THURSDAY - We have to check-out from our campsite by 1:00PM today and we can't check-in at our next campsite just 54-miles up the road until 4:00PM. This is getting to be a familiar problem!
Fortunately I found the Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint just a few miles off our route where we can park until dusk for a $12 fee ($10 for the locals).
Since we had a state park campsite reservation last night, which includes all state park entrance and parking fees, we are good to go for today. Just in case we need a backup plan, we also have a state park camping reservation for tonight.
So we did not pay the parking fee and no one checked to see if we did.
TRAVEL DAY PHOTOS
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There were plenty of open parking spaces at the Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint.
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We checked out all the rocks within view and saw no faces in them?
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The website claims it's easily visable from the overlook.
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According to Google Maps this is supposed to be Face Rock. Do you see a face?
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It looks like somebody wanted to get a closer view!
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All tucked in at Sunset Bay State Park.
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We've got water/electric/sewer hookups right on our site. What more do we need?
FRIDAY - This morning we were awake early and prepared to make another "hard to get" National Park camping reservation. We were trying to secure a second week reservation at Yosemite National Park.
We already have a full week at Hodgdon Meadow Campground, and this morning were trying to add another week at a different campground. We didn't get a full week, but were able to get 5-days giving us a total of 12-days in the park. That'll just have to be enough.
Today we are going 37-miles north of the campground on a sightseeing trip. We will be traveling on the Coastal Highway (US-101) the entire way there.
Where US-101 crosses the Coos Bay is where you'll find the McCullough Memorial Bridge.
We'll have to stop and get some more photos of the bridge on the way back home.
UMPQUA RIVER LIGHTHOUSE TOUR (MUSEUM AND GIFTSHOP)
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You will have to purchase your $8 tour tickets inside of the gift shop...
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...and then walk next door to the museum to start your tour.
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There is a large crack over the entrance door of the lighthouse that occured during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that was estimated to be 7.9 on the Richter scale. Keep in mind that San Francisco is over 500-miles south of here.
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There is a short hallway between the workroom and the tower. Did you notice how nice the brick walls match my flannel shirt?
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We got to climb up a short ladder and peek inside of the Fresnel lens.
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This telescope is property of the lighthouse, as such, it remains here.
On the way back home we took a small detour and were rewarded with these side views of the McCullough Memorial Bridge.
When completed in 1936 it was named the North Bend Bridge.
In 1947, it was renamed in honor of Conde B. McCullough who died on May 5, 1946.
This and 10 other bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway were designed by Conde McCullough.
We made a quick stop at Walmart in Coos Bay to refill one of our 3-gallon drinking water bottles, only to find out we had to go down the street to a smaller local market to get the water.
We then made another quick stop to unload the water and few groceries we bought into THE POD and then jumped right back into ROVER and headed passed the campground to do some more sightseeing.
There are only 3-miles of the Cape Arago Highway passed our campsite here in Sunset Bay State Park. Along those 3-miles you'll find the Shores Acres State Park and at the end of the road is Cape Arago State Park.
SUNSET BAY STATE PARK • • • SHORE ACRES STATE PARK • • • CAPE ARAGO STATE PARK
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This is Sunset Bay which the state park is named after.
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Here you can see a father and son attempting to kayak the shallow bay.
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There was even an older man out attempting to surf the waves in the bay.
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The south side of the bay is where most of the water fowl tend to hang out.
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When we arrived yesterday there must have been 100 brown pelicans in the bay. Today they are mostly all gone, but I'm sure at some point they'll be back.
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In October of 1973 Sunset Bay was involved in a piece of American History.
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Just a half mile down the road from the campground is Lighthouse Viewpoint.
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A short 100' walk down to the cliffs edge has this view of the Cape Arago Lighthouse.
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It's hard to tell in the photo, but the lighthouse is actually out on an island.
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We walked a short, very short, 1/8-mile section of the Sunset Bay to Cape Arago Trail, down to this overlook, part of the much longer Oregon Coast Trail.
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Another 1/8-mile up the trail had us arriving...
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...at this fenced off overlook along the trail.
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That flat, slick rock down there looks almost like part of a roadway.
