SOUTHERN OREGON COAST 77 VISITTHEOREGONCOAST.COM villages and hunting grounds. For more information on Coos and Coquille Indian heritage, as well as local history, head to the Coos History Museum. The Oregon Coast Historical Railway Museum is home to a restored 1922 Baldwin steam locomotive, along with other vintage railroad and logging equipment. Choshi Gardens, in Coos Bay’s Mingus Park, honors sister city Choshi, Japan, with pruned specimens and native plants. The outdoor stage hosts Music on the Bay and Shakespeare in the Park every summer. Take a day trip 25 miles (40.2 km) inland to Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area for a hike through old-growth fir and cedar to 100-foot (30.5-m) waterfalls cascading over the cliffs. Cap any day’s exploration with fresh seafood and a pint at 7 Devils Brewing Co. or any of the city’s diverse eateries. BANDON Bandon is known as the “Cranberry Capital of the West Coast,” a distinction celebrated each September with the three-day Cranberry Festival and other events. You’ll find some of those cranberries at Bandon Rain, a cidery known for its cranberry cider. Stop by after a day of shopping, dining or taking in the town’s art and culture or outdoor-recreation offerings. You’ll definitely want to pop into Coastal Mist for artisan chocolates or European-style desserts, as well. At Second Street Gallery, High Tide Art and Bandon Art Gallery, you’ll find Pacific Northwest artists working in a variety of media from ceramics to paint. You’ll also find public art displays, including oneof-a-kind wood sculptures and the annual Port of Bandon Boardwalk Art Show. The boardwalk provides views of the Coquille River Lighthouse, a fully restored, Italianate-style lighthouse built in 1896. At the Bandon Fisheries Warehouse, attend a free workshop with CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DYLAN VAN WEELDEN; JULIA RUTH C.; KIM COOPER FINDLING renowned Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, a unique arts organization that turns plastic found on Pacific beaches into art and brings attention to the marine-debris crisis. Exhibits at the Bandon Historical Society Museum explore local maritime and logging history, cranberry farming and methods, and Coquille Indian baskets and other artifacts. Birders find Bandon to be an excellent spot, with observation areas at Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, where blue heron, bald eagles and dabbling ducks are among the interesting species to be found. A viewing deck at the refuge overlooks the restored 400-acre (162-ha) tidal marsh. Bandon’s beaches are a favorite of beachcombers, rock hunters and shutterbugs alike. Access Beach Loop Drive from Highway 101 south of town to reach numerous access points for Bandon Beach. Face Rock, one of many stunning offshore sea stacks, resembles a face in silhouette and is one of Bandon’s most-photographed sights. It’s also the namesake of Face Rock Creamery, an artisanal cheesemaker. Visitors to the factory can watch cheesemakers at work and nibble samples of Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar and other cheeses. Bandon is a haven for outdoor Tony’s Crab Shack Circles in the Sand labyrinth in Bandon Prehistoric Gardens
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