The rain and wind ceased early in the morning. To be safe, Van did get up to latch the pop top during the night (he stores the window panel privacy shades underneath). It would be a major problem if it blew off the van. TCB did shake, rattle but did not roll...
Because we liked it so much here and decided to stay a third night, we had to move our campsite one site over, as our current site was reserved for the upcoming weekend.
We then unhooked from shore power to do some exploring by taking TCB on a ride through town. Coos Bay, a small city of 16K in population, was an interesting mix of old Victorian homes in the center of town surrounded by an eclectic variety of seaside residences ranging from round and geodesic layouts, modern, multi-level ranches and numerous full time RV parks and motels. The bay meandered for miles, turning into a river and many sloughs (tidal swamps).
We had an errand to run at Safeway then headed to the newly constructed boardwalk, which was still being expanded. Van took Quinnbo for a walk while I explored the nearby Coos History Museum & Maritime Collection.
When I registered at the desk to pay admission, the volunteer docents were very excited to learn I was from Rhode Island. They called over the man responsible for recording visitors' home states. It seems noone from the Ocean State had visited them since they began this practice several years back. Could this be an indication that Rhode Islanders don't get off island enough? Perhaps...
As I entered the gallery, I was met by a huge, antique saw mill that resembled the type Van uses at Alvan to mill the discarded hardwood logs that are too small to be sold for lumber. I immediately called Van and insisted he come in to see it for himself. Sure enough, Van enjoyed the exhibit, including a short video of the machine in operation. Van commented how happy the docents were to record another RI visitor. It was well worth the visit to learn more about the history and culture of this captivating Oregon seaside area.
We decided to stop at 7 Devils Brewing Company at their original downtown location for lunch. Here, I had the best tuna sandwich I'd ever tasted. (This seems to be a theme of the trip - superlatives for every food I've experienced on this trip - but truly, I was raised on tunafish sandwiches and this was not mom's every day Starkist-out-of-the-can version.) This local catch made the most delectable tuna salad sandwich EVA! The beer was excellent too!
Upon our return, we took a short evening stroll with Quinnbo around the marina complex. Sleeping in TCB by the ocean = awesome night's sleep. Thank you TCB and the Pacific Ocean for a wonderful day in Coos Bay.
