Florence, OR – Week 2
Still Exploring
While we have become fairly familiar with the Florence area, having two weeks here allows more time to explore this region.
While at Florence we wanted to see the Coos Bay area, which we did on day 9 (below) and really had a great time.
In addition to the activities below, we spent some more time on Heceta Beach and exploring the jetty. The beach itself is a rather unremarkable beach with a wide packed sand area to walk on. We did see some bicycles on the beach and pondered on whether it would be fun to bring our mountain bikes to ride there. Walking on the beach is always enjoyable even without anything too remarkable. We did not consult the tide charts, but it seemed to be near low tide whenever we were on the beach and the surf was fairly sedate.
By the end of our 2 week stay in Florence we are ready to move along the coast. Florence itself did not seem to offer much as a destination. The parks we visited in the Coos Bay area were great and the beaches and coastal features to the north of Florence are worth spending some time in this area. The Siltcoos Canoe Trail (Day 10) was a great paddle and also a very enjoyable day.
We really didn’t spend any time in Florence other than the old bay front area. Florence is not really an “ocean town” as it is on the Siuslaw River and any ocean beaches or views are to the north and south of the town. The amenities are adequate but not great, like you would expect in any smaller city/town. Sadly, there seems to be a strong division in political attitudes in Florence, much like we are seeing in most areas during current times.
There are very few cycling options in the Florence area, in fact this town is not exactly bike friendly. Even the old bayfront area has no provisions for bike parking. Even th store fronts have planters filling most areas in front of the store, so you can not really park a bike anywhere that you van watch while going into the stores. Cyclists dotour the Oregon Coast, but in this area at least, there is virtually no shoulder in many places. Liz and I would not feel comfortable riding 101 from what we have seen so far on our trip.
Conclusion
Staying in the Florence area has offered some great recreation and sightseeing, however we did drive almost daily to reach a point of interest. This is not exclusive to this area, we have been driving a lot on this trip, there is a lot to see and do wherever we go!
One big issue here is connectivity. WiFi is terrible area wide and cell service is non existent in many locations and very weak when you do find coverage. Research recreation and attractions before arriving here.
Day 8 – A Quiet Day
Day 9 – Coos Bay/Shore Acres State Park
Day 10 – Kayaking
Day 11 – Bike Ride
Day 12 – Free Day/No agenda
Day 13 – Beach Hopping