Although sometimes it may seem that our whole lives are a vacation, we took most of the month of July to take time off to relax in the pretty Oregon harbor town of Florence.
The marina on the Siuslaw River is quiet most days and then there are the days when it is busy with fishing boats launching. For us the pleasant walk along the marina boardwalk and then along Bay Street is a perfect blend of scenery and window-shopping. The shops along the way hold treasures to gaze at and we have tried a few of the wonderful restaurants. Getting out every day (except one all-day much needed rainy day) and taking this walk two or three times a day gives us some good exercise. And the SPCA Thrift Store at the other end of town provided several new items for our wardrobes.
Florence has activities – Tuesday Farmer’s Market with fresh local produce and a Saturday/Sunday Craft Market. We went to the Bay Street Bash – an old-fashioned block party with a good band, dancing in the street, free ice cream and popcorn and tons of games and crafts.
Our favorite days this year was a visit from our family. Jake drove 7 hours plus to get him, Julie and our three amazing grandchildren to Florence. We ate meals together and ice cream from B.J.’s almost every day. We had a full sunny warm (70’s) day at Heceta Head Beach and we explored the Sea Lion Caves another day. Great and happy memories!
We like Florence for many reasons. One is the weather – when we stayed last June I complained because it was often cold and windy. This July was warmer and still windy but I can’t complain when temperatures elsewhere are extreme highs or there are catastrophic weather events, or the wildfire smoke makes breathing difficult. So now weather in Florence is a plus.
The Oregon Coast is a good place of relief from weather worries. And we don’t worry much about tsunamis.
We like Florence enough to think about it as a potential semi-permanent home – maybe a summer get-away in a condo or retirement community. We are making plans for a stay in the campground next summer and we plan to check out what’s available in housing in the area then.
So, happy August 1st! We traveled a few hours up the coast to our next volunteer assignment – Cape Meares Lighthouse and a new adventure for us.
If you decide to semi-perm in Oregon, we ill be one of your first visitors!!
We loved the Oregon coast. So many good eateries and incredible views.