Florence Hospitality

Bikers Line the Streets of Florence

Carnival Rides During Rhododendron Festival

With Friends Dave and Chris Aboard their New Boat

Rhododendron Float - Florence

Trees Decorated with Knitted Blankets

Coastal cruisers often bypass Florence, perhaps due to the reported low bridge clearance; we’re so glad we made the stop.  Old Town Florence located along the bank of the Siuslaw River is a real treat.  The town has a variety of charming restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops.  The clothing boutiques, art shops, and other retail stores are adorable, some of which are located in early period homes.  Our weekend stay at Florence coincided with the annual Rhododendron Festival, which included a parade and carnival rides.  A large number of motorcyclists had come to town and the streets were lined with bikes while antique cars cruised through town, temporarily turning this quiet hamlet into a party town.  Trees along the sidewalks were decorated with knitted blankets, flowers, and butterflies – what a clever idea!  After the festivities, our friends Chris and Dave invited us to their boat for an evening barbecue along with other friends from the community.  We had a wonderful time and met some great people – that’s one of the special things about boating, meeting different people and discovering new places.  Sunday morning we enjoyed watching the Rhododendron Parade and absorbing the small town atmosphere.  We departed Florence around 1:15pm with a bon voyage from Chris and Dave.  Passing over the bar turned out to be a non event; what had been our most challenging bar to-date became our easiest crossing to-date – hardly any waves to speak of.  Our cruise down the Coast to Salmon Bay at Winchester (west of Reedsport) was also easy with only 2 foot seas.  We entered the Umpqua River bar about 5:15pm with some waves and strong current but easily manageable.  We made our way to the Salmon Harbor Marina and were greeted with an unexpected surprise!  Chris and Dave were there to greet us bearing gifts - two large salmon steaks and two large halibut steaks!  Dave is an avid fisherman and very successful at catching enormous fish.  Perhaps he took pity on us when we told him our success is realized when we find off-boat fish sales.  All kidding aside, we so much appreciated their generous gift and thoughtful hospitality.