If you happen to be traveling up HWY 101 from California through Oregon here are a few places you might want to visit. Some of these I've been to and some I have not (but they are on my list). I live in norther Oregon so by the time I make the 3 hour drive west to the coast I usually stay in the norther part of the state, and with so many fabulous things to see there it always satisfied.
So I'll start at the southern part and work my way up with these suggestions of things to do. Enjoy...
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor
This area is about 10 miles from the California border. This area features lush forests that but right up to the ocean, sand dunes and some amazing blue-green water. Arch Rock and Natural Bridges viewpoints are nice places to stop for a quick view of some awesome rocks and don't miss the dunes at Indian Sands (mile marker 348).
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor
Port Orford
This is a good spot for whale watching and I believe it is still whale watching season. Here is a map and info on Oregon state whale watching
Cape Blanco State Park
Okay, I have not yet been here but this place is close to the top of my list. It's an out of the way place located on the the westernmost point of Oregon. The highlight of the stop would be the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, built in 1870.
Cape Blanco State Park
Bandon
Another lighthouse and the Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint are things to see here.
Coos Bay
This is the largest coastal city in Oregon with a population of about 17,000 people. Probably something good to see here ¯\(ツ)/¯
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
About 27 miles north of Coos Bay is a place you can experience one of the largest stretches of temperate sand dunes in the world.
Stop by the Oregon Dunes Overlook and Day Use Area for an ideal road trip stop as it will not eat into too much of your time. There’s an easy out and back two-mile trail through the forest, over the dunes, and ending at the sea.
Florence
Now we're getting into familiar territory for me. This is the furthest south I;ve been on the Oregon coast and this is a cute little beach town with the requisite kitschy seaside shops, killer seafood and old fashioned ice cream parlor.
The reason we were in Florence was the fact that it is just south of the can't miss coastal attraction, Sea Lion Caves.
Sea Lion Caves :D
Okay okay, this place seems like a tourist trap and it just might be but I still contend this is a must see stop on the coast.
From Wikipedia:
The cave system is at sea level and the ocean continually washes into the main cavern which has a floor area of about 2 acres (0.81 ha) and a vaulted rock dome about 125 feet (38 m) high. Southward from the main chamber, a low passage runs 1,000 feet (300 m) to a sea level opening. This corridor is flooded at high tide and free of water at low tide.
Sea Lion Caves is one of the great sea caves of the world, and currently ranks 10th among the world's longest sea caves.[1] With a measured length of 1315 feet, it is the longest in the United States.
There is a gift shop built on the bluff directly above the caves with an elevator that goes down into the cave!! We took this in the off season so there were no Sea Lion in the cave but it was still 100% worth the cost of admission. Even if you don't pay to go down it's worth the stop to walk around the bluff and look down to the cave entrance, where we did see about 30-40 sea lions on the rocks.
Hope you enjoyed part one, part two tomorrow.