Florence
June 10, 2013 09:23 AM
Florence is a small seaside town on the central coast of Oregon lying at the mouth of the Siuslaw River, about fifty miles directly west of Eugene. Once a logging and fishing town, it now largely depends on tourism for survival. We’ve found this to be true of most of the smaller towns on the coast. We stayed at the Heceta Beach RV Park. The only thing positive I can say about the park is that it’s close to the beach. It’s so plain and primitive I won’t even post a picture of it.
The big draw for us was, once again, not the park or town, but the beach. A long, wide, flat, beautiful beach separates the town from the Pacific. As usual, Ann and Muffin were in heaven. I honestly think the two of them would be on the beach every day if they could.
In addition to the sandy beaches on coast, there are long stretches of rugged, rocky coastline, home to sea lions and dozens of varieties of birds. It’s a beautiful area, made even more so by the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse has been recently restored to better than new, making it one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country. It’s a “must see” if you ever visit Oregon’s central coast.
Florence’s old town is small, only a few blocks long, but is worth a visit if you happen through the area. Our favorite spot was the Waterfront Depot, a restaurant perched on the edge of the bay. The building was once a train station, salvaged and moved to its current spot in the old town area. Their food is outstanding and the staff one of the friendliest we’ve found. They’ll definitely get our business next time we pass through.
Finally, there’s a tiny brewery in town. The Wakonda Brewing Company is typical of many startup microbreweries. They operate on a shoestring budget, using whatever equipment they can get cheaply and depending on a lot of long hours by the staff, some of whom are unpaid. When we visited, they had a single brew, a cream ale, on tap, with two more brews fermenting. Nice folks—I wish them the best.
In closing, I have to mention Florence’s claim to fame, The Exploding Whale. Follow the link and enjoy a hilarious true story!
Alan
The big draw for us was, once again, not the park or town, but the beach. A long, wide, flat, beautiful beach separates the town from the Pacific. As usual, Ann and Muffin were in heaven. I honestly think the two of them would be on the beach every day if they could.
In addition to the sandy beaches on coast, there are long stretches of rugged, rocky coastline, home to sea lions and dozens of varieties of birds. It’s a beautiful area, made even more so by the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse has been recently restored to better than new, making it one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country. It’s a “must see” if you ever visit Oregon’s central coast.
Florence’s old town is small, only a few blocks long, but is worth a visit if you happen through the area. Our favorite spot was the Waterfront Depot, a restaurant perched on the edge of the bay. The building was once a train station, salvaged and moved to its current spot in the old town area. Their food is outstanding and the staff one of the friendliest we’ve found. They’ll definitely get our business next time we pass through.
Finally, there’s a tiny brewery in town. The Wakonda Brewing Company is typical of many startup microbreweries. They operate on a shoestring budget, using whatever equipment they can get cheaply and depending on a lot of long hours by the staff, some of whom are unpaid. When we visited, they had a single brew, a cream ale, on tap, with two more brews fermenting. Nice folks—I wish them the best.
In closing, I have to mention Florence’s claim to fame, The Exploding Whale. Follow the link and enjoy a hilarious true story!
Alan
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