Sunday, February 6, 2011

Coastal Rambles in Oregon--Coos Bay, Charleston, Bandon, and Cape Blanco


Lighthouses are one of the main attractions of the Oregon Coast.

Here's some recent photos from a trip we took to the southern Oregon Coast.



"Coos-Bay ,along with the town of North Bend, forms the largest urban area along the Oregon Coast. Just to the west of Coos Bay is the town of Charleston, which is an old waterfront-fishing village. Together, the three cities from Oregon's "Bay Area." With three beautiful state parks and three golf courses, a wide variety of recreation is offered to visitors at Coos Bay. Sunset Bay State Park offers swimming in it's small, picturesque, protected bay. This is unusual on the Oregon Coast - where most beaches are too rough and rugged for swimming."

127 comments:

  1. great pics Doug...Ive been through this area a few times and it is beautiful.

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  2. Ah, the Crab Shack is still there! Dang; I can remember good times, taking family trips in the '56 Chrysler wagon down the coast. Been a long, long time since I've been in that part of the state, and I live about ten hours away. Not much excuse.

    Thanks for the pics, Doug!

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  3. grea shots doug--had a good friend that was from Coos Bay great place and good fish to eat to

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  4. This has been very nostalgic for me, Doug. It has been some years since I have been along that coast, but I remember it well. You have some great pictures here. Thanks for sharing them.

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  5. Oh, jolly good, Kon-Tiki!

    Is this a three in one cinema, or is there a lot more going on inside?

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  6. I love the reflection the poles make in the water.

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  7. Lovely spot. Hahaha, those cars could be English, they look smaller than the usual American type..

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  8. Hahahaha, can they get back at you if you don't know them?

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  9. Another spot to rest the feet and have a bite to eat. I guess all the folk are inside.

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  10. Er, what's that man doing? Get ready to charge boys.:-)

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  11. What a sweet lighthouse. I see that the porch is clapperboard. Would the body of the house be stone?

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  12. One can see this is built to last.

    Thank you so much for sharing your photos, Doug. I hope you and Shirley had a great time.

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  13. Nice to see no regime change here Doug....a real classic cinema that just invites you in....do they only show vintage films too?...what an interesting place.

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  14. Love this photo Doug, very atmospheric....how dramatic the coastline looks with all those breakers, a great shot!

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  15. To me this is strangely reminiscent of scenes on the opposite side of the continent in Nova Scotia. That sort of working fishing port is I think common to many of North America's coastal areas although I've actually only seen a fraction of them myself, so please forgive the sweeping generalisation here .
    I have always had a fondness for boats and this looks a particularly fine specimen Doug.

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  16. The fish must be very good around these parts Doug.

    This isn't the place they named the dance after is it Doug? ....or am I just getting my flappers mixed up with my snappers?

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  17. I am a keen railway museum visitor, I better add this one to the list Doug

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  18. I'll avoid saying 'nice shot' Doug in case my comments are misconstrued.

    A 'one stop gun shop' sounds very convenient....there's nothing worse than buying your oozie and then having to catch a bus to get the bullets from somewhere on the other side of town. Speaking from a purely selfish viewpoint.... do they cater for bazooka owners here Doug?.... or would I still need to go to Wal-Mart for my ammo?

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  19. This is a fabulous building I love Art Deco.....as synchronicity would have it I discovered a fine Art Deco building a bit off the beaten track in Birmingham this afternoon that I'd never seen before. What a strange coincidence that is...This one looks straight out of an Edward Hopper painting....wonderful!

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  20. Interesting vista Doug, one of the fanciest shoe repairers I've ever seen....a suitably fine street lamp to illuminate it too

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  21. A very fine totem pole...I suppose those must be eagles...the wings are fabulous!

