Florence, September 19-20

We left our Newport campground mid-morning and traveled less than 50 miles to Florence, where we will spend three nights, exploring two days. 

Enroute we enjoyed coastal driving on US 101.  One of the many attractions was the Spouting Horn (blow hole).  The gap where it is located has an original 1931 bridge, linking parts of the highway.

Many drove to the Historic Old Town Florence on its bay for seafood dinner.  A mural on the restaurant along the bay was very colorful and descriptive of the area.

Next morning we were off to the world's largest sea lion cave, about 8 miles north of Florence. 

We traversed down an incline, paved path to an elevator to descend 208 feet to the inside of the cave. 

 

 The interior of the cave is a foodball field long and 12 stories hight.  Although there was only one Steller Sea Lion on a large rock in the middle of the bay's water, there was a video on the area and about sea lions, a display of cave and cliff features, and a descriptive skeleton. 

Sea lions have a full skeleton with four legs and five toes on each leg, just as "land" mammals.

From the cave we continued another mile north to the Heceta Head Light House; some say it's the most photographed in Oregon.

A very knowledgeable guide shared details of light house operations and maintenance and about the life of caretakers, events, and working conditions in and around light houses.