Two Weeks And A Dane On The OR Coast
Yesterday I sent my lovely cousin Christina back to Denmark after 2 weeks here with us at Bullards Beach State Park. It was a total whirlwind of a time. Somehow she managed to snag awesome weather (the entire time!) so everyday after work we packed it in with fabulous outdoor activities all within an hour or so of our RV.
Now I teased her by claiming I would tell everyone what a pain in the butt she is, but truthfully she’s a lovely gal and super-easy to have around, so we really had a ton of fun. We crammed in so many activities in so little time that the story is best told with links and pictures. So, if you’ve ever wondered what happens when two Danish gals are let loose over two weeks on the southern Oregon coast, here it is:
- BBQ & The Art Of S’mores – We were invited to a 4th of July potluck dinner & BBQ with the volunteers here at Bullards Beach. Our intrepid Dane got introduced to her very first S’more and fell in love with a camping classic.
Dane opinion -> s’mmmmm yum!
- Jet Trip on The Rogue River – A trip down the rogue river with Jerry’s Rogue Jets down by Gold Beach. We took the 80-mile trip with a lunch stop. It was so much fun I may even have to do another blog post just for this. Awesome day!!
Dane Opinion -> Oh YES baby…Do it, do it!
- Horseback Riding – A sunset horseback ride on Bandon Beach amongst the sea stacks. It was a windy day, but oh-so-cool and thoroughly enjoyable despite mega-sore bums the next day.
Dane Opinion -> Giddy Up And Go!
- Shore Acres & Cape Arago -> I’ve already covered this place once before, but had to go back and show my cuz the hidden gem. This time around we went tide-pooling & hunting for concretions, both of which are so cool they deserve their own blog post too!
Dane Opinion -> Go Twice…at least!
- Sand Dunes & John Dellenback Trail -> Another place worth hiking twice (or twenty times!). Pooch came along and we played like kids on the dunes for an entire afternoon. A TOTAL blast!
Dane Opinion -> Sandy Heaven!
- Cape Blanco & Heads State Park -> A trip south to see the lovely Cape Blanco lighthouse and hike the spectacular Port Orford Heads State Park. We’re moving there in Aug so I’ll tell you more later, but suffice to say it was fabulous!!
Dane Opinion -> Naturally stunning!
- West Coast Game Safari Park -> Marketed as a spot you can meet and interact with wild animals. We enjoyed petting the cougar cub and some of the free-roaming goats, deer etc. but were underwhelmed by the park and what we thought were too-small cages for the bigger animals.
Dane Opinion -> Fun for kids, but miss-able for adults.
- Beach, Drives, Eating & Shopping – No end of beach walking, pretty coastline drives (we even stopped off in Denmark!) and local shopping (Myrtlewood and cranberry are the local specialities). Even managed to dress up and eat at the superb Alloro Wine Bar & Restaurant in Bandon…talk about YUM!
Dane Opinion -> Grooovy!
Most definitely a rippin’ good time had by all. Two weeks of good memories and the promise of many more in the future. Happy journeys, cuz…until next time!
Have been immersed in new (via you) and historical (via Jane Kirkpatrick’s novels) Oregon lately. I thought you might want to read her books about strong pioneer women who crossed the US and settled in Oregon. The series I just read takes place in Aurora, a mere 224 miles from you. I love your blog.
Oh THANKS for the recommendation on Jane Kirkpatrick’s novels. I will definitely look that one up. I love reading pioneer stories, especially when I’m in the state they apply to.
Nina
you sure know how to show your Danish visitor a good time!!!!
It was a Dane good time….hahaha
Nina
Christina needed to go back home to rest. You sure jammed in a ton of stuff in a short period of time.
One thing we didn’t get a chance to do is a jet trip on The Rogue River. Everyone told us it is amazing. Glad you got to experience it.
So totally recommend that trip. Everyone recommended it and I agree that it was worth the effort to go. Gotta come back and do it!
Nina
You worked AND did all that in two weeks?? She really will have to go home to rest up. She’ll be talking about her crazy American cousin who is like the energizer bunny!
Haha…yeah, I admit I was a little pooped after she left. It’s been a busy 2 weeks, but we really did have a TON of fun!
Nina
Wow, I’m exhausted just reading about all you crammed in?! You have given us some great ideas for things to do once we get to Oregon.
You may just have to extend your stay, you know…don’t know if you’ll manage to cram it all in 🙂 They’re still looking for a relief lighthose host for this month here at Bullards you know…
Nina
By this month do you mean July or does it extend into August, do you know?
Last I talked to him he still needed someone for this month (July). Don’t know about Aug, but it’s possible. He mentioned they were short on volunteers this year. If you’re seriously interested I can ask. Just lemme know…
Nina
So I’m guessing there wasn’t that much biking in Denmark? (The one in the picture) Always fun to find unique place names where you least expect them.
Was Paul getting tired of hearing Danish? Or did you take pity on him and try and stick to English?
One of my wife’s associates married a young lady whom he met in Vejle when he worked there. Visits from her relations starts to get a bit stressful for him it seems. Just too much Danish chatter.
I admit we didn’t bike there, but my cousin managed to give my new bicycle quite the workout while she was here. Did several trips into town and around the area on 2 wheels.
And Paul did OK with all the Danish. We did a mix while cuz was here, so he got included for most of the important stuff. It’s not often I get to practice my Danish here in the US so I took as much advantage as I could. It was fun to be able to chatter away everyday while she was here 🙂
Nina
sounds like you had a ball…must try the rogue river jet boat next time and the wine bar sounds right up our alley…..
We actually thought of you guys when we went to the wine bar. It is TOTALLY your kind of place. Absolutely great food and atmosphere. We’re planning to go back before we leave.
Nina
I was anxiously awaiting word on your visit with your cuz. I enjoyed every minute of it.
We really did have fun…great 2 weeks!
Nina