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Published: September 23rd 2013
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BEACHSIDE S.P., YACHATS to BULLARDS BEACH S.P., BANDON
Last night there was a full moon. Have you ever walked on the beach in the light of a clear, bright full moon? If not, I would strongly recommend it. That is what I was doing in the very early hours of the morning, looking for a picture of the moon reflecting on the water, of course!! We had reservations at Bullards Beach State Park for the week-end but not for Thursday night, so we needed to get there early to get our spot for four nights (you cannot reserve for the night you call). It is interesting to see how much the Logging industry has increased all down the coastal range. We have not seen so many log trucks for a long time. This industry is booming. It is sad to see how they strip the mountain of all the trees and leave it so scared. At least they replant each area after logging it, but it will take many years for the trees to grow as tall as the old growth. The other big industry around here is fishing. Every lake, river and cove was bustling
with small fishing boats. From the number of RV campgrounds we passed, most of the fishing we saw was sport fishing. However, the commercial fishing is also big business.
Well, how lucky can you get – we got our camping spot for all 4 nights!! Another of Oregon’s beautiful and well maintained State Parks, this time with full hook-ups, large private camping space, fire pit and picnic table – all for $24 per night!! After getting all set up we decided it best to go and find the lighthouses since they were predicting rain over the week-end.
COQUILLE RIVER LIGHTHOUSE:
This lighthouse sits on the north end of the jetty at the mouth of the Coquille River. Completed in 1896 the lighthouse was active until 1939 when the Coast Guard placed a smaller light and fog signal on the south end of the jetty. Both the ocean and the fog signal can be heard in the campground nearby. The lighthouse was abandoned until 1964 when it became part of Bullards Beach State Park. Personnel working with the Corps of Engineers renovated the lighthouse and it is now opened to the public as an interpretive center.
It has now been claimed as a symbol of Bandon and is referred to as the Bandon Light. As part of Bandon’s Centennial celebrations in 1991 a solar-powered light was placed in the tower. The tower is also outlined with lights in December.
From here we drove the 20 miles back up to Cape Arago near Coos Bay. It was here we found the Sea Lions on the rocks at Simpson Reef. We could hear them before we could see them. You have no idea how much noise hundreds of Sea Lions and Seals make!! What an amazing spot! Here I met a lady about my age with her camera and a huge telescopic lens. I said to her, “You must be a professional photographer”. She told me she called herself “a serious amateur photographer with an indulgent husband!!”
UMPQUA RIVER LIGHTHOUSE: This lighthouse sits 6 miles south of Reedsport above the entrance to Winchester Bay. An earlier structure, commissioned on north spit of river in 1857, was the first lighthouse sited on the Oregon coast. It fell into the river in 1861 after sand eroded under the foundation. The current structure has a 65 ft. tower
and overlooks sand dunes from 165 ft. above sea level, on the south side of the bay. The light flashes alternating red and white flashes.
CAPE ARAGO LIGHTHOUSE:
This lighthouse is on an islet just off Gregory Point between North Bend and Coos Bay. Although it is the newest lighthouse on the coast in terms of years of service, earlier structures were built on the site in 1866 and 1908 but were destroyed by the stormy ocean and erosion. The lighthouse is now owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. It is not accessible to the public and can be seen from only one viewpoint along Sunset Bay.
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