CENTRAL OREGON COAST 67 VISITTHEOREGONCOAST.COM clamming, boating, kiteboarding and surfing, Florence has quite the shopping and restaurant scene. Take in the allure of the charming Historic Old Town on the Siuslaw River waterfront, and fuel up at a cozy coffeehouse while cruising for antiques and local art. If you’re looking to find art, antiques and knickknacks, head to the Wind Drift Gallery and Ärtêfacts. The Jolly Egret has a great collection of gifts, and P.S. Winkles is a great stop for home goods, while readers will appreciate the selection at Books ’n’ Bears. After you’ve gotten your fill of retail therapy, refuel at Homegrown Public House, Nosh Eatery or 1285 Restobar. For dinner consider sampling what Florence chefs have been cooking up at Bridgewater Fish House and Zebra Bar or Waterfront Depot Restaurant. Three Rivers Casino Resort, the beachfront Driftwood Shores Resort, and a number of lodgings on or near the Siuslaw River in Old Town offer a range of overnight choices. To get a feel for Florence history, start your tour at the fascinating Siuslaw Pioneer Museum in Old Town, which houses artifacts and photos capturing the area’s Native history and colorful fishing and logging legacy. It’s also your starting point for a self-guided walking tour past historic buildings and sites throughout Old Town. On your tour, stop at the Siuslaw River Bridge (a gem on the National Register of Historic Places) Interpretive Center, a network of walkways along the river with educational signage telling of Florence’s remarkable past. At the east end of the walkable historic district is the Port of Siuslaw, a boardwalk, docks with fishing boats and sailboats, and a seasonal Boardwalk Market. Just north of town, Darlingtonia State Natural Site is dedicated to the rare and carnivorous cobra lily. An elevated boardwalk lifts you above the bog and through this forested slip of a park. A popular roadside attraction for generations is the Sea Lion Caves, about 10 miles (16 km) north FROM TOP: TURELL GROUP / EUGENE, CASCADES & COAST; JACOB PACE / EUGENE, CASCADES & COAST Sand Dunes Frontier Old Town Florence
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