sac, we were hoping for less, but this is the remote Oregon coast. $190 later we had our gas and headed off, always hate filling with the trailer as it is hard to maneuver and people don’t realize that it is hard...

Aug 30, 2012 - Ron & Nancy at Cape Blanco

Date: August 30, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: abundant sunshine Temperature: start 49º High 67º Wildlife count: Birds: Black Oystercatcher, California & Western Gulls, Ron and Nancy joined us for breakfast at the Minute Café, following a Tidepool tour and walk on the beach with Ron. We had really worked up an appetite. We stopped at several places along Beach Loop Road, including China Creek, and saw that Cape Blanco looked clear. Soooooooooo, we headed down that way, and when we got there,...

Aug 29, 2012 - Charleston with Ron and Nancy

Date: August 29, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: Sunshine with a few moments of marine layer Temperature: start 55º High 63º Wildlife count: Gray whales, Black-tailed deer, Harbor Seals, Elephant Seals, California Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions Birds: Pigeon Guillemot, Red-necked Phalarope, Bald Eagle (juvenile), Osprey, Common Murre, Brown Pelicans, Western Gulls, Canada Geese, Black Oystercatcher Ron and Nancy joined us for breakfast at the Minute Café – it was good to catch up on stories. Since...

Aug 28, 2012 - Volunteer party at Crook Point

Date: August 28, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: abundant sunshine Temperature: start 50º High 64º Wildlife count: Gray Whale, Harbor Seals Birds: Western Gull, Red-shouldered Hawk, Brandt’s & Double-crested Cormorants, Black Oystercatcher, Our Ranger buddy, Jerry, says that there are only a few perfect days on the coast and you have to enjoy them when they come. He is right! AND, yesterday was one of those days. Many of the SEA volunteers and all of the National Volunteers gathered to travel...

Aug 27, 2012 - A busy day

Date: August 27, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: abundant sunshine Temperature: start 55º High 65º Wildlife count: Birds: Western Gulls, Heerman’s Gulls, Whimbrel, Black-bellied Plover, Sanderlings, White-winged Scoter, Pacific Loon, Dunlin, Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorant We enjoyed breakfast with the volunteers and then headed to China Creek, and we were swamped! There were people in the parking lot all day! Grant and Kathy had come to share lunch, and we almost couldn’t visit with them...

Aug 26, 2012 - A quiet Sunday

Date: August 26, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: rainy, cool Temperature: start 55º High 68º Wildlife count: Birds: Western Sandpipers, Western Gulls The morning was relaxing. Worship was delightful, and since Laura was gone, several lay people shared the history of some old hymns, which we then sang in place of the message. We had lunch at Sizzler’s, stopped at Wal-Mart to get our 3 oz liquid toiletries for air travel this week. By the time we got to China Creek, the wind was blowing out of the...

Aug 25, 2012 - Peglagic Trip

Date: August 25, 2012 Tonight’s Location: Bullard’s Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon Weather: misty am, sunshine pm Temperature: start 52º High 64º Wildlife count: California Sea Lions, Northern Elephant Seals, Harbor Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Gray Whale Birds: New Life Birds: Sooty Shearwater, Cassin’s Auklet, Pink-footed Searwater, Red Phalarope, Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Sabine Gull, Parasitic Jeager, Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Pomarine Jeager, Other birds: Peregrine Falcon, Double-crested, Brandt’s & Pelagic Cormorant,...