Hilltop House Rental - Southern Oregon Coastal Vacation

Pistol River Wave Bash

Pistol River Wave Bash

I wanted to share this awesome event with you. If you are going to be in Gold Beach or in the near vicinity you must attend this event.

It takes place on June, 16 - 19, 2011 Pistol River Wave Bash Gold Beach, OR .

Introducing Trade Wind Event's break out 2011 American Windsurfing Tour. The infamous Pistol River Wave Bash becomes the second stop on the tour.

Here's what the Oregon windsurfing organization has to say about it:

"The 2011 Pistol River Wave Bash - People naturally tend to expect the next one to be even bigger and better and more widely attended than the last one. Better wind, bigger waves, more pros, more prizes, and live internet coverage? Well, expect away. Count on it even. Building on the momentum of last year’s event, look for even more support from the local town and the global industry. And of course, with that comes an even bigger pool of talent bringing it with the state of the windsurfing art."

For more informaton: http://americanwindsurfingtour.com/tour/pistol-river/

Local sponsors include:

Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Organization
Full Sail Brewing Company
Greenlayer Sports
Jerry's Rogue Jet
Pacific Reef

 

Original Blues Brothers Rocker Curtis Salgado Plays Smith River

Legendary blues performer Curtis Salgado (one of the original Blues Brothers and former lead singer for Santana) was in concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Lucky 7 Casino’s new Tolowa Events Center. Tickets for concerts are typically $25 each and are available at the Lucky 7 Casino’s Players Club, or by phone at 707- 487-7777. For more information visit www.lucky7casino.com.

Salgado is a legend in blues circles as much for his unique blend of blues, soul, and R&B, as for being the man responsible for inspiring a bit of pop culture and music history. In October 1977, Salgado was a 25-year old singer and harmonica player performing at the Eugene Hotel lounge when John Belushi stopped by. In town filming the movie “Animal House,” the actor was looking for a laugh and found something else entirely – the inspiration for the now-iconic “Blues Brothers” characters.

“Sometimes when I think of the Belushi thing, and The Blues Brothers, I don’t know what to think,” says Curtis Salgado. “I get totally blown away.”

The Blues Brothers reintroduced blues to a whole new generation.

Gold Beach Rocks With Wapala Windsurf Event!

Even though it is narrated in French you won't miss a bit of the excitement watching this action-packed video of the Wapala Windsurf Competition 2011 in Gold Beach.

Geocaching In Gold Beach - Another Rewarding GB Experience

Geocaching in Gold Beach is a current promotion offered by the Gold Beach Visitor's Center that continues through the end of April (www.geocaching.com & www.goldbeach.org). All you need for this ‘Hi-Tech Treasure Hunt’ is a GPS & a sense of adventure! Special geocaches with ‘Gold Beach GeoCoins’ have been added to the 300+ geocaches already located in the Gold Beach zip code. Return a ‘GeoCoin’ to the Gold Beach Visitor Center & enter to win monthly drawings. The ‘Grand Prize’ is a GPS valued at $450.00!!! Click on the geocaching site link above to find out more about current caches.

Unfamiliar with Geo Caching? Watch this video

Happy New Year From Bandon

It's been a while since I posted mainly because of the holidays and family activities, but I wanted to post about a day trip I took with friends to Bandon. We took a ride up the coast from Hilltop House, the trip took less than an hour along the scenic hwy 101.

We arrived at Old Town Bandon and headed straight to the shops.    We visited the Second Street Gallery on of the 79 unique shops. I bought 3 Sergio Lub bracelets for myself, one for my mom and one my husband John. The bracelets are handmade and mde from solid silver, brass and copper. They have magnets in them that are supposed to help balance the energy forces in your body. The copper is said to help relieve swelling and pain caused by arthritis. In additon to that they are beautiful and can be worn all the time.

We also visited the Cranberry Sweets and More an amazing confection store with lots of free samples - yum! Then we headed to Lotus Grotto Gifts and I found a beautiful scarf that was hand-dyed silk in two shades of green for $15.00! The last stop was at  Tony's Crab shack where we warmed ourselves on with clam chowder and a glass of wine.

It was a great trip and we all really enjoyed ourselves and came back with lots of goodies to share with John, who was waiting at Hilltop House with a fantastic dinner on the stove. We ate pasta with wild catch Salmon (John went fishing at Thanksgiving) marinara sauce, John's famous Salmon cakes, a great big salad with all kinds of vegetables and for a little unreality check we watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on the tube. For dessert we ate Marionberry Pie and vanilla ice cream. Nice way to start the year!

101 things...in Gold Beach - Gold Beach Books

101 things to be thankful for in Gold Beach I give you # 7

Gold Beach Books

It is the largest book store on the Oregon Coast, you'll find 50,000 volumes of new and forgotten lore in Gold Beach Oregon. Sip, Read, & Browse in the Biscuit Coffeehouse and Art Gallery. I visited it today after doing a little shopping at McKay's Market. I couldn't resist stopping in and I was glad that I did.My first impression brought back memories of the movie starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks - You Got Mail - it reminded of the book shop that Meg's character owned only it much much larger. What reminded of the shop in the movie was the nostalgic charm and the feeling that it was a friendly place to view many literary and artistic treasures. I love Amazon's convenience and Barnes and Nobles' , but this book store is truly special and one of a kind. the people are super friendly too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found some great novels about the old west by author Zane Grey, some wonderful paintings from local artists a very reasonable prices, a treasure of rare used books, a Gourmet coffee and Biscuit bar where folks gathered to discuss politics and literature.

