This is my last post from Bandon. Tomorrow I move a little farther north on the coast for another week. I have thoroughly enjoyed Bandon and all it offers in beauty and recreation. And I am really happy to have had time to reconnect with my cousin John and his wife Joan, and to meet their daughter, Kimberly. They gave me a lot of tips on places to see while in Oregon.
I spent one day just wandering around town next to the harbor.
The streets of Old Town are on the waterfront.
Wide sidewalks and boardwalks invite you to stroll.
Interpretive signs tell of a history tied to the river and the sea.
Beautiful wood carvings grace the waterfront walkway.
Boat ramp and fishing/crabbing dock.
Bandon Boat Harbor
Chinook Salmon spawn in the Coquille River.
Several buildings have murals relating to life by the sea.
Not sure who or what this represents...
This is Henry the Fish, art created from trash and debris that washed up on the shore.
He's here to educate visitors to the beaches.
Close up of Henry's beach trash body.
In fact there's a whole gallery of similar art.
Kimberly gave me the inside info on the best places for food in Bandon. This place has the best croissants.
Bandon has been destroyed by fire twice. The Masonic Temple is the only downtown building that survived the last big fire in 1936.
The farmer's market had fresh fruits and vegetables, and of course, fish.
The 1896 Coquille River Lighthouse safely guided boats across the shallow water at the mouth of the river until 1939, when it was replaced by an automated light on the South Jetty. Tours are given by the State Park system.
Folks fishing or crabbing from Weber's pier.
More art...an octopus.
Behind the seals is a history of the Coquille Indians.
Lots of inviting seating along the waterfront.
Indoor picnic area for use during inclement weather.
Boardwalk Art Show. This year's theme is "Slice of Life."
Go here for the best chowder in town.
RVing friend Donna and I tried it when she came for a visit.
Tony's Crab Shack has good crab cakes.
I also tried their grilled halibut on another day. Not so impressed with that.
I will vouch for the creamy ice cream at Face Rock Creamery.
This was a "small" maple nut cone.
Downtown light posts.
Meanwhile, back at Bullards Beach State Park, there was lively entertainment on Friday evening.
Talented folk.
This is a view of Bandon Wildlife Estuary across the Coquille River with a view of the coast mountains in the background.
And one of the walking trails Thistle and I enjoyed at the campground.
Lots of events take place at the beach. A group called "Circles in the Sand" draws artistic labyrinths that invite beach strollers to walk through. They do this on a schedule, and sometimes spontaneously. That's how I happened to witness this one. Each time the design is different.
The Circles in the Sand are drawn at Face Rock, and my view was from the overlook.
The arrow invites you to enter the labyrinth.
I wanted to kayak at South Slough Estuary, and my cousin, John, decided to join me. I hope he didn't regret it, because we had to paddle against the incoming tide and a very strong wind until we turned around.
We saw and heard many Kingfishers.
And there were a few Great Egrets too.
Most of my pictures were taken on the way back to the launch. I was too busy paddling until we turned back.
On a calm-wind day it would have been beautiful. Well, it was beautiful anyway...but it would have been easier.
Under the bridge to the launch ramp.
Kimberly showed me some of her favorite beach access spots and photography areas.
I'll bet they use this archway for weddings.
This part of the beach is strewn with agates.
And this is a great place to get reflections of the sea stacks in the sand. Thanks, Kimberly.
Moving on up the coast for a week at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, and a chance to meet up with a couple more of my RVing friends in Florence.
