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North Bend & the Empire Lakes (Coos Bay) Revisited

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It had been a while since I had made a trip to the coast, and I was in need of a quick getaway-slash-escape from the Valley. Just a day trip, or perhaps an over-nighter. No big whoop. I settled on a return to North Bend and Coos Bay's Empire Lakes, just across the line separating the two cities. I made a trip to Oregon's Bay Area in June to cover a Special Olympics Oregon track meet. That trip would be a template for this one, except I now had a familiarity with the area. I do need to apologize that I am writing another post about visiting Coos Bay/North Bend. With a significant backlog of trips about which to write, and so few actually written up and posted to this very new blog, why a repeat? Because it is still very fresh in my mind, and every trip to the Oregon Coast offers something different. Link Lane operates the route between Eugene and Florence, offering three round trips daily. I caught the morning run at 7:25 from the Eugene Amtrak Station to the coast. For five buc...
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Astoria (the Grand Tour, Part the First)

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The Astoria Column from the Riverfront Trail  In June of 2024 I turned 60 and wanted to celebrate with a bit more than a day trip to the coast, or even an over-nighter. Taking a week or so to tour the entirety of the Oregon coast by bus seemed like the very obvious thing to do. But for me, June and July on the coast is just too crowded. So I'd wait until August to make the journey from Astoria to Brookings on public transit.  (To be sure, I did make a day trip to the coast on my birthday. There happened to be a minus tide, so I went to Seal Rock for the day. But that is a subject for a future post). I made a series of hotel reservations, for Astoria, Garibaldi, Lincoln City, Florence, North Bend, Brookings and Bandon. I'll describe each in their own posts. But first, let's get to Astoria, the staring point for the whole endeavor. From Eugene, Amtrak is the way to get to Portland to make connections to Astoria. Oregon Point operates the route between Portland's Union Sta...
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Lincoln City (Birthday Trip 2025)

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For my birthday each year, to no one's surprise, I've taken to catching a bus to the coast. This year (2025) I picked Lincoln City. It's a surprisingly simple trip from Eugene. My plan was to catch the first bus to the coast, and return on the last bus back to the valley. That would provide for 7.5 hours in Lincoln City. Plans change. I noticed that on the morning following my birthday there was to be a minus tide. On a previous visit I had made a mental note to try to get to the mouth of Siletz Bay at the southern end of Lincoln City in Taft during a good low tide. I wanted to try to find some agates, or other pretty rocks.  So I'd be staying the night. I booked a room at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Conveniently, the casino is also the bus transfer point in Lincoln City, with connections north into Tillamook County and south to Newport, as well as west to Salem. It has a large covered shelter with benches, and is less than five minutes from the beach for longer layove...
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North Bend & the Empire Lakes (Coos Bay)

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 I do not ever need a reason to take the bus to the coast, but when one presents itself, I'll jump at it. Such was the case when Special Olympics Oregon scheduled a regional track and field competition at North Bend High School. I've been a volunteer photographer for Special Olympics for some time now, and didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. Or rather, the opportunities. It would be a simple trip to get there. The morning Link Lane bus from the Eugene Amtrak Station to Three Rivers Casino in Florence. There's a half hour layover before the Coos County Area Transit (CCAT) bus heading south. This is a good place and enough time to use the restroom. No bags are allowed in the casino, but you can check them with the valet. I tip a couple bucks. It is often money well spent. Especially if I had too much coffee before leaving Eugene. North Bend VA Clinic Transfer Point The meet was on a Saturday, so I'd travel the Friday before. Had the competition been scheduled fo...
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Winchester Bay & Umpqua Lighthouse State Park

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The Umpqua River Lighthouse A friend recently shared about staying in a "Deluxe" yurt at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. I've gone yurt camping by bus before, but "Deluxe?" What's more, I've been to the Umpqua River Lighthouse many times, but I had never realized that just past the lighthouse a half mile or less, is the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park campground. I checked the Oregon State Parks web site and learned deluxe yurts include a full bathroom with shower, refrigerator, microwave, and even a DVD player with TV. I checked availability which is always a challenge. I just scrolled forward until I found a three night opening. Reservations at state parks can be made six months in advance, so anything available in the immedite future would be the result of a cancellation. I booked the stay, which was for a Tuesday through Friday.  Coos County Area Transit (CCAT) operates the Florence Express, the bus route between Florence and Coos Bay. Winchester Bay li...
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