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  22. Those can't be salmon they're not in tins and they certaily aren't pink

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  23. This is of course true Doug.....and they make lousy bait without those jackets on anyway

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  24. A fine collection of gulls, I'm sure I saw the second one from the end in Blackpool a couple of weeks ago....unless he's got a brother of course. I am a bird enthusiast myself, these gulls are posing nicely but most wait until you have got them in sharp focus..... but before you can activate the shutter they're off. I have a lot pictures of blurred feathers, but these fellows ar very photogenic indeed

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  25. Now that place looks most inviting, I could happily dine on the catch of the day and chill out here for a few hours with a glass of wine or two....looks great Doug

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  26. I've seen these guys in Canada, but never knew they went in for line dancing.....wonderful beasties these.

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  27. It looks nothing like here although I can see some similarities to County Sligo in western Ireland.....I like this shot....I have always had a fascination for misty woodlands, there is an enchanted feel to them I think

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  28. An interesting bit of history, no mean feat to get there by sea from Europe in the 16th century, let alone launching oneself into the unknown in search of fame fortune and booty....again I am transported to the Maritimes....somebody should write a book on lighthouses of the New World ( or maybe they already have?)....nice photo anyway Doug

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  29. Thanks for this trip around coastal Oregon Doug, helps to get a better feel for your home turf (and surf)...great pictures

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  30. Thanks Mike. Glad you're familiar with this beautiful part of the state.

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  31. The Crab Shack is alive and well!

    Considering the price of gas these days, it's harder to take off for family trips Will. I haven't been up to Portland in a long time to see what few relatives I have left up there.

    I went through Coos Bay and Bandon few times with my parents on our way up to Milwaukee and Oregon City in the 70and 80's. It really hasn't changed much, except for North Bend's "Mill Casino", which has brought in a lot of jobs. Downtown Coos Bay has stayed much the same as far as I can tell.

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  32. The fishing is still very good I understand Heidi. And when the sun is out especially its really one of the most scenic places on the West Coast. Thanks for stopping by!

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  33. The Oregon Coast really has its share of beautiful cistas and historic sites like this lighthouse. Hard to take a bad picture in most spots. Thanks for dropping by, Dragon, and I was glad to bring back some good memories for you.

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  34. It's really a beautiful drive, Cassandra. There are a lot ofstate parks and public access to all the beaches, which was something the state government secured back in the 70's.

    Oregon doesn't have the great swimming/surfing beaches of southern California, but there are great views and sandy beaches all the way from the town of Brookings to the port of Astoria (roughly 300 miles south to north.)

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  35. Yes, it is. I wish I could find the artist but its not listed where I got the painting online.

    Naturally these lighthouses attract painters from all over. I wanted folks to see what one looks like on a bright day.

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  36. I love the facades of these older movie houses, especially the ones that use neon.

    I believe this is a one-screen theater and "Kon Tiki" was a coming attraction.

    The film festival celebrating the 75th year of the landmark theatre was a few months ago. When I dropped through town this last time, they had a live theater event going on that evening.

    It would've been great to see this sea voyage film, or a good print of "His Girl Friday" on the big screen!

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  37. This is my favorite beach in Oregon, Cassandra. I love the way the surf comes in layers across the tidal area.

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  38. Thanks Cassandra. I was lucky to get a photo opportunity on such a calm and sunny day.

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  39. Charleston is protected by an inlet, so it looks like a lagoon compared to the actual rough and tumble coastline. Most of the boats here are commerical fishing vessels. There are more pleasure craft on the more southerly ports.

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  40. The volunteer group that runs this museum would like to run this engine, Cassandra, but from what I could discover this 1922 Baldwin Steam Locomotive (built near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) has been restored but is not able to run due to federal regulations on older steam locomotives. The main problem is not the locomotive itself but the local track; the rails fell into disuse after many local timber mills either shut down or switched to highway trucking to transport the logs and finished wood.

