Fourth of July Adventure

Since moving to Sutherlin we hadn't ventured farther west than Elkton.  It was a beautiful day, so I packed a picnic lunch and we loaded up the kite, sand toys, sunscreen and hats and set off.  For a lot of the drive we followed a fork of the Umpqua River.  Once we reached Reedsport, we found a cute little town that will warrant more exploring at a later date.  Past Reedsport, we turned off at Fort Umpqua State Park.  This park has Lake Marie, a campground, and the Umpqua Lighthouse and museum.  The lighthouse and museum sit on a hill above the ocean. 

There were $5 tours of the lighthouse, but we figured since we've been in the Admiralty Head Lighthouse at Ft. Casey and can go there for free, we didn't need a tour. 

 

We decided we were hungry so headed toward the beach for a place to picnic.  We found an area near a boat launch, but soon found out we wouldn't want to be there too long because the wind off of the ocean was COLD.  We were wearing shorts and sweatshirts, but that wasn't enough. 

 

Once back in our warm van, we continued down the coast to the Oregon Dunes.  They were amazing to look at. 

 

So glad that we ventured out of the Sutherlin-Roseburg area to check out a truly beautiful area less than two hours from our home!



Griffin pretending to pilot a ship at the museum

The view from the lighthouse parking lot



It was very windy, as you can tell by my hair.  I gave up trying to keep it out of my face for the picture.
 



Griffin wanting to look at the view, but he was too short and had no money. 



The Umpqua Lighthouse with Coast Guard facilities surrounding it.



The Oregon Dunes

The sand reminded me of snow.  There were a lot of ATVs zooming up and down the dunes and clusters of RVs at the bottom so that the sand enthusiasts always had easy access.