A Full-time Life

Day trip to Florence

Last week we drove to the Coast,  just for a day trip.  It's only about 60 miles from home to Florence and from there just a few miles either North or South until you (usually) get a good view of the Pacific.   Here's the bridge over the Siuslaw River at Florence.  

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Our plan was to get a coffee in Old Town Florence and then drive North until we  made sure the Ocean was still there.  

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The coffee shop has a lovely little patio and  a great view of the Bridge. Then just a few steps away, there's a viewpoint where we watched some harbor seals but didn't get a good picture.  We checked out the Purple Martin apartment complex and that population seemed to be thriving.    Can you see two  of them in the picture? 

 

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Next we drove North and almost as soon as we left the city limits of Florence we hit fairly heavy fog!  We were almost disappointed in our quest to actually see the Pacific for the first time this year.  (The umpteen-millionth in our lifetime but it never gets old).  I've never seen the turnouts along this stretch as empty.  No  cars and no photographers.  We  did get a  glimpse or two of the ocean, but always on a curve where it was impossible to pull over.   The picture below is one from last year — same stretch of the highway, better viewing day.

 

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But after all these years and in spite of  our annual "checking out the Ocean"  tradition, we actually know that it will still be there when we come back — sooner this time!  

 

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The fog was really a surprise because  it was a beautiful day in Florence.  Lovely walking weather (cooler than at home in Eugene, which was a good thing.)    When we could turn around we headed back to the blue sky and spent some time walking around Old Town Florence.   There are fun little shops and windows to browse and summer flowers always seem to bloom more brightly in the cooler coastal weather.   

 

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Great restaurants too, but I didn't get a picture of the delicious early dinner we enjoyed .  We didn't have to look as hard for ours as this pretty Great Egret did.  

 

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It was a good day.  There's never a bad one on a visit to the Oregon Coast.   

 

Thank you to the hosts of these sharing opportunities:

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES; TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS;  THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS; SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  and SATURDAY CRITTERS    

 

 

 

xx

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34 responses to “Day trip to Florence”

  1. Gaelyn

    I’ve been pining for the Oregon coast. Sure glad you sent even with limited ocean views.

  2. Yvonne

    That bridge is pretty spectacular. Beautiful photos of your day trip, even though you had to change plans. I remember trip planning, where I had an option B and an option C. Many times we had to use one of the options. Really nice Egret shot.

  3. riitta k

    Lovely day nevertheless despite the fog! Your post brought to my mind our 2 week’s road trip in Germany. We were in the southern Germany where the castles and views over the Rhein (?) should be stunning. But it was pouring with rain, many roads were cut and the fog so dense, that we didn’t see a glimpse of the picturesque views!!! But for sure a vacation I’ll remember for ever 😀

  4. Antonia

    Siempre apetece viajar hasta la costa. Me gusta las fotografías de tu reportaje y sobretodo el puente que hay en una de ellas.

  5. My Corner of the World

    Yes, we all should check to see if the ocean is still there every now and then! Fabulous images of your trip, Sallie.
    Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!

  6. Heidrun

    It’s fantastisc to read about other Lifestyle, see other countries. I enjoyed reading… thank you for sharing.
    Happy MosaicMonday

  7. Shiju Sugunan

    It indeed looks like a great day. Lovely views and pics. I like the critters you saw.

  8. Eileen

    Hello,
    I would love to live close to the coastline. Oregon is a beautiful state, love the coast line there. Your visit to Florence was a great day trip. Beautiful views of the the bridge, the birds and ocean. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

  9. Jim, Sydney, Australia

    I’ve updated my Moonman post on my blog to provide a bit more info about the sculpture.

  10. Andree

    I read your About page and learned about your travels. You two are living the life. Thank you for showing me a bit of it. Have a wonderful week.

  11. Beatrice

    Day trips are the best, we agree, Sallie, and despite the weather you seem to have an enjoyable outing. We did not visit Florence when we were in Oregon several years ago. Glad you were able to make sure the ocean was still there!

