Florence to Port Orford, Dune Buggies and Bandon-by-the-Sea--S. Oregon Coast

7/3/2020

We planned to travel to the Southern Oregon Coast for Spring Break, intending to include a couple Dune Buggy experiences. As it turned out, having to postpone it until June was a blessing! March is not the best time to bug out to the sand dunes on the coast of Oregon. Even in June, wear a jacket. While it reached 93 degrees on the drive down, June 23, 2020 (and was similarly hot all week in Metro Portland), temperatures at the coast were in the high 60s and breezy, especially in an open vehicle (dune buggy) right off the ocean. And the sand is softer in June than in March.
Here are a couple more great (5 min) videos done by John Williams and the USFS, Accessible Adventures about the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, this area of the coast, and Siuslaw National Forest:

Our itinerary as planned (4 days, 3 nights):

Drive to Florence, OR from Portland metro, south on I-5 to Eugene (about 2 hours), then an hour east to Florence via OR-126 West. Check out the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum see https://www.siuslawpioneermuseum.com/ and https://www.oregon.com/attractions/siuslaw-pioneer-museum and and the Siuslaw Interpretive Center (view, picnic, ADA path). Stay at the Best Western Pier Point Inn.
Dune Buggy Tours: Sandland Adventures, 5 minutes or less south of Florence and Spinreel Dune Buggy and ATV Rental, near North Bend.
Check out an accessible fishing pier in North Bend, drive the Cape Arago Beach Loop to Sunset Bay, Shore Acres, and Cape Arago state parks. Stay at Red Lion Hotel in Coos Bay.
Drive to Port Orford to check out accessible fishing, and stop on the way to or fro at Cape Blanco State Park and Hughs House there.
Drive back up and stay in Bandon to renew our explorations there. Stay again at Sunset Oceanfront Lodging (where we have stayed before; we’ve also stayed at the Best Western Inn at Face Rock, not far from Oceanfront, on Beach Loop Drive).
Check out accessible fishing in Winchester, near Reedsport, and travel home via OR-38 to Eugene, then north on I-5.

Travel in these troubled times of COVID-19 Concerns has been uncertain, to say the least: postponements, events cancelled, extra precautions in place . . . if you are interested in trip insurance, here is an article: https://www.consumersadvocate.org/travel-insuranc

As it happened
(still 4 days, 3 nights):
Day 1: We traveled to Florence, but we got a late start, the visitor center was closed due to COVID-19, and the museum closed before we could find where it was and get there (closed 4pm). Ordinarily a restaurant inside the Best Western Pier Point Inn looks intriguing, but it was closed due to COVID. We drove back over the historic Siuslaw River bridge to find eats in Old Town Florence. Bay Street along the Siuslaw River has plenty of quaint shops and restaurants. Siuslaw Interpretive Center is an urban renewal project that created little parks and paths by the river in Old Town. Continue your stroll to a nice walkable boardwalk along the dock. We had no problem staying 6’ apart, as it was not crowded in town when we were there.
     At Restobar we took out a multicultural meal to travel: an Americano Burger, a Greek personal pizza, and clam chowder Florentine to eat at the park across the street with a great view of the bridge. Best to call ahead. They were busy. Friendly greetings between locals perhaps implies the popularity of the place. Burger and salad or fries was $12, personal pizza $13 (enough for 2), cup of chowder $5, and I think the lemonades were $2.50 refillable. We both loved the Florentine chowder, the burger was good and hearty, and the pizza was still tasty for breakfast.
     The Best Western Pier Point Inn was pleasant, had a great view of the bridge and river, and a balcony. The pool was open by reservation to limit numbers, but the spa was closed. Although the pool had handicapped access, it was downstairs, and there was no elevator! The hotel entrance has lovely stairs, take the ramp to the left to wheel into the lobby. Our room was roomy enough to accommodate my wheelchair comfortably. The bed was about 28.5” high, had 4 cushy pillows, and I thought a comfortable mattress. The toilet was 15.5” high, toilet front to opposing wall abt. 27”, the tub side 15” high, (a tub is my preference). If you are height challenged, remember to have a helper put the handheld shower and towels within reach, put a little shampoo and body wash from the dispensers in cups. The bathroom door and space was comfortably maneuverable for my 24” wide chair (narrowest width of doorjamb 33.5”). In my experience, Best Western always has a great breakfast bar, but COVID pared that down to a breakfast bag. Other amenities, like phone book, pen and pad, and such were also limited. The remote was in a breathable bag marked fresh. More amenities and info about the area https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-florence/best-western-pier-point-inn/propertyCode.38098.html
     If you want to walk right from your hotel into Old Town, River House Inn might suit.
     Beside the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum and the Siuslaw Interpretive Center, Ocean Dunes is one of 3 golf courses to do, Oregon Coast Military Museum for military history buffs, Sand Master Park offers Sandboarding, Three Rivers Casino and Resort caters to a certain set. A municipal airport can give you a landing. You could spend some days exploring these as well as county parks, or take an excursion to

