At the time we were scheduled to be at Jesse Honeyman, Michael's Dad was in a nursing/rehab place in weak but stable condition. Michael's brother arrived to be in town so that we could continue with our plans. We were there from May 17th through 22nd before returning back to Washington.
The break was welcome and we enjoyed ourselves.
We took a couple of days to drive down, southbound on I-5, stopping at the Longview Elks for the night. The next day it was an easy drive through Portland to Eugene, and then east along Rt 126 to Florence, which is the town just north of Jesse Honeyman State Park. The trip went smoothly except for a slight hiccup when a section of the road was closed due to a fatal accident and we were detoured through small country lanes and part gravel road before reconnecting with Rt 126 beyond the accident.
The drive through the Siuslaw National Forest and along the river was quite scenic.
The campground adjoins the Oregon Dunes and is located in a pretty, forested area with two lakes. Our campsite was across from the access trail to the dunes which we walked several times, climbing up to the top of the dune.
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| trail leading to the dunes |
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| view across dunes to the ocean in the far distance |
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| sunset from the top of the dunes |
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| the sand really is that white |
In 1972 Congress recognized the unique value of the Oregon Dunes and designated it a National Recreation Area. Extending for 40 miles along the Oregon Coast between Florence and Coos Bay, these dunes are like no others in North America. Wind sculpted dunes tower almost 500 feet above the ocean shore and blend with rivers, lakes, and temperate rainforests to create a remarkable and diverse ecosystem. They offer many recreation opportunities. We watched several dune buggies racing across the white expanse. A simpler and less noisy activity is for kids to trudge up a dune and scoot down on boogie boards or even a piece of cardboard. For us, a simple walk trudging through the soft sand was a workout.
The day before we left, we drove to South Jetty Dune, surprised at the distance to actually access the beach. We parked and still had to climb up and over the dune to get to the ocean shore. The wind was pretty brisk that day so we walked a short distance before heading back.
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| the Pacific, the beach bum, and the tall dunes |
There are many trails that wind throughout the state park. We walked along several of them, catching glimpses of the Cleawox and Woahink Lakes. The rhodies were in full bloom.
We explored the nearby town of Florence. There is an historical bridge across the Siuslaw River. Built as part of the Coast Bridges Project, this bridge is one of five built during the Great Depression, from 1934 to 1936. It was funded through the Public Works Administration as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal providing employment to struggling families along the Oregon Coast. The first cars, bicycles and pedestrians crossed the Siuslaw Bridge on March 31st, 1936 in a parade.
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| Michael, Scott and the Siuslaw Bridge |
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| enjoying a stroll and ice cream along the board walk trail along the Siuslaw River |
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| Scott and Michael standing below the projection room in the original movie theater building owned and operated by Scott's father, now a shoe store |
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| Main Street Florence |
Our stay coincided with Florence's Rhododendron Festival weekend and town parade. We enjoyed our first time ever small town festival, with all its pomp, ceremony, royal rhododendron court, floats, vintage vehicles, and various local organizations parading down Main Street.
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| our group had front row seats |
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| Marcia and a few of her Sisters on the Fly group paraded their vintage trailers |
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| those of us who have had our Alpines worked on by Bobby and Scott from Amazing Creations will recognize their green monster machine! Bobby recognized us as he paraded past |
We also got to view the rhododendron display and admired the exquisite blooms, several of which won ribbons and prizes.
