Florence On the Oregon Coast

An old high school and 4-H pal who now lives near Portland with her husband and daughter, suggested that we stop in Florence when we hit the coast. Having been to the Italian Florence several times in my life, I had lots of visuals in my head before we arrived. More aligned with Rockport Mass or Portland Maine, Florence sits along a harbor with a string of trendy clothing and gift stores, ice cream and fudge shops and restaurants in the small town center.

Not far from Florence is Bandon, which has an old town full of small hub cafes, gift shops and taverns. The beautiful Beach Loop Drive has towering seastacks, coastal rock pillars which have resisted the surrounding erosion and monoliths that host large numbers of seabirds. We spent a few hours at the Bandon Boatworks, which overlooked the Lighthouse and drank wine while devouring shellfish and salad.