Hilltop House Rental - Southern Oregon Coastal Vacation

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.

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 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

The Kind of Fishing I like

Each year the eternal cycle of life continues as the Indian Creek Fish Hatchery collects, nurtures and then releases tens of thousands of young Salmon into the Rogue River. It is truly a labor of love.

Each year thousands of Salmon return to the streams in which they were born in order to spawn. Many of these fish are captured at the Indian Creek Fish Hatchery fish ladders or netted in the Rogue River. They are used as brood stock to help replenish and sustain the salmon populations. This drama takes place each year near Gold Beach Oregon. This clip is dedicated to the selfless efforts of both the volunteers and the staff of the Oregon Department Of Fish & Wildlife. Thanks from Green Water Films. (Public Domain Music By US Air Force Band)

What to do-What to Do? Winter Activites on the Southern Oregon Coast

Winter on the Oregon Coast brings storm watching, the annual gray whale migration and Gold Beach is a great place to see them. The week between Christmas and New Years Day is Whale Watching week all along the Oregon Coast.

Gray whales are passing the coast in peak numbers at that time on their yearly southbound migration from Alaskan waters to the warm lagoons of Baja California in Mexico. At 28 sites, from the Washington border to the California border, trained volunteers help visitors spot the whales and can share information about the habits of these mammoth sea creatures. Stick around for a while and you’re likely to see whales pop out of the water head first, exposing nearly the length of their sleek bodies. Or you may catch a dive with the V-shaped tale fins in full view. Look for “Whale Watching Spoken Here” signs along the coastal highway, US Highway 101, to point you to one of the staffed sites.

Watch this video for some helpful information about how to Whale Watch.

My First Podcast - Southern Oregon Travel Blog

Hello all,

I am really excited to post my first podcast from the Hilltop House Travel blog. Just click on the button right below to listen.

 

Listen to Lindsey

 

Thanks for stopping by - take care!

 

 

Stormy Weather - in San Diego Missing Gold Beach

Well it's supposed to never rain in Southern California, but it is pouring today in El Cajon an east county suburb of San Diego. The storm makes me homesick for Gold Beach and the winter storms that take place there. This video is about one in nearby Grants Pass. I love the sound of the storm. I hope we experience one when we go up there for Thanksgiving.

Port Orford - Takes Me Back!

When I was a child I remember seeing a movie that left a great impression on me and was probably the reason I became a painter and visual artist. The movie was "Portrait of Jeanie" and in the movie the most dramatic scene was the scene that played out on the rocks near a beautiful lighthouse. 

 

Cape Blanco Lighthouse --  Circa: 1870 -- Operational

Pictured above is Cape Blanco - here is some information about it:
Facts: 59' Tower  •  Focal Plane 256' (245')  •  Visibility: 22 miles  •  Signal: Flash White 20 Seconds
Latitude: 42 50.2 N  •  Longitude: 124 33.8 W
1st Order & Current 2nd Order Lens French Lenses by: Henry-LePaute
National Register of Historic Places #73002339 • Listed April 21, 1993

Information sourced: Discover Oregon Lighthouses

Lighthouses have always held a great curiosity for  me - especially the ones I get to visit in Port Orford. Port Orford, halfway between Bandon and Gold Beach, has lots of other wonderful things going for it too! From spectacular seascapes and mountain hiking trails with panoramic vistas, to art galleries and an authentic Victorian mansion. With ocean, lake and river fishing, boating and kayaking, and absolutely perfect wind sailing conditions.

It has a very active artistic community, (another reason I love it) with eight art galleries owned and operated by working artists, including some genuinely world-class talents.

It makes a great day trip from Hilltop House in Gold Beach and when you get hungry you can choose from a series of restaurants where you can enjoy creative cuisine, a New York-style Italian trattoria, great diner food, seafood, steaks and what locals believe is the best fish and chips and chowder on the coast.

Just a few miles north of town is the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, the oldest and most westerly lighthouse in Oregon and, in the same park, the beautifully restored Victorian Hughes House Museum.Here are a few more pictures to enjoy of Port Orford.  

Rogue River Jet Boats in Gold Beach

I was just thinking about the last time I was in Gold Beach and our friend Pete the fireman (click link to see what Pete looks like) from San Francisco joined us. We took the jet boat trip and it was fantastic! Even Pete the "seen it all done it all guy was impressed". Here's why:

Grant's Getaway - Rogue River Jet Boat from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

The Rogue River is world famous and has attracted adventure seekers for decades, some as well known as the river itself, like Zane Grey, the western novelist who came to the canyon to write and even set one of his novels there. Once a lifeline of sorts for folks who lived along the river, boats have been used for over than a century to deliver food, supplies, and news from the outside world into the rugged canyon. Now, they’re lifelines of laughter and smiles that help folks reconnect with Oregon’s outdoors. Speedy jet boats launch family excursions and recreation into a distant world away from the routines, noise, and general hubbub of city life. Early morning – when the air is still and nature is waking up Oregon rivers like the Rogue are a marvel. As daylight grows, people come out to play at Jerry’s Rogue Jets and Rogue Mailboats along the Rogue River waterfront at Gold Beach.

We couldn't help but be enticed to go for a ride -- we can see the the jet boats from the deck of Hilltop House - life is good!.

The Oregon Coast

Here is a little reminder of what you might be missing. If you need a minute to chill out return to this post and watch this video -- it will sooth your soul.