Bandon Trip - September Single w/ Wife

[Lefty_89]

3 hours ago, bcc69 said:

They have a 30 day cancellation/reduction policy, so you might incur some sort of penalty if you reduce the number of nights you're staying at this time.  It's worth a try to call and ask though.

Oops! Nevernmind then - we'll probably just stay there the last night.

 

I remember seeing online that they're reduced the cancellation policy from 30 days to 7 because of COVID. I'm on hold with them now getting Preserve flipped back to the first day, ha!

[spud3]

3 hours ago, Lefty_89 said:

 

Thanks as always, spud!!!

 

Some great stuff here...wife and I are definitely now interested in making a stop at a winery (or two) on the trip down; will be fun to grab a couple of bottles to stock up our room at Bandon! She's art-minded too, so swinging by Newport and/or Florence sounds like a blast. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with things that are geared more towards her (and me) so I am very appreciative!

 

I actually called Reservations yesterday and switched my 11:30am Preserve round over to BD at 9am, but after sleeping on it, I'll probably call them back today and get it reversed haha! Certainly don't want to upset the person at Headquarters...!

 

I was thinking about perhaps staying in town at Bandon or somewhere along the coast after my last round on that Thursday evening; would save us a little bit of money and might not make much sense to stay at the Lodge if I don't have a round planned that next morning. What are your thoughts? Is that something that I can change a week before the trip? Don't want to lose out on my rounds that I already have booked!

There are lots of tasting rooms in Newberg and Dundee right off the main road.  If you're into stopping at a vineyard (and you should), I can recommend Sokol Blosser and especially Stoller as really nice places to hang out and enjoy the views.  Both are just a bit south of Dundee and pretty close to the main road.  Both have world class pinots.

 

As bcc stated above, the resort has a 30 day cancellation limit, so you may not be able to cancel that last night.  Worth a call, though.  If you are able to, one place I like a lot in Florence is the River House Inn.  Rooms overlooking the water and you can walk to Old Town and have a nice final dinner at Bridgewater.

[Lefty_89]

On 8/21/2020 at 11:41 AM, spud3 said:

There are lots of tasting rooms in Newberg and Dundee right off the main road.  If you're into stopping at a vineyard (and you should), I can recommend Sokol Blosser and especially Stoller as really nice places to hang out and enjoy the views.  Both are just a bit south of Dundee and pretty close to the main road.  Both have world class pinots.

 

As bcc stated above, the resort has a 30 day cancellation limit, so you may not be able to cancel that last night.  Worth a call, though.  If you are able to, one place I like a lot in Florence is the River House Inn.  Rooms overlooking the water and you can walk to Old Town and have a nice final dinner at Bridgewater.

Hey spud - we'll be taking the whole day (no real rush) to make the drive from Portland to Coquille next Monday. We'd prefer to take the most scenic route, even if that means increasing the trip by 2 hours.

 

Is there a preferred route along the coast to get down to Coquille? I've heard that the drive from Eugene is very scenic with trees, something we certainly aren't use to in Texas, much less Houston...what are your recommendations? I know that would take us away from the coast, however...

 

Is it a pleasant time to park our rental car and stroll along a couple beaches? If so, which one(s) do you recommend? 

 

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

EDIT: saw your last post mentioned OR 101, 99W and 18

Edited September 7, 2020 by Lefty_89

[puttnforthe8]

Lefty - if you have no timeline the best overall drive to get coast and wine, etc. is to go Portland to Newberg to Carlton (awesome wine town), McMinnville to Lincoln City down the coast to Bandon.  Newberg, Carlton and Micminnville for wine stops and walks and other Oregon goodies.  Then make your stops on the coast - from Lincoln city there are multiple stops from longer hikes to right on the coast.  There are a good dozen so I recommend looking at some that interests you - a walk, a hike, simple, just views, etc. 

 

 

 

 

If you do want more of the foresty/tree route, then yes - to Eugene across to the coast gets you that.  However, there is not a whole lot on that drive and the drive to Eugene is blah.    You could backtrack up when you get to the coast to do more - up to Seal Rock is not that much out of the way.  But you miss out on a lot of the wine and cool towns. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by puttnforthe8

[Lefty_89]

Truly appreciate the maps and info, puttn! You have no idea!

