Heceta Head Lighthouse Hike

The 5th of July in Florence dawned bright, clear (and a bit windy and cool), so Dan and I and our visiting friends decided to take the hike off Highway 101 that leads to the Heceta Head Lighthouse. I can't imagine a more gorgeous or majestic setting for a hike. The ancient trees tower up to the sky, and at every turn along the trail you are treated to vast seascapes and ocean waves crashing along the shore. At times I found it hard to remember that the highway and the world were just over the next hill. Although much of the old growth and beautiful forests in Oregon have been mowed down over the years, I am grateful for those which have been left untouched, and that I am given the opportunity to walk among these most spectacular surroundings. The Heceta Head Lighthouse had been closed for a number of years, and was reopened just prior to our arrival in Florence. Dan and I were the only visitors to the lighthouse the first time we visited; this time there were at least 2 dozen or more visitors. Here are some updated pictures from our hike to the lighthouse this time around.



 

 

Florence, Oregon (July 2013)

On July 2, 2013, we left Cannon Beach, Oregon for Florence, Oregon, a relatively short drive south around ~175 miles. This wasn't our first visit to the area, and this isn't the first time I've written about Florence on my blog. We like this part of the Oregon coast and make it a point to stop here whenever we are traveling in this part of the country. But this time we were lucky enough to have visitors during our stay, two couples we know from the Sacramento and El Dorado Hills areas of California. Our friends came and stayed over the 4th of July long weekend and we had a great time hiking, touring Old Town Florence, watching the fireworks over the Siuslaw River on the night of the 4th, and sharing all around good times. The few days they were here just flew by, but we were able to pack a lot of activity into those days and create long lasting memories.

 

Visit From a Friend

In August, Jim Esarte, a good friend of ours from Sacramento, flew to Michigan to spend a couple of weeks visiting with us. Jim had never been to this part of the country, and since we were here, it gave him a good reason to make the trip. We tried to cram as much activity as possible into those two weeks! We played a lot of golf and made several day trips to nearby towns and tourist destinations. We also attended one of the Elk Viewing Rides & Gourmet Dinners, as well, so Jim could get a feel for Thunder Bay Resort. When Dan and I had work obligations, Jim struck out on his own and explored surrounding areas.

One of our visits took us to Traverse City, "The Cherry Capitol of the World", and the second most popular tourist destination in the state behind Mackinaw City. After spending a couple of hours shopping in the quaint downtown area, we drove on to Petoskey to the Odawa Casino for dinner and a little gambling. On another day we drove to Mackinaw City and took the ferry to Mackinac Island where we spent the afternoon walking across the small Island, exploring and looking for the perfect fudge shop.

Another outing took us to Sault Ste Marie in Michigan, where we stopped by the Soo Locks, then crossed the international bridge into Sault Ste Marie in Ontario, Canada for a quick tour. The Soo Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes and pass an average of 10,000 ships per year in spite of the locks' being closed during the winter (January through March) when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes.

The three of us played several rounds of golf here at Thunder Bay, and Dan and Jim went to two other golf courses in the area as well.

We very much enjoyed Jim's visit and are very happy that he took the time to come all the way across the country to spend time with us this summer.