Florence and Waldport

We spent two nights at Three Rivers Casino in Florence and couldn't believe how many RVers were taking advantage of their free parking.  It's a nice little casino with a huge parking lot.

In the area is the most-photographed lighthouse in Oregon, or so we read.  I think that might be because it's so hard to get a good picture of Heceta Lighthouse.  On our previous trip, it was so fogged in, I could barely see it.  This time, it was just a dreary day.

The highlight of our stay was meeting up with school friends of Ron's in Eugene.  I swear that everybody from his little hometown is just so nice.  Just like Ron.

We chuckled when a tow truck brought a large RV into the casino parking lot.  What were they thinking?  About 15 minutes later, they left.  Did they just have to stop at the casino and play a couple hands on the way to the repair facility?  Did they have to win some money to pay the driver?  We'll never know.

Soon we were once again moving up the coast with me snapping pictures out the windshield.  You'd be surprised how many of those pictures I delete, but it keeps me occupied.

Arriving in Waldport, we pulled into the Moose Lodge.  (I bet you thought I was going to say Elks.)  They are not as prepared for RVs, but they did have a few spots out back.  We settled in for two nights.

The lodge is right in the heart of this tiny town and we could walk everywhere.  We managed the block and a half to the Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center.

Unlike the rest of the Oregon coastal bridges designed by Conde McCullough, this one was replaced in 1991.  The movie showing this process was pretty interesting.  This is the original bridge built in 1936.

And this is the 'new' Alsea Bay Bridge.  Although not a carbon copy, you can see they tried to follow the general design.

And they did save the iconic end pillars that seem to be on all the bridges.

What do you think the answer is to this question?

Answer:  No longer than it's going to take us.

The second night at the Moose, we were invaded by three more RVs and a boat.  This was the view out our front window after they all parked.

Really!  I was out the door like a shot, explaining, as nicely as I could, that I would not be able to sleep a wink being trapped in like that.  First they looked at me like I was crazy, but they did move so we would have a clear path.  I was still not happy being so close to rigs on both sides, but I just had to deal with that.