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We stood and watched the surf before heading back to the truck.
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The 45° uplifting of the shoreline was very evident here at Shore Acres State Park.
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Again, we were drawn in by the rising and falling of the tide against the rocks.
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On the way back to the truck we saw these "Red Hot Pokers" along the pathway.
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Several hundred yards offshore you could see and hear a large herd of sealions.
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There must have been several hundred of them all vying for their space in the sand.
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Meanwhile 100-yards to the south was a much more civilized herd of seals.
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They seemed much more "chill" and less crowded in their space on the rocks.
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Scanning from left to right at the Simpson Reef Overlook.
SATURDAY - I should have known that Tricia couldn't take a whole day off and spend it in THE POD with me.
After waiting all day for the forecasted rain to arrive, after a few weak showers at 3:00PM, she announced she was going out for a walk.
That walk turned into a 1.5-mile hike up the cliffs on he south side of Sunset Bay right across the street from the campground.
MORE OF SUNSET BAY
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Big Creek runs right through the middle of the campground.
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My thoughts are they should have named it Big "Muddy" Creek.
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The trail up the cliff was at a pretty steady incline.
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Every once in a while you could peek through the brush and see Sunset Bay.
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At the far end of the trail there's a wide open view of Sunset Bay.
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From up there you had a clear view of the surfers.
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Hey look! There's a couple of brown pelicans down there.
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Just south of Sunset Bay there is another smaller bay on the shoreline.
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Time to head back down the trail.
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Back in Sunset Bay having just been up by those taller trees on the right.
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It looks like that flock of brown pelicans from Thursday are back.
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Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
There were plenty of open parking spaces at the Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint.
We checked out all the rocks within view and saw no faces in them?
The website claims it's easily visable from the overlook.
According to Google Maps this is supposed to be Face Rock. Do you see a face?
It looks like somebody wanted to get a closer view!
All tucked in at Sunset Bay State Park.
We've got water/electric/sewer hookups right on our site. What more do we need?
You will have to purchase your $8 tour tickets inside of the gift shop...
...and then walk next door to the museum to start your tour.
There is a large crack over the entrance door of the lighthouse that occured during
There is a short hallway between the workroom and the tower.
We got to climb up a short ladder and peek inside of the Fresnel lens.
This telescope is property of the lighthouse, as such, it remains here.
This is Sunset Bay which the state park is named after.
Here you can see a father and son attempting to kayak the shallow bay.
There was even an older man out attempting to surf the waves in the bay.
The south side of the bay is where most of the water fowl tend to hang out.
When we arrived yesterday there must have been 100 brown pelicans in the bay.
In October of 1973 Sunset Bay was involved in a piece of American History.
Just a half mile down the road from the campground is Lighthouse Viewpoint.
A short 100' walk down to the cliffs edge has this view of the Cape Arago Lighthouse.
It's hard to tell in the photo, but the lighthouse is actually out on an island.
We walked a short, very short, 1/8-mile section of the Sunset Bay to Cape Arago Trail,
Another 1/8-mile up the trail had us arriving...
...at this fenced off overlook along the trail.
That flat, slick rock down there looks almost like part of a roadway.
The 45° uplifting of the shoreline was very evident here at Shore Acres State Park.
On the way back to the truck we saw these "Red Hot Pokers" along the pathway.
Several hundred yards offshore you could see and hear a large herd of sealions.
There must have been several hundred of them all vying for their space in the sand.
Meanwhile 100-yards to the south was a much more civilized herd of seals.
They seemed much more "chill" and less crowded in their space on the rocks.
Big Creek runs right through the middle of the campground.
My thoughts are they should have named it Big "Muddy" Creek.
The trail up the cliff was at a pretty steady incline.
Every once in a while you could peek through the brush and see Sunset Bay.
At the far end of the trail there's a wide open view of Sunset Bay.
From up there you had a clear view of the surfers.
Hey look! There's a couple of brown pelicans down there.
Just south of Sunset Bay there is another smaller bay on the shoreline.
Time to head back down the trail.
Back in Sunset Bay having just been up by those taller trees on the right.
It looks like that flock of brown pelicans from Thursday are back.
