When we awoke this morning it was still raining and we had to break camp and hook-up the VW in the rain. It was more like a “heavy mist” than a downpour but it was not a lot of fun getting everything ready to go. Nevertheless, we were on the road by 10:30 AM heading south to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park.
We were hoping the weather would clear-up the further south we went, but off-and-on rain followed us almost all the way to the park. We arrived about 2:00 PM and set-up in a nice campsite in the trees next to a small lake (Lake Marie).
Umpqua Lighthouse State Park is a relatively small, laid-back state park near the mouth of the Umpqua River south of Reedsport in Winchester Bay. We have one of 20 full-hook-up sites in the park. There is no cable TV or WiFi Internet connection so we are not sure when we will be able to post the next few journal entries. This is almost like real camping again.
After we set-up the RV we drove through the area to check it out. In the campground, we found a one-mile trail around Lake Marie that we decided to walk tomorrow morning. The campground also has tent camping sites and a few yurts that offer another camping option. They actually are fairly well-equipped, offering heat, kitchens, microwaves, bathrooms, etc. The Oregon State Park system does a really nice job with their parks and despite the financial challenges I am sure they have, there is a priority on providing recreational opportunities for their constituents and others accessing the parks.
We also went to the Umpqua Lighthouse again which is just down the road. We have been there twice before, but it was worth a return trip. It is a nice little working lighthouse on the grounds of a Coast Guard housing area (nothing fancy but a great location), near the mouth of the Umpqua River above a long stretch of sand dunes south of the breakwater. Driving down the dunes later, we saw several beach camping areas catering to ATV users (think Mad Max). There are really a lot of ATV enthusiasts in Oregon and a lot of sand for them to play in.
Winchester Bay is mostly a boat harbor with numerous seafood markets and restaurants near the water. There are also two large RV parks near the bay that appear to be very busy. Reedsport is a little bigger and a gateway to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
We had dinner again in the RV and early to bed to the distant sound of the Umpqua River fog horn every10 seconds (and it’s not raining)!
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