 It was really great! Here are some photos I took while there and a movie from You Tube that will fill you in on the rest. I could easily spend a day there and come back time and time again. I am sure each time tht I would experience another amazing find.

 

 

 

 

101 Things to Be Thankful for in Gold Beach # 6

# 6 Elk Valley Casino in Crescent City - Roll the Dice!

Southrn Oregon and Northern California have some of the best gaming establishments in the area. ELk Valley Casino in Crescent City has tons of slots and Vegas-style games. For those who don't want to gamble or have had their fill -- check out the live entertainment.

Antlers Event Center, an intimate 250 seat entertainment venue is your home for great entertainment. Their 2010 Tribute Series has been a great success with these talented acts:

Tickets are on sale now at the Points Club and by phone (707-465-2666) with credit card or at the Casino Cage (cash purchases). For more infor visit Elk Valey Casino website

101 Things to be Thankful For in Gold Beach # 5

101 Things to be Thankful For in Gold Beach # 5 - Agate Hunting

Gold Beach Blue Agate

For those big city dwellers (like me - former Jersey Girl - turned So. California transplant - turned part-time Gold Beach Resident) who are unfamiliar with wildlife in Southern Oregon, hunting agates does not require a bow and arrow or a rifle. (a little cabin fever humor here - I have been indoors for almost 24 hours waiting for John to return from his fishing expedition).

Anyway back to the agates... they are a member of the quartz family of minerals. They are centuries old and can be polished to a high gloss. They are perfect for making handmade jewelry especially  wire-wrapped rings (one of my favorite activities) because they are very hard stones. Here are some tips to consider before you begin your Agate hunt:

1. A site where you can learn more about how to identify them. Go to 4facets.com

2. Start at the beach just north of he north Rogue River jetty

3. The best time to hunt is following high tides and or a storm

4. Most agates will be found in the gravel among larger stones, furthest from the surf line.

 

 

101 Things to be Thankful For in Gold Beach - still counting

# 4 View From Hilltop House

I woke up this morning about half past 6:00 and took this picture from my studio window:

Pictured here: Patterson Memorial Bridge from the studio window of Hilltop house in Gold Beach

 

Photo Credit: Lindsey Baker

 

A little history about the bridge: it was designed by Conde B. Mcullough and re-dedicated to Governor Isaac Lee Paterson, after a $20 Million dollar rehabilitation in June of 2006. The original construction of the bridge was completed in 1932 and ironically the bridge is 1,932 feet long. The structure replaced ferries that were used to transport both people and vehicles across the river. The river pictured here is the historic Rogue River and not visible in this picture, but visible from Hilltop House from the many points of the spectacular 1,000 feet of decking is the mouth of the pacific ocean.

Lighting which frames the bridges arches on the west side was installed in 2005. I will take another picture to post tonight - Thanksgiving Day 2010 - showing the spectacular beauty at night. I also took a photothat show the house from the bridge -- it's really something for John and I to be thankful for...So please come back soon.

Gold Beach - 101 things to be thankful for - continued

Things to be thankful for in Gold Beach - continued:

# 3 Rollin in Dough Bistro

Well it's Thanksgiving morning and I woke up to a cup of delicious gourmet coffee and homemade chocolate croissant that I purchased yesterday at the Rollin in Dough Bistro in Gold Beach. Check out this lovely little slice of heaven pictured below, where we had a delicious bowl of tomato bisque and a crispy croissant, coupled with a glass of Rodney Strong Merlot.

We had just stopped in to see if they were catering Thanksgiving dinner since we decided to stay in at last minute. They weren't, but directed us to the Bridge Restaurant another great watering hole and fine dining eatery; (more on that in a later post) but the food was so tempting that we just had to sat down for an impromptu lunch and chat with the other patrons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was definitely worth the detour and when in Gold Beach I recommend that you stop in for breakfast or lunch. But don't just take my word for it -- check out the reviews by clicking here Rollin in Dough Bistro Reviews

Note: This post is an unsolicited and non-compensated review created by the Hilltop House Vacations Blogger - Lindsey Baker for the sole purpose of sharing my experiences in Gold Beach and the surrounding area of the Southern Oregon Coast. 

101 Things to Thankful for in Gold Beach Oregon

I'm ecstatic to say that I am here in Gold Beach and boy am I enjoying myself! I'm bursting with excitement and wanted to spread the joy and love, so I decided to post 101 things to be thankful for in Gold Beach over the next week while I am here.

# 1 Cedar Bend Golf Club - a great place to practice your putt putt - a nine hole public gold course where your best shots come in two ways - with the iron and with the camera.

# 2 Salmon Run Gold Course - World Class Golf - World Class Natural Beauty - thirty minutes from Gold Beach in Chetco River Valley.

Here's what they look like and the scoop on each:

Cedar Bend Golf Course

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This 9-hole mentally engaging course features 3,000 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36. The entire course is a par-72 measuring from 5,231 yards to 6,288 yards long. In general, the course has plenty of challenge for the best golfers, but also plenty of forgiveness for people new to the game. Water comes into play on almost every hole. The beautiful Cedar Fork Creek which golfers must cross on several of the holes, meanders through the course. It's clear waters and smooth stone base make it look inviting on hot summer days. For the entire scoop click on this link: Cedar Bend Gold Course

Salmon Run Golf Course

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty minutes south of Gold Beach in the Chetco River Valley, Salmon Run is a 18-hole course that offers golfers innumerable challenges. Just out of th wind and fog that someitime visits the South coast, Salmon Run, with its narrow fairways, put a high demand on accuracy. But the greens are large and well-maintained and there are birdy possibilities on several short par 4's and par 3's. For more information check out the offical site Salmon Run Golf Course