Winter Getaways
CONTINU ED
BEDDING DOWN IN
THE OREGON DUNES
COASTAL
CAMPING
This is what the rain fl y is for
BY ANDY VALE NT INE
W
ell, the rainy weather and inevitable
gloom has fi nally caught up with us, and
there’s a good chance you now feel it’s
appropriate to sit on your couch with a
blanket and cocoa and never go outside
again. I’ll let you in on a secret: We’re not bears, so start
acting Oregonian and get the hell out of town already.
If you follow West 11th and just keep driving past city
limits, you’ll eventually come to a hard-left, T-junction
turn. That’s right, the Oregon Coast — and a world of
beautiful camping you never even knew existed — is lit-
erally one turn away. For those with little time — perhaps
PHOTO COURTESY KRISTINA VASSILEVA
you set out late? — Florence is the clear destination of
choice for coastal camping. Drive south out of Florence,
only an extra fi ve or 10 miles, and you’ll reach the Silt-
coos and Carter Lake (not to be mistaken for Crater Lake)
campgrounds, personal favorites of mine that sit nestled
in some of the smaller, northern dunes. Here, the beach,
cold ocean air and, if you really can’t take the rain, then, I
guess, Mo’s Seafood, are all at your fi ngertips.
Farther south, your winter camping adventure will get
a lot sandier if you pull off just past Reedsport and pitch a
tent in the heart of the Oregon Dunes. After only a short,
half-mile hike you’ll be greeted with an astounding view
of the dunes that stretches as far as the eye can see. Be-
fore you start looking for the Cave of Wonders, though,
please remember that you’re still in Oregon. This is one
part of our state that is often forgotten, but it is an abso-
lutely incredible natural phenomenon that every resident
must see. In the area, there are several campgrounds and
trailheads that lead farther beyond the sand, and a two
mile hike through said eroded rocks will leave you, once
more, with cold ocean spray hitting your face.
So let’s fl ip this rain the bird (specifi cally the duck)
and hit the coast. First one there gets the best shmallow-
toasting spot. ■
Nov. 2nd & 3rd
Willamalane
Event Center
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE: MCCBF.COM
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Inaugural McKenzie Cider & Craft Beer Festival is seeking volunteers.
Volunteers receive FREE t-shirt, event admission, souvenir glass, and drink tokens.
Register to volunteer Online at MCCBF.com Must be 21 and over to volunteer
14
October 18, 2012 • eugeneweekly.com
M I K E D E C KE R
RU L E S !