    The local group website indicates its looking for a way to refurbish the track for visitors to ride on a real classic like this, but it appears with theeconomy that will at best be several years off :-(

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  41. I don't blame you. The matter-of-fact way all types of guns are sold in this country bothers me as well. The only time I was ever in one was to do some research on a detective novel. (I managed to get in and out without being wounded.)

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  42. They do a brisk breakfast and lunch business here, Cassandra.

    It's a real old fashioned small town sandwich shop where they bake their own bread and are not a chain outfit.

    PS--The turkey sub is outstanding!

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  43. It is amazing how talented artists can be--- to put something like this on such a large outdoor "canvas".

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  44. Yes, I was impressed by the local color.

    The thing about these "English" looking cars, Cassandra, is that a couple of them are probably gas/electric "hybrids" (Toyotas perhaps, but I didn't look closely at the time.)

    More travellers and urban commuters are using smaller autos these days. The Mini Cooper is also a popular vehicle in urban places like San Francisco and Portland and Eugene (where the University of Oregon is, about 100 south of Portland, the largest city in the state.)

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  45. I think the "Coho" salmom is very offended if he is confused with a Chinook salmon. Much as a typical Canadian would be if mistaken for an American. ;-)

    I guess the motto of the city of Bandon is "Know Thy Fish!"

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  46. This is an excellent service, needless to say.

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  47. The funny thing is, Cassandra, the gulls only walked a bit down the rail after I took that last shot. They seemed like old "photo campaigners". Most birds are skittish of course, but not those guys.

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  48. It certainly does, Cassandra. A stillness with a bit of gloom to it late in the day.

    I wanted to show how the coastal area looks much of the time--a bit of a sense of the "moors" you might find in East Anglia if I remember from adaptations of Conan Doyle's Baskervilles novella, or Pip and Magwich meeting up from "Great Expectations".

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  49. I will have to break off now, but I will continue soon.

    Please come back all when you get the chance! And thanks to everyone for your encouraging comments on my snapshots!

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  50. Yes, I like the colorful cafe-style dining area here. But the weather being as it was it only made sense that late morning to eat inside.

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  51. Haha...yes, they look like theelk are readying for a bit of a stampede in my direction. If it wasn't for that "NO trespassing" I could have a better photo shot here for my little "safari" :-)

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  52. Yes Cassaandra the coastal rainfall in this area is about 50 inches a year and that does addup to some wonderful greenery!

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  53. I agree. It's been up and running for 44 years.

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  54. A perfect little moniker for the main attraction of this little town.

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  55. No, but I 'd like to get a chance to do so---the decriptions of the posters around the place and its advertising site on the Web makes it sound like good old-fashioned Americana. (If you don't count the Can-Can dancers, which might suggest a slight French influence.)

    http://sawdusttheatre.com/melodrama.htm

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  56. It's a beauty, that's for sure!

    Also the oldest lighthouse in the state, which started operating just before Christmas of 1870. The main structure was made from a near-by brickworks.

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  57. You're welcome Cassandra...and, yes, we had a most enjoyable trip.

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  58. Vintage films and some live theater as well AA.

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  59. Thanks. I really enjoy this beach for the vistas and, as you say, the sense of the athmosphere you get from the line of waves rolling in from a long ways off!

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  60. Thanks AA.

    It really does seem like a scene you might find in the state of Maine or the Maritime Provinces, although I've not been on that part of the Atlantic Coast yet.

    There were a lot of fishing boats in dry dock but this seemed the most photogenic against the water.

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  61. Well said, AA :-) I do believe Charleston (and the dance) was named after the bigger sister port city across the country in South Carolina, where the Civil War began in April of 1861 when some local gents fired on the Federal works at Fort Sumter.

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  62. I hopeyou will someday, AA. We will have to have you stay with us when you head a bit more inland to share your observations.

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  63. I gather the whole shooting gallery can be had inside this little nook of "freedom from government tyranny" and the odd act of senseless and insane ballistic mayhem.

