Bandon, Oregon
Bullards Beach State Park
I no longer dread Mondays!
We awoke sometime after 7:00 and had a nice, slow morning enjoying our coffee as we caught up on emails and the news. The sun was shining and it was beginning to warm up. On the Oregon coast, 70 degrees feels hot!
After breakfast (which was a frustrating endeavor with our ancient Coleman stove -- not enough BTUs and uneven cooking), I decided to go for a bike ride and took a trail out to the Coquille River Lighthouse, which is about three miles each way. The path was covered with pine needles and the occasional tree root, so I had to be extra careful and finally decided to move out on to the road. I was pretty much the only one on the road, so I wasn't worried about not having a bike lane.
The Coquille River
The campground has several sites for horse camping, with "accommodations" for the horse, as well as the riders. I didn't see anyone riding the week were were there, but I did see a lot of horse trails that lead out to the lighthouse and river, so I'll bet it gets busy in the summer.
I've visited this lighthouse on previous trips to Bandon, but it was fun riding out to see it on such a beautiful day.
I can't get over how much wood washes ashore on the Oregon coast. And how large the trees are that find their way onto the beaches. Simply amazing.
There were a few fishing boats out on the Coquille River and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.
My favorite view of the lighthouse. I love the way the water splashes up against the rocks at the base of the building.
The ride back to the campground was just as pretty, although there was quite a headwind! I loved being out on my bike, riding on a long, flat road, with the wind in my face and the sun on my back. This was my first long ride since moving to Oregon and it was exhilarating!
When I got back to the campground, I decided to keep riding and went up to Loop B & C to check out those sites. There were quite a few with a lot more space (and longer pads), so I made of note of those for future reference. I also spotted these wild turkeys. They weren't a bit too shy and didn't rush to get away from me.
After lunch, I got back on my bike and rode out to Hwy. 101, going only as far as the bridge since there was a lot of traffic heading into Bandon.
Any day with a bike ride is a great day and this one was no exception!
What a cute lighthouse! I wonder where all those trees came from?
ReplyDeleteKathy, I love the lighthouse in Bandon. It's one of my favorites on the Oregon coast.
DeleteAs far as where the trees/driftwood come from, I think they fall over in storms and are washed into rivers and streams, which lead to the ocean, where they are washed up onto the beaches. Some also originate from landslides and beach erosion, as well as logging burn/slash piles. I'm just amazed at the size of some of them!
Lovely pictures; I love seeing how active you've been since your move and retirement.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Diane. I'm glad you're enjoying the travel photos. I enjoy sharing them, but it's also a nice way to keep a record of where we've been.
DeleteThe pictures are just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBandon Lighthouse is so tiny and cute!
Can you go inside? Doesn't see like it.
- Lisa
Thanks so much, Lisa. I take far too many photos, but it's fun to relive the vacation (and remember what we were doing on some of these trips!). We've been to the Bandon (Coquille) Lighthouse twice and have only been inside once. We weren't able to go upstairs due to some renovation work, but I'm hoping to do so on our next visit.
ReplyDelete