On July 5th we will be heading down the Oregon coast to Charleston, which is just south of Coos Bay, where we will stay at the Oceanside RV Resort for a month.
We’ve been going to Oceanside for many years. Last year, we met a couple with a Boston Terrier who had just finished a July 4th vacation in Florence, Oregon and raved about the place (Port of Siuslaw RV Park). So, based upon that recommendation, we thought we’d give the place a shot this year.
“Two thumbs up!” is our rating.
The RV park is located in the Port of Siuslaw harbor, just a few minutes walk to Florence’s “Old Town” tourist area. Lots of shops and restaurants, local color, a Boardwalk, and such. There is a large grassy area adjacent to the boardwalk where vendors set up tents and hawk art, jewelry, tee shirts, and other items that one can live without. But it adds color to the neighborhood.
The Port of Siuslaw is a small boat harbor, situated on the Siuslaw River about 5 miles inland from the ocean. The City of Florence runs about 3 miles north-south astride Highway 101. It’s got all the basic stores and conveniences that one needs while RV camping. There is a large Fred Meyer store (like a WalMart on steroids) at the north end of town.
We’ve “gone out to eat” a few times while we’ve been here. The ICM seafood restaurant in the Port was overpriced and, by Oregon standards, substandard for seafood. However, we found a very nice Chinese restaurant (“Chen’s Family Dish”) where the food was tasty and plentiful: we had a $60 meal that provided leftovers for two at-home meals.
For a small town, Florence is awash in thrift shops. There is a small one at the local Elks’ Lodge, which featured paperback books for 25 cents each. Just up the street (Hwy 101) is a large Goodwill thrift shop. It may be the nicest one, and the best smelling one, that we’ve ever visited. And, just a few blocks north on 101 is “St. Vinnie’s”, a very large shop with an enormous library of cheap, used books. Again, huge, well-organized, and non-smelly. We spent the morning of July 3rd browsing the thrift shops and buying a few things.
The Oregon coast in this area features a lot of sand dunes. In fact, the area between Florence and Coos Bay is the destination of ATVers from all over the West.
The Port of Siuslaw RV Park is just about perfect, from our point of view. It is situated with the harbor and the boat docks on the west and a large wetland to the east. There are a variety of sites, some facing the harbor, some interior, and others (like our Site 56) right adjacent to the wetlands area. Very large trees are interspersed among the sites in the area that we’re in; it’s quite beautiful and quiet. The interior loop road is paved and the sites are gravel. Our particular site is surrounded in the rear by grass, so the dogs merely have to go out the door to find a place to pee. Very convenient.
Speaking of dogs doing their business, we found a 5th wheel unit with a doggie door and ramp, so the little poodles can do their bizz whenever they want. How cool!
All of our dogs are veterans when it comes to RV living. They have plenty of room to lounge around, to play, and nap. Baby likes to stretch out on the sofa, BonBon likes to perch on the sofa cushions so she can look out of the windows and sniff, and Vinnie prefers to sit up on the dash by the front windshield, where it is sunny, warm, and where he can keep tabs on what is going on in HIS park. The three of them sleep with us at night in our Queen “Air Number” bed, and we sleep great, better than at home in the much larger California King. Go figure.
The dogs get a one mile walk every day, into Old Town and back. They love the exercise and the opportunity to meet people and other dogs. We found a dog grooming business about a mile from the RV park and the dogs got their monthly wash and dry. Very nice people.
I had an accident when we got to Florence, falling off a ladder that I used to get atop our rig to set up the Dish satellite receiver. I was lucky in the fall, avoiding a concussion and all. But I scraped up my left leg something fierce and also received a deep thigh bruise.
Poor bandaged and limping Craig was pretty messed up for a couple of weeks. Just now, a few days from leaving here, I’m finally able to walk without a limp.
Getting old sucks.
We’ve been here a month and the weather has been excellent (for the Oregon coast at this time of year). Low to mid 60’s daytime, 50 at night, with very little overcast or fog. It’s been sunny on most days, with mild breezes in the afternoons. It couldn’t be nicer.
Charlie has been doing a lot of reading on this trip. She’s probably read a dozen books so far and is enjoying her vacation from bookkeeping and tax work. One of the features of this RV park is the July 4th fireworks spectacular that is put on by the Port of Siuslaw. The rockets are shot off over the harbor/river from the RV park, so we RV campers are able to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the festivities.
Pretty cool.