March 24, 2026 - Go to Salem via Umpqua Lighthouse

 

Title: March  24, 2026 - Go to Salem via Umpqua Lighthouse

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals 

Hike Info:

Type: Car

 

Description:

Morning Jog

Today is leaving Bandon day. I got up at 7:20 and started cleaning up. Everybody else got up shortly afterwards. There is a light rain which will be with us throughout the day. Packing the car is not the most efficient in the world, but it gets packed-both of our cars do. By 9:20 we are ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

What was missing was breakfast. David had talked about the Bandon Baking Company

Umpqua  Lighthouse

as being most excellent. They also served breakfast. Both the wait line and the wait for the food was slow. But in this case, it was well worth it. While we waited, a steady stream of customers came in. This is not a place which would be considered elegant, more like very basic with cardboard containers to eat out of. But that is not why I go someplace. Is the food good? Can we enjoy ourselves there? The answer is yes. Sherri and I had a breakfast burrito; Lawrence a cinnamon French toast; and Andrea and egg mitt. But the real highlight was the pastries. I ate all of mine, regardless of the effect on my blood sugars-they did eventually go high, but not as bad or as fast as I feared.

By 10:30 we were on the road again up towards Florence. This is about an hour away. Before Florence we turned off to go to the Umpqua Lighthouse. It is raining pretty good there. We parked by a whale watching volunteer whom we talked with. The visibility is not good and the water is pretty choppy, so no whale sightings today or any time when we are in Oregon.

 

 

Gary looking into the lense

 

Andrea bought tickets for the tour and museum. At noon the tour of the lighthouse started. The docent lady has been a nomad for the past 21 years and has only a month more left on this volunteer gig before she moves on. Sounds like she maybe going to a more permanent residence. She is interesting, telling us about the history of the lighthouse-how it was originally by the river but got destroyed during a wet winter in the mid-1800’s. This part of the coast remained without a lighthouse for a while until enough ships and lives were lost. The idea was to build an interconnected grid of lighthouses The original beacon through their fresnel lense had a 2 mile reach. Now it will reach as far as the curvature of the earth will let it. The current shipping lane is about 60 miles out. Lighthouses are about 30 miles from each other so that the ships could determine their location through triangulation with two beacons. Umpqua’s beacon still guides, but there is also a Coast Guard lookout closer to the beach which is chiefly responsible for the safety of ships.

 

 

Andrea and the lense

 
She then walked us over, in the rain, to the lighthouse. Inside the lighthouse we went. While the outside is white and gray, that is a covering for the brick. Inside the column, the brick is exposed. There is a lightkeeper’s office attached to the lighthouse where he would keep his records. She explained more of the history and how the lighthouse is currently being used. We then climbed up the stairs, 62’ up, to the floor below the lens. There is a short ladder up into the actual lens. The lens itself rotates with three different signals: two whites and one red. This creates the signature for this particular lighthouse. We are able to poke our head inside, not staring at the light, and gaze as the lens rotates.

The lense

Then down we go. Since the lighthouse was interesting, we decided to spend a half an hour going through the museum-actually a bit more. I was particularly interested in one map which showed all of the various patterns the various lighthouse beacons make-that is how ships identify the locations. What is on the map is a bit different than what the docent said. The map may be out of date. 

 

 

Lense motor

After looking over the museum, we went downstairs to an art gallery. Most of which was not in my taste in trinkets. There was one item which was of mild interest to me. But my tastes are pretty narrow. Sherri, Andrea and Lawrence's were much more fascinated than me. Lawrence bought a wire sculpture of a frog and a wheelbarrow

 

 

 

.

By 1:30, it is time to get on the road. In Florence we headed east towards Eugene. Rain continued to follow us. Outside of Eugene, Google routed us on a wide berth around the city. Andrea and Lawrence went into the city, to Costco for gas and supplies. We got to their house about 5:00 and just finished unloading when Lawrence and Andrea drove up. We unpacked them as well.