    I guess the nutcase who shot a Congresslady in Arizona favored Wal-Mar for his ammo needs. He apparently wasn't so crazy as to shop about a bit for a good price on his little metal jackets of death.

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  64. Synchronicity indeed, AA! This was my first time citing this place last Saturday as well, thanks to my step-daughter. I to love the Art Deco phase in architecture. The great Edward Hopper would indeed be the perfect artist to bring this place to life on canvas, especially as it evokes one of his most famous works, "Nighthawks", from 1942.

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  65. It's a sign that reminds me of one you might find outside a find old English pub, AA.

    The street lamp has quite a nice effect to the spot I think!

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  66. I agree--whoever did the carving for this work of art really out did themselves. The most amazing totem pole I ever saw was in Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC. But I lack a decent shot of that one.

    I will continue the comments later. Thanks for adding your comments AA.

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  67. Ha!

    True, AA, and its damned difficult to stuff the mature fish into those little tins.

    Plus they thrash about like the devil if you don't seal the lid properly!

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  68. State law now prohibits the use of small children as bait for sharks and barracudas, AA...unless they are certified as being especially bratty.

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  69. Gulls are notorious jet-setters in thedse parts, AA. One gull had a new-looking t-shirt on, advertising "Blackpool Tower". Flew away before I could focus the camera. (Maybe he bought it from the second one on the end.)

    This little flock seemed quite steady with me nosing about with my camera--lucky me. I suspect the reason is they were all a bit jet-lagged from hanging on the wings of a non-stop BA flight out of Heathrow to Seattle.

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  70. The food is very good there, AA. Bandon is really the tourist spot in the area. Not exactly Carmel or Big Sur, but I feel I could hang out quite a while there.

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  71. LOL! These elk are charming, even if they have picked up some bad habits from all these country-western bars along the coast.

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  72. I do feel a powerful inner draw for misty weather and dark green forests, AA. Keep your palm trees, Santa Monica, this is where I feel at home!

    There are so many places I wish I'd gone to (besides the great places I did) when I was in Britain, but Ireland has always had a drawing power to me, especially the west of the isle. Something in my blood I think.

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  73. Yes, Drake was an amazing figure and that "secret voyage" was another incredible feat of survival, navigation, thumbing the nose at the superpower of the day, King Philip's Spain, and generally showing the British knack for showing up in force when they are least expected.
    There is a Renaissance Faire down the coast in Marin County, California, which meets in Black Point Forest and features a replica of the Golden Hind. (Four hundred years earlier, the actual Francis Drake and the crew likely repaired their ship in a natural harbor that bears his name near-by.)

    They had an actress playing Elizabeth I knight "Drake" on the deck during one weekend event I went to. It was really amazing to see how serious these non-professionals delved so deeply into that era, AA.

    Lighthouses are really the castles of the Oregon Coast. I should visit them all together in one trip.

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  74. Yes, they do have the look of glamorous times.

    That would have been an interesting evening to see one of their live shows . Would that be amateur theatre?

    Hahahaha, Girl Friday would have got all the cleaning jobs!

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  75. I like the way the rocks stretch out to sea. Dangerous when hidden though.

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  76. Are there fresh crabs for sale along the beach? Mmmm, I love crab and lobster.


    I'll have to pop back to look in again at the rest, Doug.

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  77. Certainly Cassandra.

    Of all the lighthouse paintings I could find of the one at Bandon, this was the most colorful and, I believe, very true to life as to what these little majestic rooks look like when the bright sun graces their exterior.

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  78. Its the smaller towns and cities that I find often have the most interesting and preserved theaters. The wrecking ball has taken down too many in urban cities I'm afraid, or they have been gutted for resale.

    Mostly amateur theater, Cassandra, and local musicians and benefits for the high schools, etc. On the weekends they show a classic film on Satuday or Sunday, which is great. "His Girl Friday"--a film about a feisty female newswoman (Rosalind Russell) and her ex-husband and editor (Cary Grant) is a good example of screwball comedy, topical satire, and a convivial battle of the sexes.