Darlingtonia State Natural Site has carnivorous plants (5 miles north}, see https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=81
The Sea Lion Caves (10 mi north) http://www.sealioncaves.com/ are not accessible.
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint (12 mi north) https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=86
Heceta Head Lighthouse (12 mi north) “This working lighthouse is TripAdvisor's top-rated B&B in Yachats!” https://www.hecetalighthouse.com/

Day 2: After an 11am checkout at the hotel, we were over an hour early for our first Dune Buggy tour at Sandland Adventures. But they have miniature golf and go-karts (and normally bumper boats & a little train ride, which were closed for COVID). I could wheel up to the castle at the start of the 18 hole mini golf course, and have a good view of my travel helper at golf and then go-karts. After those it was time to load up on the giant Dune Buggy.
We loaded last and in front. I was able to crawl up the 4 steps, and then my helper had to hoist me onto the seat with my belt loop after such a work-out. I wore my valuables in a fanny pack, and we should have worn light jackets or wind breakers. The driver gave us an informative tour with 2-3 photo ops, and some excitement, especially for me sitting in front. He kept mentioning wildlife sometimes seen, but we only saw the birds and the bees. An hour ride for the two of us was $37.
     I was worried about getting down to Spinreel in time for our 2nd dune buggy tour, but with the social distancing and other COVID precautions, we had a considerable wait. Spinreel Dune Buggy and ATV Rental does have snacks for sale, outside seating, and picnic tables. When you reserve, there’s a parental release form to fill out for minors. They want you there a half hour ahead of your tour for considerable paperwork.
This time we were in a Dune Buggy for 4—just my helper and I and the driver. I was glad enough to sit in back. We were each given a helmet and the option of goggles. It was difficult to board the buggy through the narrow door, but my helper helped me manage. We went fast, but I think the driver maybe toned it down some after my helper had mentioned that I tend to freak out a little in certain driving situations (since my life was so dramatically changed in an auto accident 30+ years ago). For more info and maps about this area, see http://www.duneguide.com/sand_dune_guide_oregon_coos_bay.htm
Both experiences were fun, and I’m glad I got to give dune buggies a try, though I don’t feel the compulsion to do it again.
      By this time we were both tired, so we got burgers and headed for our hotel. We found an eatery we could agree to try for supper: Shake N Burger, Coos Bay. Not a national chain, somewhat unprepossessing, but great burgers and shakes. I had a South of the Border, and it was flavorful and filling, though my taste buds wanted to keep savoring the flavors.
     We stayed at the Red Lion Hotel Coos Bay. There’s ample parking, and an outdoor pool (closed for COVID, and maybe because it’s not quite warm enough in the upper 60s). They offer complimentary bike rental, which I would have loved to ride down to the boardwalk (if I could), and to the Museum if it was open. See brochure https://www.oregonsadventurecoast.com/img/walking-map-cbnb.pdf
     The room was clean, though on first entering there was a little musty smell, perhaps from being shut up for some months due to COVID and the off season. I thought the décor pleasant enough, even if my helper thought it a little dated. I guess I’m dated, too. We were on the ground floor right in front of handicapped parking, just a couple doors down from the laundry room (the ice machine there was out of order, but one down the way was fine). The closet had a lowered bar/shelf, the towels were on lowered shelves. The sliding closet doors were beautifully wide full-length mirrors. The sink had close to 5’ of counter space. The bath and toilet room was quite spacious. The bath doorjamb was 27.5” at narrowest, the toilet 18” high, 31” toilet front to tub, 13.5” tub side. The shower faucet was difficult to work. I managed with a little difficulty to get the handheld shower down for myself before getting in the tub. I could suggest having a fold down ironing board so that a disabled person could use it. Atop the bed were 3 reasonable pillows, the bed 26” high was ok, but in the morn there was a definite dip in it. We would have been more comfortable if we could have got the room temp a degree or two cooler and with a little air movement. We both like to sleep cool and with air flow.
     Once again, breakfast was a grab bag. Check-out noon.