  12. Carola Bartz

    The Oregon Coast is exceptionally beautiful, but the fog seems to be a frequent companion. I love this area of the coast. We used to camp in the Oregon Dunes area and took very long beach walks. Simply lovely.

  13. tomthebackroadstraveller

    …I love that bridge. I’ve never been further south than Tillamook.

  14. Peter B.

    We took a family vacation to the Oregon Coast and spent time in Florence. Happy memories!

  15. Jim, Sydney, Australia

    Great shots.

  16. DeniseinVA

    That sounds like a wonderful trip! Always an enjoyable visit, and I enjoyed the interesting sights in your photos. Thanks Sallie!

  17. Alan

    I love the Gulf Coast but there is something special about the Pacific Coast. It’s a lot wilder and the mountains coming down to the ocean in many places are spectacular and the weather is better than summer on the Gulf Coast where it is hot!! (but still worth going to see).

  18. Angie

    Sallie – glad you had a good day trip despite the fog. Making lemonade from lemons. My favorite picture is the egret. Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

  19. Linda Walcroft

    That’s quite a bridge!

  20. Dee

    Nice to know about Florence, OR. I’d love to stop there next time we’re on 101 and on the way to WA.
    Thank you. 🙂
    Oh yeah — the Pacific Fog can really prevent us from having a good look at the ocean on summer afternoons/evenings. 🙂

  21. William Kendall

    Beautiful views.

  22. Pat

    Hi, Sally, I think the extra hot weather brings the fog, but I’m glad you enjoyed the trip to see the ocean despite not having a good view of it. The purple martins and cute We escaped a big monsoon rain the other day but Loveland and Denver got hit hard with some flooding. It’s either “feast or famine” weather wise…lol

  23. ellen b.

    Sounds wonderful. How nice to have the Pacific only 60 miles from you. Florence sounds like a nice place to have a stroll and ‘eats’, too. That is a very unique bridge. Happy August to you. Yikes that came around fast!!

  24. Debbie

    oooooh a road trip, 60 miles is perfect. cute little shops a bookstore and a coffee shop, you can’t beat that! nor can you beat cooler temperatures, ours are coming tomorrow and i can wait. i have a saying about hot temperatures and how it’s been, it involves a witch, perhaps you know it!!
    gorgeous images today, that great egret is so pretty!! and i am glad you check on the ocean, i do also….i just need to know it is still there!!!
    and to answer your question on my blog, yes sallie…we drive around the lake, there is no walking path which is a shame. when i see something good, depending on where it is, i hop out if i can or take pictures from the car. i stayed in the car for all of saturdays pictures!!

  25. Penelope Notes

    It’s been too long since I’ve traveled the Oregon coastline, in my view it must be one of the loveliest scenic and dramatic wave-makers on the globe. 🙂

  26. Veronica Lee

    How cool you could see the seals! The one and only time I saw seals in the wild was in Monterey.
    Delightful photos as always, Sallie!

  27. A ShutterBug Explores

    Beautiful and fun Sallie ~ Xo
    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

  28. Amy

    oh you’re so lucky to see seals, we apparently hve them here but I haven’t seen any yet.

  29. Lydia C. Lee

    Very different to the real Florence. I wonder why they named it that? Cos it’s on the river, I guess? Lovely bridge and looks a cute town! #SharonsSouvenirs

  30. Lavender Dreams

    A fun day trip like this is a good day indeed! You get to see so much and even if it’s a place you’ve been before, there are always new sights along the way. I love seeing the ocean and need a day trip to make sure the Atlantic is still there! lol

  31. Bob Bushell

    Brilliant the old bridge, and the Great Egret, pure Sallie.

  32. Jennifer Jilks

    I love day trips to the water! I enjoyed this one!

  33. Eileen

    Hello, Sallie
    Sorry about the fog, but your day still sounds wonderful. I like the Purple Martins and the Egret. Neat shots of the bridge. Florence sounds like a nice place to explore the shops and dine. Take care, have a great new week!

  34. Carol

    fun drive and Florence looks like a good place to roam

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