Florence, Oregon

Florence is a wonderful little town on the coast in the middle of the Oregon Dunes Recreational Area. We are staying a month and will be joining the national Elks organization that do so much for the community and our nations veterans.

About the only noise we hear at the Elks RV Park 5 miles north of Florence is the sound of birds and crickets.

You hardly know there are other campers because each site have fully grown hedges that provide seclusion. Bear and deer are also known to frequent the park along with bunnies, squirrels and other forest critters.

To the north of us is the often photographed "Heceta Lighthouse" built in 1892 by about 50 workers and started operation in 1893. The lighthouse, caretakers home and two kerosene buildings were built for a total cost of $80,000.

The Heceta caretakers home is also a bed & breakfast for around $200 per night. We walked up to the house and the view is spectacular, well worth the 2 bills a night.

The Coquille River Lighthouse was not the most attractive lighthouse we have ever drove or hiked to but one of the most unusual structural designs.

A little south of the Coquille Lighthouse is the "Cape Blanco Lighthouse". Cape Blanco's claim to fame... it is the most western lighthouse on the Oregon coast.

Back in Florence, I paid a visit to the Siuslaw (cy-you-slaw) Pioneer Museum which provided a great background in lumbering, canning and the fishing community.

These are the actual controls that were used to raise and lower the Siuslaw River Bridge.

My hope is that with our long stay in Florence, I might see the bridge being raised at least once.

In the river harbor, and for a mere $65,000, you can have your own crab shack. 

The milder microclimate around Florence is in small part caused by the protection of these dunes from the strong ocean winds. 

Within the dunes are many small and beautiful little flowers that add color.

Scotch broom is wide spread all up and down the coast of Oregon and in bloom from April to June.

This little critter seems to like his view from on top of the scotch broom plant.

This beach grass is a product of being transplanted from the east coast in the 1930's to stabilize the dunes. Unfortunately it has worked too well and starving the dunes of the sand it needs to grow or move.

A common sight in the dunes area are clammers. They use a type of manual air gun that sucks clams up from beneath the low tide sands.

I just missed crossing paths with a raccoon.