Coast Guard lookout

We rested for a while and then Andrea baked chicken breast, carrots and white rice for dinner. By this time, it was close to 8:00. Since the Oregon State Hospital is close by, we finished the night off with Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next. Definitely not an uplifting movie, but it was shot at the State Hospital. Andrea would like to tour it with us-I do not think she intends for us to stay there. We got to bed before 11:00.

Extra Photo's

Inside the museum

Another view of the Coast Guard Lookout 

Umpqua Lighthouse

Telescope

Lense

Lense

Sherri inside the Lense

Lawrence coming down from the Lense

Andrea and the Lense

Gary and the Lense

Light keeper's room and lighthouse

View of the Corquille River

Haunted Outhouse

Animals

Newt

March 23, 2026 - Bandon - Cape Arago

 

Title: March  23, 2026 - Bandon - Cape Arago

Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking : Car

Trail: Cape Arago Loop and out to Sunset State Park

Trail head: Shore Acres parking lot

Destination: Cape Arago Lighthouse

Actual Destination: Sunset Beach State Park 

Distance:  3.38  mile

Start Time:11:43

End Time:   2:20

Travel Time:  2:35 (1.31 mph)

Moving Time:  1:50  (1.84 mph)

Elevation Rise:  301'
Descent:  285'

Maximum Elevation: 97'

GPS Tracks

 

Description:

Lawrence Whale Watching

I got up at 7:00 with Andrea once again, with her once again getting up a little after I did. We go off to Ray’s to pick up a few more groceries and then return back to the house. By this time, everybody is up. I make us all some pretty simple omelets with Vampire Slayer cheese. Then we just lounge around for a while until close to 11.

Andrea had suggested doing a trail she found in AllTrails in the Coos Bay area called the Cape Arago Loop. Close to Coos Bay are several small Oregon State Parks. One of them is Shores Acres, which is where the trail starts. Before we began, there were a couple of volunteers to assist people with whale watching. They stopped me to ask about the image on the back of my shirt-Lake Tahoe. They let me know that they had one confirmed sighting today and three unconfirmed.

 

 

 

After looking at the ocean in a futile attempt to spot a spout, we started our walk. The paths we follow alternate between walking along the top of the cliffs and being inland. The view along the cliffs gives us the thrill of watching the waves crash into the rocks below, throwing the spray into the air. At certain view spots, we can see the lighthouse at Cape Arago.

At times, the trail moves us inland and we can enjoy a more forested walk. It is mostly bushes with a variety of trees-the species I am not able to say. But interspersed with all of that greenery are flowers of various kinds. The most prominent one looks like little bells. Later on we identify them as Salal. There were a few berries growing on the Salal plants.

 

 

 

 

It looked like we could walk a trail to the Cape Arago Lighthouse-we should have checked earlier about how accessible the lighthouse is. So we walked a aways, where we looked out over Sunset Beach. What we also noticed is that the Lighthouse is still at least a mile away, requiring us to walk around the horseshoe shaped beach and beyond. At this point we discovered that the Lighthouse is inaccessible because it is on an island, Chief Island to be exact. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lawrence, Root Ball Climber

So we turned around, rejoining the loop back to the beginning. We get a lot more cliff views. One thing about all of these trails in the area, roots seem to be a constant hazard. At one point I was passing some people and stumbled and a man caught me-I would not have fallen, still it is good to know there are people in this area who watch out for others.’

When we make it back to the car, about 2:00, it is time for lunch. We have our peanut butter sandwiches and chips. We all think we have enjoyed the walk.

 

 

After lunch we walked around the Park's botanical gardens which were set up by Lowel Simpson. The grounds are well maintained. Even though it is the start of Spring, there is a vibrancy of colors, particularly the red of some rodes-rhodedendrums for those of you who need to have an explanation. This is not a native plant garden as we see plants from California, Japan and other places.

By 3:30, we are ready to leave. Lawrence volunteers to drive. Before going back to the house, we stopped in town to pick up some clam chowder. Then we all rest for over an hour. All of us take showers and feel refreshed. Dinner is grilled cheese sandwiches, clam chowder and salad. Then it is time to admire the pictures we took today. Finally before 10:00, we are all ready to head towards bed.

Extra Photo's

Cape Arago Lighthouse

 
Flowers and Plants