 

My thoughts are going ahead and doing the first route you mentioned through Carolton, the wife and I love wine so that would be a nice stop on the journey. Alas we would miss out on the forest/tree part of the trip, but we can save that for the drive back up to Portland next Friday.

 

Any "must-stops" along the coast? I saw some threads online about "Thor's Well" and have been making note of the places to stop to eat (Luna's Sea Fish House) thanks to spud.

 

It'll be nice to take our time getting down to Coquille - looking forward for a day just to explore and take some great pictures.

[puttnforthe8]

7 minutes ago, Lefty_89 said:

Truly appreciate the maps and info, puttn! You have no idea!

 

My thoughts are going ahead and doing the first route you mentioned through Carolton, the wife and I love wine so that would be a nice stop on the journey. Alas we would miss out on the forest/tree part of the trip, but we can save that for the drive back up to Portland next Friday.

 

Any "must-stops" along the coast? I saw some threads online about "Thor's Well" and have been making note of the places to stop to eat (Luna's Sea Fish House) thanks to spud.

 

It'll be nice to take our time getting down to Coquille - looking forward for a day just to explore and take some great pictures.

 

Carlton has 20+ tasting rooms in 1 sq mile.

 

For the coast:

Ecola State Park
Cannon Beach (Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach)
Cape Kiwanda
Drift Creek Falls Trail
Devil’s Punchbowl
Seal Rock
Thor’s Well & Spouting Horn
Sea Lion Caves
Coos Bay - Clamming if you want.

 

 

[spud3]

+1 on pretty much everything puttn says above.  Devil's Punchbowl and Thor's Well are dramatic and well worth the stop.

 

One of my favorite places to just go and hang out is Ona Beach State park, south of Newport.  Really nice beach and picnic area with a quiet little stream that comes through.

 

And you'll see plenty of trees along the whole way.  That route from PDX through Carlton is a nice transition from big city to suburbs to bucolic farms to forest and then a long drive along the coast with some spectacular views and great seafood.  Take advantage of the pullouts along 101 and you'll get lots of good pics.

 

If you want some really pretty countryside scenery, take 38 east from Reedsport on your way back.  It winds along the Umpqua River through some beautiful valleys and there's a big elk viewing area along the way.  Then catch I-5 for the quicker trip back to PDX.  Alternatively, work your way back up the coast to Newport (more seafood!), then take 34 east to Corvallis, then 99W north for more farm-y, small town-y stuff.

 

We live in a pretty awesome state for wandering.  Enjoy your trip!

[mallrat]

If you go through McMinnville, go by Maysara’s tasting room. It’s not a big name wine but I LOVE them Jamsheed Pinot. It is very thick and syrupy, think almost like a port. They have some good whites also. 

[puttnforthe8]

5 hours ago, mallrat said:

If you go through McMinnville, go by Maysara’s tasting room. It’s not a big name wine but I LOVE them Jamsheed Pinot. It is very thick and syrupy, think almost like a port. They have some good whites also. 

Great call....one of my buddy's must stops when he goes.

Edited September 8, 2020 by puttnforthe8

[Lefty_89]

Great great stuff as always, guys! Much appreciated!! I have a growing list of things to do before Bandon, thanks to y’all.

 

I’m now considering calling Reservations tomorrow to see if they happen to have an AM spot on Sheep open the day that we check out (next Friday). Doubtful since it’s almost a week away, but worst case if I’m dog tired, I’ll have the green fee as credit in the pro shops right?

[Edaw68]

Any rounds canceled inside the window you still pay the greens fee but get a gift card that can be used for merchandise or future golf on return trips. 

[Lefty_89]

Got an 8am round booked the last day we're there at Trails.

 

They had availability open at The Inn (Golf King) we're currently at The Lodge in a Golf Single...aside from the King vs Queen bed, any pros/cons between either? Keep in mind my wife will be with me and is looking for good spots to sit outside and read a book/relax.

