Bandon Dunes and The Oregon Coast
With its unique combination of shops and restaurants, a world-class golf course, and one of the continent's most remarkable beaches, Bandon-by-the-Sea, Oregon is an unforgettable vacation experience.

The town itself is located at the mouth of the Coquille River, approximately 90 miles north of the California border along Highway 101 and 20 miles south of the larger city complex of Coos Bay-North Bend-Charlestown Bay.

Bandon was founded at the end of the 19^th century as a fishing village and in support of the Coquille River lighthouse. The picturesque lighthouse still stands across the river from the town and has become internationally famous as a subject for photographers and painters. (Anecdotally, it is also one of the few lighthouses every to be hit by a ship — an abandoned schooner in 1903). Bandonites are justly proud of their lighthouse. It receives thousands of visitors between May and October each year, and at Christmas, covered with thousands of lights, is a spectacular sight.

Bandon also retains its roots as a fishing town. There is still a working fish cannery on the docks, as well as a sizable yacht harbor. And on most days one can see the fleet of fishing boats heading out to sea or returning with their catch. At night, their lights can be seen out near the horizon.

The story of Bandon has three eras. Old Bandon, Working Bandon, and Modern Bandon. Old Bandon was a classic Oregon town, funded by fishing and lumber, a single main street of wood and brick false front buildings stretching from the docks to the lumberyard. Sadly, that town was destroyed by a wildfire in 1931. That fire was fueled largely by gorse, a non-native shrub brought in for erosion control. Gorse can still be seen covering many of the bluffs near the beach — its yellow flowers are quite beautiful in the spring — but the city (understandably) maintains a continuous abatement program.

A few of he original buildings — notably the Coast Guard station — did survive the fire and can still be seen in the Old Town-part of Bandon, which angles off from Highway 101 down to the harbor.

With its top-notch restaurants, art galleries, and gift shops, Old Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Oregon Coast. Eateries range from working-class diners (such as the matchless Minute Café) to elegant small boutique restaurants such as Andrea's and Artyles). Notable shops include the Northwest Gallery (which has some of the best paintings, art glass and woodcrafts in the region), Daniel Wolf's cobbler shop (leather and wool goods), and Ray-Jen's, a coffee roaster that has acolytes and fans along the entire West Coast.

An interesting complex of shops, all with the same owner and located at the intersection of Old Town and Hwy. 101, is the Station Restaurant (fairly standard fare), the Station Gift Shop (a terrific selection of Oregon-made goods), and, across the street, a year-round Christmas Store. This same individual also owns, close to Old Town, another pair of stores, these dedicated to nautical goods and country-motif products.

Fishing still remains an attraction in Old Town. Visitors can book deep-sea fishing trips, salmon trips up the Coquille River (although other, clearer rivers nearby, such as the Sixes, offer world-class salmon) and crabbing right off the dock.

The working part of Bandon runs for approximately three miles along both sides of Hwy. 101. Here's where the real Bandon goes about its daily business. At the south end of town can be found the airport, tiny industrial parks and a few shops. Notable are Billy Smoothbore's sports bar and restaurant, the Care Bear antiques, and Harden Optical. The last has one of the largest telescope and optical equipment selections in the Northwest. It also has an impressive collection of scientific toys and books for children.

About five miles south of Bandon are two businesses of considerable renown. The Wild Animal Park is not only a leader in the breeding and care of rare species (snow leopard, lion, etc.), but also a thrilling hands-on experience for adults and kids. Misty Meadows nearby began as a roadside stand selling blueberries and marionberries. It has grown into a large facility that also sells its products globally over the Web.

Northern Bandon runs along the high ground above Old Town, climbs to the intersection of 101 and 428 (the road to Hwy. 5 and central Oregon), then makes a hard left north over the river and on to Coos Bay. Here can be found the city Hall and Police Station, library, supermarkets and drugstores and gas stations. Notable are a glass blowing shop across from the entrance to Old Town, the Bandon Mercantile (kitchenware) and the Bandon Cheese Factory.

The Cheese Factory, now owned by the better-known Tillamook Cheese Company, is more of a shop these days than a factory. However, its cheese curds and gigantic ice cream cones draw big crowds in the summertime.

The most famous part of Bandon, the section that represents the new, more cosmopolitan Bandon, is the only one not visible from the highway. This is Bandon Beach, approximately four miles long and justly celebrated for its spectacular cliff views and offshore rock formations — the stuff of hundreds of posters, calendars and TV commercials.

Beach Loop Road runs along the cliff above the beach, and it can be accessed through Old Town, through the city park, or from the south of town. Bandon Beach is essentially three beaches:

• The Jetty, which begins at the mouth of the Coquille River and runs 1/2 mile south to Elephant Rock. This is the least interesting and least inhabited of the beaches. Notable for its views of the surf breaking over the sandbar at the river's mouth, Table Rock, views of ships, and beach vistas north to Bandon Dunes golf Course.

• Sunset Beach, a small, cove-shaped beach filled with spectacular on-and offshore rocks. The north end of this beach, terminated in Elephant Rock and nature preserve, features extensive driftwood piles, scores of bird species, and, when the tide is in, herds of seals resting on nearby offshore rocks. Sunset Beach also has the best view of Face Rock, a very large offshore monolith, and the attendant, nearby Cat and Kittens rocks. The cliffs above Sunset Beach are highly developed, with dozens of homes, large and small, old and new. The cliff (and the bluff above) is also the site of the Sunset Motel and nearby Lord Bennett's restaurant, the dominant commercial operations in the area.

• Bandon Beach, a wide three-mile long beach with vistas all the way to Cape Arago, thirty miles south. Bandon is largely devoid of rock formations, except at the north end, near Face Rock Viewpoint State Park. There, the rocks of Grave Point are at least as famous as those on Sunset beach. Sand dunes and large driftwood punctuate the rest of Bandon Beach. The low bluffs above the beach contain fewer, though typically larger, homes, many of them owned by professionals from California or central Oregon. At the south end of Bandon Beach can be found the Inn at Face Rock and its small 9-hole golf course.

Though Sunset Beach may draw a couple hundred people on a given day at the height of the summer season, compared to most beaches of equal fame, Bandon's beaches are surprisingly devoid of people. On Bandon Beach, even on a sunny day, it is possible to see just a dozen people over its entire length. Besides pleasant solitude, the beach offers windsurfing, horseback riding, cast fishing, beachcombing (agates, starfish, flotsam) and tidepool exploration. Wildlife ranges form 300 species of birds to hundreds of tidepool creatures to even, from March through May, migrating gray whales.

But as the name suggests, the biggest draw of these beaches are the sunsets. The combination of high surf, silhouetted rock monoliths and fluffy clouds can make for some of the most spectacular sunsets in North America.

No description of Bandon is complete without mentioning its newest attraction, one that vies with its beaches for fame. Opened in 1999, Bandon Dunes Golf Course, a classic Scottish links-style course, quickly rocketed to the top of every "best course" list in the world. Compared to both St. Andrews and Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, with its ocean views and blustery winds, is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge for even the most experienced golfer.

With the addition of a sister course, Pacific Dunes, which also includes more inland holes, Bandon Dunes now ranks as one of the premier golf complexes in the world. It has been the final touch in making Bandon-by-the-Sea the Carmel of the Northwest Coast.