Day 3: The Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conde_McCullough_Memorial_Bridge ) across Coos Bay at the north entrance of North Bend is so magnificent, I had to drive back up to the David Dewitt Veterans Memorial to get a good photo of it. From there we traveled south again and stopped at the Bay Area travel info center, hoping to get a map. They had a nice one of the area (North Bend, Coos Bay, Charleston, and the state parks on Cape Arago highway). There’s a lot more to North Bend and Coos Bay than you would ever realize as you drive Hwy 101 and quickly pass through their eastern edges. Just behind the information center is an interesting train car in a glass structure (someone was rude enough to break a pane), a restroom that was open, and a playground in Simpson Park to let the kids stretch their legs and run or climb off some energy.
    With the help of the map we headed for Empire Ramp and Pier, North Bend, to check out the accessible fishing pier and rest room. Travel west on Newmark street for a pretty much straight shot. On the way we bought our lunch at Subway, 2 footlongs for $10 special. We love Subway. We had some drinks, homemade cookies & Rice Krispie Treats, and other snacks, so it was the least expensive meal of the trip. The accessible fishing pier at Empire is great. There are a few picnic tables, a fish cleaning station, an accessible restroom (see photo). It was windy, but most of the fishing piers we checked out on our trip were windy.
     Empire Boulevard becomes the Cape Arago Highway you travel to get to Charleston and beyond. It’s a great drive: beautiful, and well-worth the detour off Hwy 101. Learn more about Charleston at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_Oregon and https://visittheoregoncoast.com/cities/charleston/ . Another time I would like to check out the Charleston Marine Life Center   http://www.charlestonmarinelifecenter.com/ .
     Sunset Bay State Park has a great beach, picnic tables and grills, boat launch, volleyball, horseshoes, basketball (1 standard). Their website says they not only have accessible restrooms, but showers as well (showers closed for COVID). More info: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=70
     Before you get to Shore Acres, there’s a Lighthouse Lookout for Cape Arago Lighthouse, which is not at Cape Arago State Park. It’s out there, way out there, to the north, dimly seen in the fog when we went. At Shore Acres State Park I picked up a great pamphlet from Oregon Parks and Rec called “Oregon Coast Lighthouses”. It has a great map of the Oregon coast, showing the lighthouses and state parks. They’ve included a picture and paragraph about each lighthouse. Makes you want to make a lighthouse tour. Of course, you can’t climb any towers in a wheelchair, but it’s fun to see them. See also https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/cape-arago-lighthouse/#.XvhjgGhKiM8
     Next was Shore Acres State Park, and the formal gardens. Most of the Oregon State Parks that I am interested in visiting charge a $5/day parking fee ($30/year). So we didn’t park at all of the parks, especially because I had so many I wanted to see all in one trip, there was hardly time to get out and look around. But I wanted to see the formal gardens at Shore Acres, once belonging to a private estate, so I paid the $5 to park and wander.
We were delighted to see 4 deer in the field central to the park, which some parent allowed his/her child to chase, but eventually 3 deer returned. While we appreciated the presence of deer, the deer fences and gates to keep them out of the formal gardens are vital. It’s an impressive garden for us ordinary folks, though needing some TLC. There are 3 main parts: the formal, the Japanese, and the rose garden. The shrubs are labeled. A multitude of varieties please the eye, but with a lot of rhododendrons, I would imagine the month of May might be marvelous. I was too tired to make it to the rose garden, so it may have been remarkable in June.
The “Shore Acres State Park” pamphlet there has a pretty nice map of the Cape Arago Highway (Hwy 540). Weather protected pamphlets map out the garden and the rose species. You can help support the care of the garden through the Friends of Shore Acres (a pamphlet explains that too). In winter they put up holiday lights, and there’s an observation shelter to watch for whales December through June. You can arrange to have a private event at Shore Acres, as well. See also https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=68
