Florence, Oregon is a remarkable town in the contrasts of old style architecture and magnificent scenery.
We are staying at a newer hotel right in the heart of a restored section of town. Our hotel is the River Front Inn aptly named as it sits on the bank of the Siuslaw River as it intersects the Pacific Ocean.
There is a great deal of tidal action here as you find in most northern latitudes. The river's ebb and flow approaches 15 knots or more.
Our hotel is right on the edge of the Bay Street tourist section. There are many small shops and bistros catering to the tourist crowd. Last evening most of the group enjoyed a dinner together.
Today, some of our group chose to sleep in, do laundry, read the paper and just plain relax to recharge our internal batteries for the balance of our ride. Some chose to explore the area.
Doug and I ventured out on a hike of the nearby sand dunes. Picture being in the middle of the Sahara Desert surrounded by pine tree and rivers, if you can, and you will get the general picture. The dunes are also an off-road vehicle park and you can see many varieties of dune buggies and quads active on the rolling slopes of the dunes.
Doug and I were later joined by Fern and Gail. We hiked to the top of the dunes near a beach overlooking the Pacific and watched many people enjoying the wide, sandy beaches. Although it was crystal clear and warm in the bright sun, the winds caused it to be fairly cool. No one appears to venture into the water here.
Late this afternoon I plan to enjoy another refreshing massage and a light dinner. Then, it's preparing the bike and packing in anticipation of the morning's climb over the coastal range as we venture out to Junction City.
No comments:
Post a Comment