Coos Bay – a well-kept secret

As usually, we started too early on sunday morning though the night was one hour shorter because of the change to DST. We stopped in Florence for a short walk in old town and found an open bookstore to burn time and to avoid getting wet again. On to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a 40-mile-stretch of sand dunes from Florence to Coos Bay along the Oregon Coast. Sand dunes towering up to 500 ft. (160 m) with „tree islands“ inbetween, marsh-like plains with lakes and springs and beaches. Formed by wind, water and time, these dunes are unique in the world.

Rich, the owner of Spinreel Dune Buggies and ATVs, gave us an „educational tour“ in his covered jeep and this tour was more instructive than the usual „roller coaster adventure tours“ - up and down the dunes - most companies are offering in ATVs, Sand Rails and Side-by-sides.

Arrived to the Mill Casino & Hotel in North Bend in the afternoon and got a large, beautiful corner room with a balcony and great view towards the Coos Bay. And, the bathroom not only had a whirlpool and a great view but was larger than our living room at home.

Despite of the rain we went to explore the „natural wonders“ of Coos Bay: three State Parks in a row, one offering better scenic views than the next one, even in the pouring rain: Shore Acres State Park, Cape Arago State Park and Sunset Bay State Park. Dramatic rugged sandstone cliffs high above the ocean, high waves, seals and sea lions, bays and beaches. Shore Acres State Park once was the home of a pioneer timber baron and he also was the one who planted lush gardens, nowadays a Botanical Garden.

For dinner we’d been invited to 7 Devils Brewing Company - another typically American success story. We met with the young owner Carmen Matthews in the very cozy, living-room-like atmosphere of his „Public House“ with the brew vessels directly adjacent to the pub. A musician was playing the guitar and art work was to be found all over. Carmen and his wife Annie opened up this brewery (the only one in the area, which is pretty unusual for Oregon) in October 2013 and are now brewing excellent ales. The menu is very creative (mostly vegetarian, including local seafood), only their "pretzels" are a little strange... The couple is already expanding and thinking about destilling whiskey.

Carmen started out with home-brewing, his wife is a marine biologist, they are musicians, artists, active in different organisations and full of energy - just another proof of grand entrepreneurship in Oregon (and America)!