[mallrat]

I much prefer the Inn, a little quieter and a different feel. Keep in mind that she can sit on the deck of the Lodge as well. My first choice is always Lily Pond but that’s a shared room. 

[Edaw68]

The room at the Inn will have more space than the single at the lodge. Other than that very little difference. I like the extra space at the Inn when my wife goes with me.

[Lefty_89]

Thanks guys - is the Library Lounge located at The Inn? I've been seeing that it's closed and was curious. If so, might just stick to our room at The Lodge...

[Edaw68]

Yes the library lounge is at the Inn. Probably closed or at least restricted access with Covid.

[mallrat]

Just a heads up but Highway 18 is closed heading to the beach and a portion of 101 is closed. 
 

We are having the worst wildfire season on record and there is an evacuation order for a city on the coast, which to

me is unheard of. Basically if you go through wine country you will have to turn around and head down I-5. I have 2 neighbors who work at wineries/vineyards; 1 is the GM and the other is in charge of the sales team. 1 of those vineyards in Dundee is in the path of a fire that popped up last night and what makes it worse is a lot of the vineyards in the valley are dry farmed or they don’t have irrigation systems in place. 
 

BE SAFE. 

[Lefty_89]

18 minutes ago, mallrat said:

Just a heads up but Highway 18 is closed heading to the beach and a portion of 101 is closed. 
 

We are having the worst wildfire season on record and there is an evacuation order for a city on the coast, which to

me is unheard of. Basically if you go through wine country you will have to turn around and head down I-5. I have 2 neighbors who work at wineries/vineyards; 1 is the GM and the other is in charge of the sales team. 1 of those vineyards in Dundee is in the path of a fire that popped up last night and what makes it worse is a lot of the vineyards in the valley are dry farmed or they don’t have irrigation systems in place. 
 

BE SAFE. 

Devastating to see...certainly going to keep an eye on this closely the next few days and change routes if needed. Hoping y'all get a break in the weather forecast in the next couple of days.

 

Stay safe yourself!

[Lefty_89]

Haven’t heard anything about Bandon closing and, as of now, the main route from Portland to Bandon is still open. I know any cancellations would have to come from the resort; the wife and I are still planning on flying out Sunday, but I saw that the Mayor signed an order banning lawn equipment today - how is this handled at the resort with maintenance etc.? 
 

Safety is first priority - just curious and hoping someone could shed some insight.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Lefty_89

[spud3]

I just drove back to Portland from Sunriver this evening over Mt Hood and the smoke was unreal.  Better in PDX than up near Sandy and Government Camp, but still very smoky in the whole Willamette Valley.  Eugene is very bad, and the Rogue Valley still has several active fires.

Keep checking the Bandon website for updates, and/or call the resort for info.

 

Note: at least Stone Creek and the OGA course are closed until further notice, as they are both in evacuation status 2 right now.  Langdon Farms is very close to that line.

 

Here's a link that show evacuation status:

 

https://www.oregon.gov/oem/emops/Pages/RAPTOR.aspx

 

Here's  a link to a map with the fire hotspots.

 

https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/firestats.aspx

 

We are not at our best, at the present time......

 

[bcc69]

14 hours ago, Lefty_89 said:

Haven’t heard anything about Bandon closing and, as of now, the main route from Portland to Bandon is still open. I know any cancellations would have to come from the resort; the wife and I are still planning on flying out Sunday, but I saw that the Mayor signed an order banning lawn equipment today - how is this handled at the resort with maintenance etc.? 
 

Safety is first priority - just curious and hoping someone could shed some insight.

I’m currently at the resort, and heard some of the guests have had difficulty arriving due to their flights being canceled.  There’s no word that the resort is closing.  Fortunately, there has been very little wind this week, but that allows the smoke to linger in the air.  The biggest issue is the mosquitos.  Bring some bug repellant. Don’t forget your rain gear.  Some rain is in the forecast for next week.

[Lefty_89]

Really appreciate the insight.

