After spending the past three days close to home it was time to do some exploring around here, so today we ventured to the coast. The forecast was calling for rain and it was indeed accurate this time however we managed to see nothing more than a few spits all day. There were several times over the course of the day that the sun even came out and the temperature climbed to 22C (72F). Our route took us across on Highway 126 and on our way we passed dozens of motorcyclists heading towards us. Once we arrived in Florence, we learned that this weekend is their Rhododendron Festival, held to celebrate the arrival of spring evident by the blossoms of hundreds of wild Rhododendrons growing around the town and along the coast. Apparently it is a well-known draw to thousands of visiting bikers known as “Rhody Days”, a well attended annual event bringing motorcyclists from across the nation.

We stopped for lunch at an obviously popular local eatery and enjoyed some of the best fish (fresh halibut) and chips we’ve ever had. From there we drove north along the coast highway towards Waldport, stopping periodically to take some photographs while dodging raindrops. This photograph is of the Haceta Head Lighthouse, an updated and closer view of a similar photo you’ll find elsewhere on this website.

Our drive from Waldport took us eastward along Highway 34 to Alsea where we stopped for a time at the Alsea Falls Recreation Area. We went for a short hike, enjoying the incredible scents, only found deep within a mossy forest, until the rain started spitting again. It was a nice way to spend the day and by the time we got home, the rain had subsided (for a while). Considering the initial forecast for the day we certainly were very lucky.