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  79. Like parts of Scotland, Oregon has its share of rugged rocky outcroppings just off shore. Some of the biggest include the aptly named Haystack Rock and the sentinels of stone around Cape Blanco. And yes, this coast has had its share of shipwrecks, especially back at the turn of the 19th--early 20th Centuries, when it began to be a major lumber-producing region.

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  80. The answer is yes,and the crabcakes are fresh and delicious!

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  81. I suppose they could do what happens here, they use such lines as tourist attractions. I'm aware your railway lines stretch on forever.
    I recorded a Railway programme by "Michael Portillo" and he took us from Lands End to Scotland on some super trains, both steam and diesel. It maybe on Utube, I'm not sure. It was a gem to watch.

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  82. I think a railway for a circuit around Coos Bay would be a great attraction, Cassandra. The rail lines are certainly there, but, like many routes, they have been neglected for quite a few years. Given the budgetary woes our Oregon state government has, the best bet would be a private group to come in.


    The biggest boost to the economy right now is the expanding Coquille Confederated Tribes (Native-American) gambling casino near-by, so the area doesn't lack for a potential tourist base.

    I remember seeing a BBC program with former Monty Python Michael Palin taking a similar journey from one end of Britain to another. Britain is the great railway nation, and a lot of early American railroads were financed from British capital. Canada as a nation from Atlantic to Pacific wouldn't be without the CP railway. It's really a great legacy worth preserving.

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  83. These are beautiful, Doug. I do like the elk in the meadow, but the water ones grab me most! Looks like beautiful country up there. I wish I could see it one day.

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  84. It is a beautiful place to come to, Jacquie, and Shirley and I are lucky to be so close to such a dramatic ocean landscape.

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  85. Very picturesque Doug from here the coast is rather far away.

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  86. Part and parcel this is one area in which we Canada and United States do share Doug. There is a history behind this one. But aside of that it's truly something to see these old reminiscent trains of the past.

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  87. I too am not much for the guns but so be it as it's all within the first amendment.

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  88. How there is a similarity out there on the west as I know you have been up to British Columbia and there are many of these. In fact they really make up the identity of B.C. This is beautiful. Mind you you have been getting the rain as we have of recent till todays' date Doug.

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  89. These are nice there is something to be said in life on the coast there Doug.

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  90. This really is the manner that I have always seen places within the states when I drove through it Doug. Every ten minutes there was somewhere to pull over and just enjoy the folk as well as the food.

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  91. It's beautiful and a great state to say the least.

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  92. Tremendous shots. I have never been on the western side of this contenant. It's perhaps a place to visit down the road. Great pictures all in all Doug.

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  93. It was a very still day on the inlet as you can see Jack.

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  94. Its a part of the American landscape, Jack. All too prevalent in my view.

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  95. Yes I wish I could spend more time there.

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  96. Yes the totem poles in Vancouver, BC ,I've seen are often remarkable works of art.

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  97. Dang! Totally forgot what I was going to say!

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  98. Beautiful peice of art too , lighthouses are frequently being painted by artists , I myself love them !

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  99. The ocean draws me for some reason, this is a nice shot !

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  100. A great shot of the boat and those casting shadows too !

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  101. love old trains the heavy steam engines had much character, miss them sometimes ,!

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  102. I was lucky to find this. The lighthouse at Bandon was so shrouded by fog when I was there last you couldn't see it.

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  103. Thanks. The old neon facade really makes the look of the place.

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  104. A stroke of luck on my part. I barely had to step out of the car to get this one. It's my favorite.

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  105. Me too. A lot of the timber industry on the Northwest has closed down due to preservation and cheaper timber sources, automation, et al, but the old train lines are still there and it would be great if they could get one of these old steam trains running again for the kids!

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