Port Orford, OR (3/28/2020) & Bandon, OR (3/31/2020)

Well, it had to happen.  I have been seriously affected by the response to the coronavirus threat.  Not the virus itself, I'm happy to report, but the response to it.  For a while, I had a surreal feeling of living outside everything that was going on, just an observer of the drama being played out on the world stage.  Self isolated in my RV I felt safe, and RV parks were still open when most everything else was closed.  I was free to move about, though somewhat limited in places I could visit.  Then I was smacked in the face by reality, just like everyone else.

While in Klamath, I made a reservation for my next stop in Gold Beach, OR.  The day before moving, the park manager called and cancelled my reservation, explaining they had been closed by the city.  A call to the next park up the coast almost scored a site, but that park got notice of closure  while I was on the phone.  A call to Port Orford was successful, a park still operating as normal.  The next day, however, the manager called with news they were being closed that afternoon, so I should get there before 5pm.  Once there, I considered the possibility of having no place to go next and decided to pay for a month and hope the situation improves.  I'll make it work by driving the LRJ on long day trips.

As an added annoyance, there was almost constant rain for five days, and the forecast was for more of the same.  I stayed inside for the most part, but finally had to get out to avoid cabin fever.  Many of the photos were taken during rain, so be kind with your critique.

Port Orford calls itself an "artistic fishing village", but I think that description is a little generous.  Clearly it is a fishing village, with a harbor full of boats, but I've seen little art around other than what Mother Nature put here.  Fewer than 1200 people live here, and four of the top five "things to do" are state parks...all are closed until further notice.  But there is the rocky coast.

 
One striking feature of the area is a shrub with bright golden-yellow blooms growing all over the place.  I was told it is gorse, an invasive species brought here from Europe in the late 1800s.  I learned it spreads rapidly, is almost impossible to eradicate, has tough woody trunks and its branches are loaded with sharp spines.  In Europe, it is used for hedge, and seems perfect for the job.  It is also highly flammable, as the nearby town of Bandon learned in 1936.  Once the gorse started burning, the entire town was destroyed.  As you will see in the photos of Bandon, it could happen again.

Officially known as Bandon By The Sea, this village of just over 3000 seems much more artistic than Port Orford.  In addition to conventional art, a group of volunteers has undertaken the effort to clean the beaches and create art from the debris collected, some of which has traveled all the way from Asia.  Several large statues are located around town representing some of the special attractions endemic to the area.  These include the tufted puffin, which sometimes nests in the off-shore rocks, the chinook salmon that spawn in the Coquille River, and sea turtles that nest along local beaches.  Smaller art pieces are sold in gift shops and galleries, but these are all closed at the moment.

Bandon has named many of its rock formations, such as Face Rock and Table Rock (where tufted puffins nest and I hope to see some before leaving)..

You'll  notice the rain stopped and the sun came out, making a more enjoyable afternoon.

Bandon also has a lighthouse, known as the Coquille River lighthouse.  I could not get close to it, as it is a closed state park, but I have toured it in the past.

 
The historic section of town is quaint and would be fun if shops were open.  As it was, two small restaurants were open for take-out only.  Still, I was thankful to have a good lunch.

On my way back to Port Orford, I drove some back roads and passed a few of the many cranberry bogs the area is known for.  Of course, the plants are just getting started for the season.  You can see the irrigation heads used to flood the bog at harvest time.