Road Scholar and Backroads of Oregon II - Day 5

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 - After a buffet breakfast at the Red Lion, we departed at 9:00 for the Oregon Dunes four miles south of Florence.  We took a 45 minute ride in a Sand Dunes Frontier Buggy over some of the world's largest and most beautiful dunes.  We stopped for a short walk atop one of the highest dunes.  Our leader, Julia, made a sand angel.

We had lunch in Old Town Florence.  We had free time to explore Old Town Florence, a lovely riverside district of shops.  I found the Mocha Cache (GC16TJG).  I wandered back to Bay Street where I looked at books in a book store.

We traveled to Winchester Bay and visited the Umpqua River Lighthouse.  Inside the lighthouse we were able to climb up into the massive Fresnel lens (the only lighthouse on the Oregon Coast in which you can do that).  I purchased a tide pools water, sand, and seashells glass globe at the gift shop at 1:30pm.

Back at the Red Lion I chose not to eat dinner and listen to the lecture: "Explorers of the Northwest Coast".  I took off on Hwy 101 and Hwy 42 to Coquille, Myrtle Point and a bit beyond so I could get DELORME Atlas p. 52.  I was able to find three caches.  I had two DNFs.  I had planned to find another cache at Hoffman Memorial State Wayside until I heard gunshots and quickly left.

Back at the Red Lion I walked a few blocks to Walt's Pourhouse, a bar/restaurant where I had Caesar Salad and cup of Clam Chowder.  The food was quite good.