joan

Sounds like a great detour. Thank you.
Anyone ever taken a dune tour in Oregon? My neighbor highly recommends...
Also, for beach and tidepool exploration, do you wear those rubber water shoes (which we already have) or as someone suggested to me, "too cold! you need rubber boots to get over those rocks!"
Are there paths, generally, down to the sand? Dying to see that hidden waterfall Hug Point beach walk.
Any good vacation rentals you may know of in Sonoma or Trinidad?

tomfuller

Hug Point Oregon is on the northern Oregon coast (Clatsop County). You probably don't want to go that far north. As for the Oregon Dunes, there are several parking lots along US 101 with trails up and over the dunes to get to the beach. If you are looking for lodging close to the dunes, try for a yurt at William Tugman State Park. I have stayed there and I have stayed in a yurt at Sunset Beach outside Coos Bay.
I never felt the need to take a dune buggy ride on the dunes. I have found a few geocaches on and around the dunes in the areas where dune buggies are not allowed.
Good sturdy hiking boots are better for traversing sand dunes instead of water shoes which will get sand inside and require frequent removal to keep your feet comfortable.
If you do go through Reedsport Oregon, be sure to take OR Rt. 38 east about 5 miles to see the Dean's Creek Elk Viewing area. Several times I have seen 20 or more Roosevelt elk there at one time.

sunbum1944

I have done the dune buggy rides several times. Very fun I think. There are a couple of choices - you can go on a large dune buggy that holds many people or a small one that is just 3 or 4 people besides the driver. I went to Sandland Adventures just south of Florence.
The water might be too cold for those water shoes. I have a pair of rubber shoes - like you might wear in the garden- that I use. I don't wade into the tide pools so there is a lot you can see from the rocks.
My favorite beach is Heceta Head also known as Devils Elbow State Park. It is a bit north of Florence. It is a nice little cove with a trail up to the lighthouse and the lighthouse keepers house and great views. There are a few picnic tables to eat your lunch. There is a $5 parking fee.
If you want to climb the dunes, Honeyman State Park is a good place to do that.
In Trinidad we stayed at the Trinidad Inn. Was nice, clean good staff- that was several years ago so things could have changed but we liked it.
There is a publication Mile by Mile Guide to Oregon Coast you might find useful- There is an online version.
Enjoy

joan

Tom fuller, we do have reservations in Cannon Beach, just 5 miles from Hug Point. So still planning on that. And we will be going from Cannon to Bandon Beach, a 5 hour drive, but if we feel up to it, those elk would be great to see.
Point taken on shoes.
Looking into dune buggy excursion.

More research on sunbum's suggestions coming up!

Sonoma anyone? Dream idea: staying in a scenic stop and being taken on a day tour of wineries....with picnic of course. Not wine connoisseurs at all, but do enjoy tastings and the beautiful vineyards.

sunbum1944

In Bandon I have stayed at Sunset Inn. Across the street from the ocean and easy access to beaches.
You mentioned kayaking. South of Florence you can kayak the Siltcoos River trail- its a nice quiet little river and you can paddle through the dunes down to the ocean. We didn't make it that far as we ran out of time. You have to portage the kayaks over a dam at one point but other than that, its a nice paddle.
I forgot to mention that we chose the small dune buggy when we went dune riding rather than the large one.
Another favorite stop is the Klamath River Overlook which is south of Crescent City. This is where Klamath flows into the ocean and frequent site for whales to come and feed. Great views. There is a trail you can take that goes for miles- we did it as a one way hike and had someone pick us up at the end but you could just do part of it and return your steps.

MichelleY

Look at Healdsburg or Geyserville. Both off of 101. Dry Creek Valley for wine tasting is wonderful.

janisj

Agree -- as I mentioned above a couple of times, Healdsburg (or Geyserville) would be a great place to stay -- the only issue is finding a property in one's budget

MichelleY

Also check the town of Windsor for lodging for chain motels. We go to the Dry Creek Vineyard each summer for a wine club event. Wonderful wines and this year is their 50 th anniversary. We stay at Air bnb or at the Best Western in Healdsburg. We have also stayed at the Healdsburg Hotel years ago for a special occasion. It was wonderful but $$$$ In Geyserville, we like to go to brunch at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Nice restaurant, pool facilities, museum.

DaveS

Instead of the Dune Buggy ride my wife and me rented ATV’s for the Dunes south of Florence and had a blast. I own an ATV so comfortable, but wife never rides. Took her about 15 minutes and she was flying around. Had to sign up for an Oregon ATV rider card in advance.