     Just before the end of the line (Cape Arago State Park) is a Marine Mammal Viewpoint at Simpson Reef. It’s a pretty thrilling view that my eyes and mind could capture better than my little phone camera: sea lions hanging out at the beach of one of the rocky outcrops beyond the shore. It would have been a good time to have my binoculars with me.
     Finally we reached Cape Arago State Park. I guess you can hike down to tremendous tidepools, if you can hike. There are picnic tables and group picnic shelters, fishing for able-bodied persons. The restrooms (or at least one) were closed due to a major septic renovation that budget cuts have left for the hoped-for future recovery. There’s not a lot that a person in a wheelchair can do but enjoy a picnic in a sort of natural setting. Still, if you’ve come so far, you should at least come and see it to the end.
     From there we pushed on to Bandon via the Seven Devils Road (access at Charleston). It snakes through the forested hills (including clear cuts) for what seems like more miles than it is. Google says it’s 22 miles and only 28 minutes. Maybe because we were tired, that was a long 28 minutes. But, we made it to our hotel: Sunset Oceanfront Lodging. We had eaten at Lord Bennett’s next door on a previous visit, and I wanted to try another restaurant, and decided on Edgewaters, down in Bandon. They couldn’t seat us for some time, which gave us a chance to breathe, and then decided to check out the accessible fishing pier in Old Town Bandon. It was again rather cool and breezy, rather late in the day, amidst the COVID, so there weren’t a lot of people around: a great photo op, and maybe the best time to get a spot to throw out your crab pots. Some crabbers were there and successful. The restrooms were open, and accessible. It’s fascinating to watch the seagulls hover in mid-air, just from the sea breezes.
     Edgewaters had a nice view of the Coquille Lighthouse, and was right on the water. The deck is enclosed and furnished with flaming heaters, but down a step from the main restaurant. Warm bread and butter along with our drinks kept us until dinner came. The steak was tender and done right, its accompanying salad was large and much more a delight for the eyes and palate than your average dinner salad, with jicama and carrot strings and other interesting things. The mashed potatoes were smooth and flavorful, and the roasted vegetables were summer squashes with onions. The Cobb Salad was enormous and I took half of it back to our room for the next day. The cheesecake was good, as well. With tip, but no alcoholic beverages, it costed me $100 for the meal.
     Our roomy room at Sunset Oceanfront Lodging was part of the cliff addition. It was a spectacular view with a 4’ balcony the width of the room (plastic chairs you could sit on the balcony). The room was a very pleasant bright décor with a table & 4 chairs and a recliner with reading light. It had big drawers, a bigger than ordinary garbage can, good size frig with a freezing compartment that froze water for me, small MW, and the usual amenities. I liked having flooring other than carpet. A heater and extra blankie offered warmth if we had needed it, but I guess the AC was ocean breezes. Maybe they don’t have bugs that fly in, but there were no screens on the window or sliding door. The nearest ice was below stairs. The beds (2 queens, as usual) were 24” high. The bathroom was nice and roomy with a pocket door (so much easier to manage than a door that swings). The bottom of the mirror above the sink was about 45” high, so I could have used a little lower reflection. The towels were mostly within reach. The toilet was 18” high, but you had to reach 26” to flush it (backwards flush handle). The shower was a roomy 57” x 32” if the helper needs to get in with the disabled person. But if you try to shower on your own, you have to have someone put the handheld shower where you can reach it, and reach past the curtain to turn on the water for you once you are seated (and off when you are done). You might bring a shower chair, because the little shower bench was only 18” x 11” (up against the walls), and 13” from the edge (there’s a barrier about 5” high and 3” or so wide to keep the water in, and the wheelchair out). It was a little scary transferring to and fro, and trying to hang on to the bars while washing. Even though there was a non-slip mat for the shower, I put a towel down as an added safety precaution (and of course I must use a folded towel to sit on).
     The Hotel has a pool and spa, but they were closed for COVID, and of course it was just breakfast in a bag again.

