My Favorite Beach Town, Bandon

The title says it all.  Bandon-by-the-Sea with it's gorgeous beaches and charming downtown has stolen my heart.  

Light-rimmed tidepool and the Wizard's Hat

I try to visit this favorite coastal town every year.  However, COVID thwarted last year's travel plans so I was overdue.  After spending a couple of days at Shore Acres State Park, a short drive south down Hwy 101 brought me back to Bandon once again.  It was like coming home to an old friend.

Sunburst as the sun begins to drop

After checking into my yurt at nearby Bullards Beach State Park, I grabbed my camera gear and headed for the beach.  Capturing sunset was on the agenda.

Cloud reflections in beach puddle

Bandon boasts a shoreline of absolutely gorgeous beaches featuring interesting tall rock columns called seastacks.  My favorite is a rock nicknamed the "Wizards Hat."  

Pink clouds!

When planning a sunset shoot, I always try to find a good foreground subject.  For tonight's subject I chose the Wizard's Hat.  

Red shaft of light

While waiting for the sun to drop, I busied myself and my camera capturing reflections and light on nearby tidepools.

Red skies 

Sunset comes quickly in the winter, and before I knew it the sun began sinking into a low cloud layer hovering near the water.  I clicked the shutter furiously trying not to miss anything.

Seastack reflection

Once the sun dropped behind the cloud bank I thought sunset was done.  But then a few stray light rays escaped turning the adjacent clouds a beautiful shade of pink.  Then the light transitioned into a red hue.  One lone ray of red light broke through the clouds, creating a tall column in the sky.  It was an amazing sight!

Sky reflection in the wet beach sand

As the colors faded, I stayed put on the beach watching it all, not wanting to leave.  Before the skies went totally dark, a small bit of light remained glowing on the horizon.  One of my final shots captured these sky colors reflecting in the wet beach sand.

Sunrise on Bandon Beach

One the nice things about winter - early sunsets and late sunrises.  Sunrise wasn't until after 7 am, so that meant no early wake up alarm the following morning.  I arrived back at Bandon's beach at a reasonable time of 6:45 am.

Pink-hued sunrise

After the previous night's fantastic sunset, sunrise was sort of disappointing.  The eastern sky turned orange and there was a bit of pink on the western horizon.  But nothing too spectacular.  

Sea and colorful sky

Still, any day you can watch morning break over the ocean is a good day.

Seastacks at sunrise

I then turned my attention on the Coquille River Lighthouse.  Located on the banks of the Coquille River, Bandon's local lighthouse - named after the adjacent river - is an often-photographed landmark.

Coquille River Lighthouse view from across the river

The Coquille River Lighthouse is no longer in use.  After being decommissioned, it fell into disrepair.  However when the adjacent Bullards Beach State Park was created, Oregon State Parks assumed maintenance responsibility and it now functions as a tourist attraction.  A local group offers tours in summer months (which I assume have been paused due to COVID).

Coquille River Lighthouse

I discovered a great viewpoint of the lighthouse on the Coquille River's south side.  Then, I drove to the north side and got up close and personal with the lighthouse structure itself.

Lighthouse, up close and personal

The lighthouse is perched on the river's edge, adjacent to some slippery rocks.  I gingerly edged my way over the rocks to get the best view for my camera's lens.

Tall tower!

After my lighthouse photography session, I returned to Bandon's beachfront.  Although it was now high tide, I walked the narrow sand strip between the water and tall bank, capturing waves, or whatever else caught my eye.

Huge wave splash on Bandon Beach

I'd planned for two days at Bandon.  However, a huge ice storm was predicted to hit the Portland area the next day.  Reading the dire forecasts on my phone made me reconsider my plans.  Not wanting to drive through inclement weather, I cut my stay short, heading home that afternoon.  

Despite the early departure, it was great to be back in my fave Oregon coast town.  And now that I'm retired, I think my visits will become more frequent.