North Bend - Coos Bay Oregon: 4/21 through 5/21/14

We were able to spend a month in the beautiful home town of Kelly, Tammy and Devon Northcutt.

North Bend / Coos Bay

North Bend is on the Southern Oregon coast, southwest of Eugene, OR, and west of Roseburg OR.

North Bend / Coos Bay Map

The cities of North Bend and Coos Bay basically join each other and are somewhat indistinguishable save for the signs which announce the city limits as you drive.

North Bend shows a population of approximately 10,000 as of the 2010 census, and is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean.  The city of Coos Bay borders North Bend to the south.


Due to the moderating effect of the Pacific, there is very little temperature variation throughout the year, with monthly means ranging from 46 F in December to 60 F in August.  Rain is abundant in Winter, and fog forms often due to the temperature gradient between the cold Pacific and the warm inland.  Snow rarely falls in North Bend,  but a short drive to the Coastal Oregon Range of mountains provides opportunities for plenty of snow.

McCullough Bridge

Pedestrian Plaza for the Bridge

One of the first signs you'll see driving into North Bend, heading south on US 101 is the beautiful Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge.  This structure was opened in 1936, crosses Coos Bay, and is one of a series of eleven major bridges on the Oregon coast designed under the supervision of Conde McCullough.

The bridge was designed as a cantilever construction with a height above water of 145 feet of vertical clearance.  A draw bridge, used throughout the Oregon Coast was ruled out due to the high amount of ship traffic which would require US101 to be closed too often.

Oregon Dunes

North Bend is near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.  This is a massive area of impressive sand dunes stretching approximately 40 miles north from the Coos River, and are claimed to be the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America.  Some dunes tower up to 500 feet above sea level.

Lots of recreation opportunities in the Oregon Dunes, but many areas are covered with All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), which while fun, create a little more noise than old folks like me are used to.

The cities of North Bend and Coos Bay are beautiful cities with lots of opportunities for shopping and dining.  Much of the local economy is based on shipping, timber and timber products.  There is a significant Native American population in this area as well.   Here are a few pictures from the North Bend area.

We were fortunate to be able to time our trip to North Bend to coincide with our Grandson Devon's Spring Break.  Devon joined BB, Henri and me for some Angry Birds, Skip Jack, and walks on the beach.  Henri particularly liked to run free along the beach!

BB & Devon - Angry Birds

Henri Flying!

Henri Flying Faster!

One of the things we did with KP, Tammy and Devon, while at Oceanside RV Resort, was to engage in some serious games of Skip Jack.  I have made some previous posts about the addictive game of Texas Skip Jack;  Link HERE and HERE

Skip Jack teaches several things; strategy, working with your partner, sacrificing yourself for the team.  Skip Jack primarily, however, teaches revenge, agression, and do whatever it takes to win!  My Grandson Devon has the makings of an outstanding Skip Jack master.  Devon and Kelly teamed up against Tammy and me for several hard-fought games.  Unfortunately, Devon and Kelly are currently ahead in the "win" count.  However, Tammy and I are anxious for some rematches when we vacation together in Anacortes, Washington during July, 2014.  

Here are some pictures from our Skip Jack games:

Devon and Kelly Win! (I'm pretty sure they cheated). 

On our final game, it got a little late and we decided to resume the game at a later point.  Nobody would trust the other, so we each took pictures of the marbles at the point we stopped so we could resume the match another date.

Wait till Next Time!

While in North Bend, we were able to worship with KP and his family at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.  This was a busy time for Kelly and Tammy as the church was involved in the production of "Two by Two", a musical presentation put on by church and community members.  A great dinner was served before the production and it was well attended by the congregation and by the community.  Tammy helped supervise the dinner, while KP rand the sound board for the production.

KP, Tammy and Devon are member of the Coos Bay Yacht Club, located on TenMile Lake, north of North Bend, near Lakeside, OR.  The Yacht Club hosts numerous education events for youth and adults, and competitive racing is scheduled April through October.  BB, Henri and I joined KP for a "work day" out at the club.  KP and Tammy are both active member of the club and are involved in most all activities.  Tammy helped put on the dinner for the Yacht Club board meeting.  KP is one of the current Directors.  Here are some pictures of this beautiful area:

Working on the Dock

KP Adjusting the Anti Sea Gull Cap

Docks at Coos Bay Yacht Blub

KP and Gordon, supervised by Devon

Many Members keep Trailers at the Club

"Director" Kelly

The Oregon Coast in general has to be one of the most scenic coasts in America.  Beauty awaits you at ever turn of the road, and there are numerous hiking trails which follow the coastline.  Here are some general photos of the Southern Oregon Coast near North Bend:

Cape Arago Lighthouse

Tide Pool Critters

Sunset on the Beach near Oceanside RV Resort

Just before we departed the North Bend area after spending a month in this beautiful area, we attended Easter Sunrise Worship services with Kelly and Tammy.  This annual event is held by Gloria Dei Lutheran at Sunset Beach.  KP was in charge of setting up the sound system, and Tammy brought communion bread.  Kelly arrived out at the beach around 4:00 am, and BB, Henri and I struggled in to help around 5:00 am.  

It was a beautiful service to celebrate our Risen Lord.  The surf was unusually high that morning as well and it added power to an already powerful service.  Here are some pictures from the Easter sunrise service:

Kelly Adjusting the Sound System

Kelly and Tammy at Sunset Beach on Easter Morning

Powerful Waves on Easter Morning

We were sad to leave Kelly, Tammy and Devon and the beautiful southern Oregon coast, but our next trip will be to explore some of central Oregon.  We'll stay between Sisters and Bend Oregon at the Bend-Sisters Garden RV Resort for a month or so.  We'll update you on our sights and activities there soon.  

Stay tuned!