Day Seven: Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach & Brookings
After two restful days at Bay Point Landing, it was time to pack up the car once again. We had just about 100 miles of Oregon coastline left to explore and only two days left to do it. We planned to spend the night in Brookings, the southern-most town on the Oregon coast. I’d never ventured that far and was excited to see a new (to me!) stretch of the state.
What to Do
Once again, we set out with a long list of things we wanted to do and see. We weren’t on the road for long before stopping.
First stop, the Coquille River Lighthouse (56487 Bullards Beach Road). This little cutie operated from 1895 until 1939. It sits inside Bullards Beach State Park. You can park right next to it (compared to other Oregon lighthouses where a small hike is usually involved). Tours are typically available in the summer. Even when the lighthouse is closed, you can still walk up to and around it. You can also walk onto the jetty where you’ll likely see birds and seals. The beach next to it was so pretty, all covered in driftwood.
From there we headed to Face Rock State Park in Bandon. You really need to pull over here, because it’s quite spectacular. The parking area sits above the beach. From this perch, you get a magnificent view of the many large rock formations below. This is also a great vantage point for an aerial view of Circles in the Sand. Artists make freehand designs onto the sand, called a “draw.” Seeing them from above gives you a sense of scale. On the ground, the public is allowed to walk through the “draws”. The Circles in the Sand season typically runs April though August. The beach can be accessed from the parking lot by staircase.
As we continued our drive south, we took a wrong turn and happened upon Buffington Park in Port Orford. There’s a free mini golf course here. There’s a cabinet with clubs and balls that you can borrow. The kids played the course a few times, ran around the playground, then we continued on our way.
Fun fact: It was about this point in the drive that we noticed a big change in the temperature. Whereas the Oregon coast is typically cool, even in summer, it suddenly felt hot. That’s because this area is considered Oregon’s “banana belt.”
In addition to a climate change, we were also about to transport ourselves to another time, 70 million years in the past. I’d long been curious about the Prehistoric Gardens (36848 Highway 101 South), but had never visited. It’s a bit out of the way, after all. So I was determined to see it on this trip. We knew we were in the right spot thanks to the big dinosaur towering over the parking lot. This famous roadside attraction opened in 1955. It has 23 life size dinosaurs, dotting a trail through an ancient rainforest. The dinosaurs are scientifically accurate restorations, with authentic details. There’s a 46-foot Brachiosaurus and a Pteranodon with a wingspan measuring 27 feet.
The park has a kitschy vibe, but it’s well maintained. There’s information about each dinosaur as well as the trees and plants in the surrounding rainforest.
The park is open year-round, but hours vary. Admission is $12 for ages 12+, $8 for kids 3-12 and free for kids 2 and under.
We left Prehistoric Gardens and continued south. Highway 101 hugs the coastline for a large portion of this drive. There were parts of this drive that caught my breath. You’ll drive through Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor, which is a narrow strip of state park that stretches 12 miles of coastline, from Gold Beach to Brookings. There are several trailheads for hiking as well a bunch of viewpoints where you can pull over and hop out. There’s the Natural Bridge, just follow a short trail to one of the best viewpoints in the park — the seven iconic arch rocks and blowholes known as Natural Bridges. Or check out Arch Rock. From the paved parking lot, a short path leads to an overlook where you’ll see offshore sea stacks and islands.
Where to Eat
For lunch or a snack, stop at the Face Rock Creamery (680 2nd Street in Bandon). This facility is much smaller than the Tillamook Creamery, but it’s well designed. There are large viewing windows to see how the cheese is made. There’s also lots of cheese for sale, included limited edition products. Samples are typically offered, but not during the pandemic. If you don’t feel like a full meal, there’s a huge selection of delicious Umpqua ice cream. This is also a good potty stop as it has clean, public restrooms. The creamery is free to visit, but you’ll probably end up buying something!
KidTripster Tip: Another Face Rock outpost recently opened in Coos Bay. The Face Rock Creamery Cafe is located in Coos Bay Village (1250 N Bayshore Drive in Coos Bay). You’ll find Face Rock cheese, Umpqua ice cream and speciality foods for sale.
As you drive down the southern Oregon coast, you’ll pass through Port Orford. We recommend having a meal at Redfish. It has a beautiful oceanfront view and balcony. As you might expect, there’s a lot of seafood on the menu, but it goes well beyond basic fish and chips. The dishes have locally sourced items and are served with flair. Our meal was excellent, one of the best we had on the road trip. The staff was knowledgeable about food allergies and the menu included several Gluten Free items, unusual to find in a small beach town.
Where to Stay
We spent the night at the Beachfront Inn in Brookings. The hotel is true to its name. It sits right on the beach. The rooms have been renovated and all offer a balcony and oceanfront view. The location is great because it’s a short drive into town, and a quick walk to the beach. It has a pool as well as a free, hot breakfast. My only complaint was the cost. Be sure to book in advance as there aren’t a lot of hotel choices in this area. We waited too long to make a reservation and by then the hotel was nearly sold out. It’s a nice enough place, but not worth $375 a night.
Before heading home on Day 8 we detoured into Northern California. Click below to find out what we saw on the Redwood Highway.
