Day Six: Coos Bay
On our sixth day of exploration, we stayed close to Coos Bay. Our extended family met us and we started the day at the driving range, where my kids hit golf balls with their grandpa. The course was a bit out of the way so I’d recommend using your time elsewhere.
What to Do
We chose to spend most of our day at the beach! This is a beautiful stretch of Oregon coastline. There are three stellar state parks in this area. All three parks are connected by the Oregon Coast Trail. Sunset Bay State Park has a sandy beach protected by towering sea cliffs. Cape Arago has hiking trails and tide pools. You can also see off-shore colonies of seals and sea lions at Shell Island, which is a National Wildlife Refuge.
Situated in between the other two parks, is my favorite, Shore Acres State Park. Shore Acres sits atop a rugged cliff. It was once the home of a timber baron. There’s a beautiful formal garden, with plants and flowers from all over the world. It has a Japanese-style garden as well as two rose gardens. Given the variety of flowers here, something is (almost) always in bloom.
KidTripster Tip: If you’re ever in this area at the holidays, come see the light display. From Thanksgiving though New Years, the gardens are decorated with lights and holiday displays. It’s been an annual tradition since 1987.
I recommend visiting the garden first, then heading to the beach. Simpson Beach is a short 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to the sand. At first, you might wonder how to get there, because the parking area sits on the top of the bluff, but there’s a gentle trail down to a sheltered beach area. The beach is surrounded on three sides by cliffs and forest. We had the whole beach to ourselves for a few hours.
The garden and park are free to visit. However there is a parking fee of $5.
KidTripster Tip: Surprisingly there’s another Asian-inspired garden in Coos Bay. It’s located inside Mingus Park. It’s a large city park with a lake, a flower garden, arboretum, playground, and more. You’ll see lily pads and water fowl as you follow the trail around the lake. It’s quite pretty!
Here’s another idea for you. Check out the West Coast Game Park Safari (46914 U.S. Highway 101), located in nearby Bandon. The park has over 450 animals, of 75 different species. There are big cats here – like tigers, lions, leopards and cougars – as well as bears, zebra and much more.
Handlers hold presentations where guests not only learn about animals, but also interact and take photos with the “ambassador animals.” There are also lots of animals roaming free, like goats, sheep and peacock. They’ll come right up to you, especially if you purchase a baggie of animal food.
The park opened in 1968 as a small roadside attraction with only a few deer. It’s grown considerably since then, and continues to be family-run all these years later. Game park staff educate visitors about conservation and extinction. The park is open daily. Admission costs $21 for ages 13+, $14 for ages 7-12, $11 for ages 2-6 and kids under 2 are free.
Where to Eat
Because the cabins at Bay Point Landing have kitchens and barbecues, we typically cook most of our meals at the cabin.
KidTripster Tip: You can pick up groceries at the Fred Meyer in Coos Bay. We ordered groceries ahead of time and picked them up in the store parking lot just before we checked into Bay Point Landing. Clerks will bring your food right to your car. It was a quick and convenient way to get groceries on the go.
We’ve dined out at a few decent spots in Coos Bay. There’s Shark Bites (240 S. Broadway) that serves up tasty seafood at lunch and dinner. (I was impressed because the restaurant has a separate Gluten-Free menu, with lots of options for folks like me who have a food allergy.) There’s also 7 Devils Brewing Public House (247 S. 2nd Street) which is a family-friendly brew pub with some seafood options as well as pub fare like pretzels, and poutine.
We hit the road on Day 7, for the southernmost point on the Oregon Coast. But first we had to drive through the “banana belt.” Please click below to read more.
