Midway RV Park, Coos Bay, OR:  We have really lucked out weather-wise.  It rained last night and this morning was cloudy and nasty looking, but pretty warm.  We decided to head south on the 101 and go all the way to Gold Beach which is close to the California line.  And by then the sky had cleared off. We stopped first in Benton, OR, and walked through Old Town Benton, stopping at yet another sweet shop to buy some chocolates and had lunch at a little restaurant there.  The service was lousy and the food wasn’t too great either.  At least mine wasn’t.  Left there and drove along the shore for a while and walked a trail on top of the bluff.  More stunning views.  Spent a lot of time there enjoying the beautiful views and then headed south again on the 101.  You can’t see the Pacific along 101 until you go through the little coastal towns, but it is still a beautiful drive with the coastal range just to the east, forests thick with pines, and pristine streams everywhere.  Our next stop was Cape Blanco and toured the historic Hughes home and the Umpqua Lighthouse nearby.  By the time we finished there it was 4:30 and Gold Beach was still 34 miles south.  So we turned around and drove back to our park.  Made it back by 5:45, had some dinner and relaxed.  Tired.  67 today which is pretty good.

Sculpture made of junk washed up on shore.
Bandon, OR

Coquille River Lighthouse
Bandon, OR

Beach Views--Bandon, OR

Face Rock--Bandon, OR

Historic Hughes House

This house was built in 1898.  The Hughes' emigrated from Ireland and ended up here in Cape Blanco.  They ended  up with 2000 acres and raised dairy cattle.  They had 14 ranch hands to help with the work.  Their 100 dairy cattle had to be milked (by hand) twice a day.  They had 7 children, but two passed away very young.  The house had every convenience for this time--even indoor plumbing and hot water.  But they didn't get electric until 1942.  The property was ceded to the state and is now a state park.

Historic Hughes House

The Sixes River runs through their property.

View from the back of the house--right on the Pacific.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse--one of the Hughes' sons was the lighthouse keeper for many years.

View from the lighthouse grounds.