Previous stays:

Lord Bennetts restaurant, next to Sunset Oceanfront Lodging on Beach Loop Dr—call ahead, let them know if you are in a wheelchair so they can take you through an easier passage. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and there is an elevator. The staff was very accommodating. The food was excellent, and not low priced.
Best Western Inn at Face Rock, Beach Loop Dr—the rooms are barely maneuverable with a wheelchair. If a wheelchair is involved, you will definitely need an ADA room. No view of the ocean. Wonderful handicapped accessible pool. Great breakfast bar. https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-bandon/best-western-inn-at-face-rock/propertyCode.38139.html
Best Beach House in Bandon, is a rental where a group of us stayed right by Devils Kitchen State Park. Spacious and gracious. When we stayed there were some wheelchair accessibility issues, which I noted to the owner, so they may have made some modifications. https://www.facebook.com/Best-Beach-House-in-Bandon-1442396252715288/
Bandon Farmer’s Market—quite a remarkable variety of vendors for such a small town. Some travel quite a distance to be there. Food, produce, arts & crafts. See https://thebandonguide.com/bandon-farmers-market/

Day 4: Very near our hotel were 3 astounding public views of the ocean, with some limited paved trails. See photos and links below:

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Islands_National_Wildlife_Refuge
Face Rock Wayside/State Scenic Viewpoint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_Rock_State_Scenic_Viewpoin and https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=47
Devils Kitchen Oregon State Parks Vista Point https://pages.uoregon.edu/mlclark/101/devils-kitchen.html

     We’ll get back to Bandon, after a quick trip to Port Orford, below.

     On the way down Hwy 101 to Port Orford I hoped to at least get a glimpse of Cape Blanco Light house and Hughes House in Cape Blanco State Park. But you couldn’t even get close before the road was blocked. Very disappointing. Closed for shortfalls in revenue. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=44

Port Orford is only a half hour (27 mi) south of Bandon, down Hwy 101. It’s a small town. https://www.portorford.org/ says “Welcome to Port Orford... the oldest town on the Oregon Coast and the most westerly in the 48 states. We are a working fishing port, with an active - and talented - art community, and a great place for visitors who want to enjoy spectacular natural beauty without the crowds.“ As you drive from the north, when the highway bends east through town, go straight up the street that invites you to the ocean for some spectacular views. Make your way back down to the highway (you won’t get lost) and follow it east to the Battle Rock Historic Wayside for more spectacular views, viewing benches, an interesting art garden, signs of history, and the visitor center (which unfortunately was closed due to COVID).
     Google guided us to the Port of Port Orford, as the signage was not over-obvious. From Battle Rock Wayside Park, get back on Hwy 101 going west to Harbor Dr and follow it as it turns into Dock Road. You will come to the Port of Port Orford. There are some visitor parking spots, but due to COVID they are calling the Port closed to visitors. It is really a working fishing port. It’s not obvious where they intend the “accessible fishing pier” to be, but apparently at the end of the dock. There is a restroom labeled handicapped on the dock, and an eatery. The two visiting fishermen I spoke to both said it’s always windy there, and suggested I go somewhere else. I was intrigued with Crazy Norwegian’s Fish & Chips (and burgers & other fast food), but we didn’t try it. The photos and posts they have on their FB site are interesting and sometimes quite unusual. https://www.facebook.com/The-Crazy-Norwegians-Fish-Chips-139674942743895/
     See also info about Port Orford Heads State Park (only vault toilet and exhibit info indicated as accessible) https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=43
At the Tseriadun State Recreation site (called by locals Agate Beach) only the flush toilet is said to be accessible. Garrison Lake is right next to the ocean beach there. See https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=200 A third state park for Port Orford is Paradise Point State Recreation Site, just northwest of oddly shaped Garrison Lake—nothing noted as accessible, “A parking area with an expansive coastal vista stretching from Port Orford Heads to Orfords offshore reef and distant Cape Blanco and the lighthouse there. The beach is great for beachcombing; it's not unusual to find floats and agates here.” https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=42
     Cape Blanco State Airport is at Sixes, OR (a little north of Port Orford), a “Domestic airport”. Floras Lake State Natural Area is beyond that, accessible by foot on a 1.5 mile trail, or by car from Floras Lake Road, off Hwy 101. Boice-Cope County Park is at the northeast corner of the lake. More info at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floras_Lake