 

I called Bandon this morning and a lady in Reservations recommended perhaps pushing it back a week. Really tough spot to be in right now - it looks like Southwest is still operating flights to/from PDX but with us arriving Sunday night, no idea how it will look. This is our first trip to Oregon and we were looking forward to exploring the coast and sights. Safety is the first priority especially since I am bringing my wife along.

 

If we pushed it a week back, Reservations has a double Chrome Lake room available, more $$$, but we could just stay off property the last night. Tee times wouldn't be a problem.

 

Is it worth pushing everything back a week? Completely at a loss right now on what to do. Who's to say that the fires will improve over the next week either. Help! ?

[spud3]

NWS has the wind shifting to a NW flow Saturday night and into Sunday, which will help dramatically.  It will be pretty smoky until then.  Rain is forecast for Monday and into next week, and that cannot come too soon, not only to help clear out the smoke but to helps extinguish the fires themselves.

 

If it is an option to push it a week, that would probably be the prudent thing to do.

[Lefty_89]

Just now, spud3 said:

NWS has the wind shifting to a NW flow Saturday night and into Sunday, which will help dramatically.  It will be pretty smoky until then.  Rain is forecast for Monday and into next week, and that cannot come too soon, not only to help clear out the smoke but to helps extinguish the fires themselves.

 

If it is an option to push it a week, that would probably be the prudent thing to do.

Appreciate it as always spud.

 

Unfortunately since the rates were so low when I booked flights through Southwest back in June, we'd have to pay an extra fee to change our flights...unless they are cancelled by Sunday. We've really budgeted everything out and can't spare for much else.

 

We would end up spending more $ to change flights and on lodging, so unless things worsen by Sunday morning, I think we're going to proceed as planned an make the trip down there, perhaps just braving the 4 hours trek Sunday night and stay in Bandon.

 

Fingers crossed

[spud3]

I'm PM'ing with another WRX'er in the same predicament.  Wish the news was better.

 

Things may have improved enough (fire/smoke-wise) for you to do the sightseeing part of the trip at the end, rather than the beginning.

 

The good news (for us) is it looks like rain is coming.  Bring the rain gear. 

[Lefty_89]

6 minutes ago, spud3 said:

I'm PM'ing with another WRX'er in the same predicament.  Wish the news was better.

 

Things may have improved enough (fire/smoke-wise) for you to do the sightseeing part of the trip at the end, rather than the beginning.

 

The good news (for us) is it looks like rain is coming.  Bring the rain gear. 

Appreciate all of the kind words and advice, spud.

 

I told the nice lady on the phone from Bandon Reservations earlier that hurricanes are usually my "knowledge" and I have no idea how to handle the terrible fires on the West Coast.

 

My wife is still on board and thinks if flights are operating and roads are open, it's not a guarantee that a week from now would be any better. May as well give it a shot.

 

I was hoping for sunny skies and light breezes, but Bandon is better than no Bandon. Will the rain diminish the experience at all? Such a change in excitement from just a couple of weeks ago.

[spud3]

There are those who say that a good storm actually defines a proper Bandon experience.

 

Fortunately, this time of year, you probably won't get a monsoon, like happens often in the winter months (there's a reason rates go down so much in the Dec-Feb time frame).  More likely will be showers that have you putting on and taking off rain gear multiple times during the round, which can get a little annoying.  If you are in a group with a caddie, watch to see when they start gearing up.  Do the same.

 

Think of it as an exercise in adjusting expectations.

[Lefty_89]

I like that thought...I did play North Berwick in March in the cold and rain, absolutely loved it and would do it a hundred more times.

 

Seems like the forecast keeps changing up for Tues-Fri, lowering the rain chances each time.

[spud3]

30 minutes ago, Lefty_89 said:

I like that thought...I did play North Berwick in March in the cold and rain, absolutely loved it and would do it a hundred more times.

 

Seems like the forecast keeps changing up for Tues-Fri, lowering the rain chances each time.

 

And a changing Bandon forecast is totally normal...

[Lefty_89]

Well we're going to press our luck so hopefully I can circle back with an extensive trip report!