Over the coastal mountain range to the Pacific Ocean

Most of the route through the coastal range followed the middle branch of the Coquille River through the mountains. It was a beautiful drive. There were trees along the road, but once again, through the trees, the mountains had been clear-cut. Rarely had they been replanted, or so it seemed. In the higher elevations we once again drove through the snow. It was about 40 miles down to the ocean. Lots of flowers at the lower elevations, like daffodils and magnolias in the towns.

Finally arrive at the ocean, and we couldn't see the ocean. I think it was the Sand Dunes National Monument. They were huge! You could see that sometimes they even covered the road. Went on for miles. Many campgrounds along here....there were ATV's and dune buggy's everywhere and you could hear their motors.


Signs on the road said that there was whale watching ahead. This is the Umpqua River Lighthouse.


Across the street is this whale watching station. I was SO anxious to see the whales!! There was a family there, had been there all day watching the whales. They answered all our questions and told where to sight them. First get out the big binoculars...


See this wide beach and sand dunes? The breakwall points to where the whales can be sighted...with binoculars. You scan the ocean and look for small plumes of water shooting upward. This is a whale breathing....that's all that you can see. Rick was so disappointed, he thought they might come closer and shake his hand..tee! hee! We watched for about a half an hour.


Along side the parking lot was this jaw bone of a whale. Whales are huge!! When they're almost a mile away, they don't look so big.