South of Port Orford are:
--Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve--this site has more info about things to do and see around Port Orford, as well as info about experiencing the reserve on the water and below the surface: https://www.redfishrocks.org/visitor-resources/experience-the-reserve/
--Humbug Mountain State Park “Coastline park offering equipped sites to campers, including hikers, windsurfers & scuba divers, good for kids . . . wheelchair accessible entrance.” The state site says there’s accessible camping, picnicking, restroom and shower. Check the site for what’s currently open. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=40

We headed back up to Bandon, and got some photos in Bullards Beach State Park just north of town. It’s a great place. Ordinarily there’s accessible camping, yurts, picnic tables, viewing, restroooms and showers. It has reservable facilities and a dump station. For able bodied folk there’s hiking, an amphitheater, biking, boat launch, fishing, horse trails, beach, and it’s open year round. See their site to see what is open at present: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=50 At the end of the road is the Coquille Lighthouse, closed for COVID. It’s a small one, but they all look small from far away.

More around Bandon:

Bandon Beach Riding Stables on Beach Loop Drive, not accessible for those confined to wheelchairs https://tourism.bandon.com/list/member/bandon-beach-riding-stables-bandon-59
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, https://www.bandondunesgolf.com/ north of town
Bandon Crossings Golf, just north of Bandon https://www.bandoncrossings.com/ south of town
West Coast Safari, south of Bandon https://www.westcoastgameparksafari.com/

     As we made our way north on Hwy 101 toward home, we stopped to try to see something at Winchester Bay Viewing Point, and couldn’t make out much except some rock jetties. But the stonework at the viewing point is appealing.
     Then there was the little detour to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, which was open, even the museum. I hope we can go there again and spend some quality time. See https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=83
     Just keep going north on the Lighthouse Road until it meets into Salmon Harbor Drive, which takes you into Winchester Bay. There’s one more accessible fishing pier at Winchester Point: the sign says Windy Cove County Park, Crab Dock. There’s a small parking fee, vault toilets labeled accessible, and yes, a long pier you can wheel onto. A park you can picnic is right next, with picnic tables and grill.
   Continuing east on Salmon Harbor Drive you’ll pass some Douglas County campgrounds, including restrooms and playgrounds and such facilities. See

A left turn onto Beach Blvd takes you into the little town of Winchester Bay with eateries and other tourist grabbers, and marinas with boat wash, and eventually the Coast Guard station at the end of the road.
Salmon Harbor Drive meets up with Hwy 101, which soon comes into Reedsport. I mentioned Reedsport at the end of our Whale Watching trip https://www.travelpacificnw.com/accessible-travel-blog/whale-watching-at-depoe-bay . We didn’t explore much of Reedsport, as we were worn out and anxious to get home. But the Umpqua Discovery Center sounds interesting, and the annual chainsaw carving championships https://www.oregonccc.com/ .
Of course, we stopped at the well-appointed Dean Creek Wildlife Area (with nice accessible flushing restrooms, as well as benches, and info) to see the elk, but they are not always amenable to viewing. See

Once again we drove home via Hwy 38 along the Umpqua River to Eugene, this time stopping to eat a late lunch at Monroe Park (a nice family-looking park with playground, picnic tables, quiet street parking, etc.), and at last north on I-5 til we reached the suburbs of Portland.
We covered a lot of landscape, and we were exhausted. But our interest was whetted, and when we return to the Southern Oregon Coast we’ll know where we want to spend more--and more relaxed--vacation time.