Coos Bay to Bandon, Oregon

Thursday | 31 May 2007 | Gold Beach, Oregon: Yes, back to Gold Beach - second time this year. Hopefully this visit the weather will cooperate enough that we can take the famed jet boat ride up the Rogue River. Hope so - we have paid in advance and have our tickets in our pocket!

We did wake to a cloudy sky, but by the time we had our coffee and answered emails, the sun was out. DT took a photo of the baby osprey in the nest above our campsite at the Mill Casino in Coos Bay, Oregon. Why that mess of sticks doesn't catch fire is beyond me. The chick was squawking all morning, wanting breakfast from Mom. The mother never did return all morning - though she had been there all night. Most likely, she was having a tough time catching breakfast.

A face only a mother could love (photo by DT)

We headed out of Coos Bay just after 10 am and didn't stop until we arrived in Bandon where we purchased 65 gallons of diesel for only $2.94 per gallon! Bandon is a very cute little town and we always enjoy stopping here for the unbelievably cheap ($5) lunch at La Fiesta.

It was really windy in Bandon this afternoon and there was a bank of fog hovering just off shore. It was too windy to look in every nook and cranberry shop in Bandon, but we did stop in to Cranberry Sweets and buy dried cranberries (already in the mail, Moms!). Even in the wind, it is fun to walk out to the view point at the marina to see the beautiful Coquille River Lighthouse at the end of the bay.

Coquille River Lighthouse from Bandon >

The marina in Bandon


One beef taco, one chicken taco, rice & bean, chips & salsa - $5

After lunch, we continued south and made a side-track to Cape Blanco State Park near Port Orford. This is (allegedly) the western-most point in the contiguous United States. It was hard to tell, due to the billowing fog... or should I say the flowing fog? The fog was streaming by! The three mile drive to the cape was so pretty - wild iris lined the road and the meadows were white with Queen Anne's Lace. When we reached the "end of the road", the view down to the sea, with the hillside completely covered in dazzling purple lupines was a gorgeous site.

Hillside of lupines at Cape Blanco State Park

 
Another view and the lighthouse on a fog-free day


Our western-most motorhome - parked at Cape Blanco

And so we arrived in Gold Beach, anxious for our Big Adventure tomorrow! We are camped on the beach, with the waves roaring. After settling in, we went to Jerry's Rogue Jet Boats and finished checking-in for our ride tomorrow. Check-in time is 7:30 am, and I don't want to have to be there even one minute before then. We hit the post office and took a drive up the river a bit (in the tow car, of course) and then came back to our motorhome to rest.

Our adventure-in-dining tonight led us to the Riverview Restaurant, less than a mile up the south bank of the Rogue River.

The Rogue River - the view from our table at the Riverview Restaurant

The Riverview is a nice restaurant, with pretty decent food, but there is no need to dress-up - casual is the mood here. The waiters are friendly and chatty. The restaurant is pretty quiet now, but in a few weeks, there will be a line of customers waiting for tables and every boat slip outside will be filled. The Riverview offers regional seafood specialties - lots of fresh-caught salmon - steaks, burgers, sandwiches and dinner specials every night. Nearly every entree was priced under $20. Full bar, wine and beer.

 
Basic dinner salad and a cup of clam chowder at the Riverview in Gold Beach, Oregon

 
Panko-breaded fish & chips and the peppered salmon special


The lounge at the Riverside Restaurant

RV Park: Ireland's Ocean RV Park