Florence, Oregon: Well…That Wasn't Exactly How I Planned It
Updated: Aug 18
It Started with Heat...
Every trip has a personality. Florence's personality turned out to be..."You probably should've planned better."
We figured that out a little too late.
Following an absolutly gorgeous drive and a unique round of golf, we opened the front door to our VRBO and were greeted by...heat. And not the cozy kind. The "someone left the oven on" kind.
Well...this pretty much sucks.
Fortunately, the Florence Farmers Market was literally across the street, so we wandered over, thinking we'd kill some time while the rental cooled down.
Unfortunately, everyone else in Florence had the exact same idea.
We bought absolutely nothing.
Why?
Because it was a Tuesday.
Surely, we'll just grab dinner somewhere.
(Remember that sentence.)
Our next stop was the local brew pub. Ty has one requirement for a brewery. The vibe. The beer can be average. The food can be average. But if the atmosphere isn't right... He's completely out.
This place? Let's just say it had all the personality of a high school cafeteria. The beer was decent. The vibe...we really gave it an honest shot. But half a beer later, Ty was pretty much twitching in his seat. Not because of the beer. Because the vibe was all wrong. So, we waved the white flag and went back to the hunt.
The Tuesday That Wasn't a Tuesday
"Let's just wander Old Town and find something to eat," we said confidently.
How wrong we were.
People everywhere. Sidewalks packed. Shops cranking. The line outside the ice cream shop looked like they were handing out free money.
So logically, we walked confidently into a little spot called Waterfront Depot.
"Table for two?"
"Absolutely."
"It'll be about an hour."
On a Tuesday. Apparently, Florence did not get the Tuesday memo.
As luck would have it, two seats at the bar opened while we were wondering what Plan B looked like.
And we swooped.
Like vultures.
Best timing of the trip.
The cocktails were fantastic. Dinner was exceptional.
The whole time we were there, servers kept walking past carrying enormous slices of cake from a local bakery.
For the record...
We are not cake people. We do not get dessert. But after watching slice after slice parade past our table, we caved.
And we inhaled.
Best. Cake Ever.
By the time we stepped back outside around 8pm... Florence had gone to bed. Seriously. Two hours earlier the streets had been buzzing.
Now?
Nothing.
We wandered around looking for a bar.
Nope.
A store.
Nope.
A place to grab anything.
Also nope.
The sidewalks had officially been rolled up for the night.
So we headed back to our very warm rental, dragged dining chairs onto the front walkway (which, for reasons known only to the builder, sloped just enough to make sitting there mildly athletic), and attempted to enjoy the evening.
Sleep?
Aren't you adorable.
The Day Florence Won Me Over
The next morning made up for a lot.
River Roasters Coffee. Great coffee for normal people. Excellent tea for people like me. Beautiful deck on the river. Good times had by all.
Then off to Heceta Head Lighthouse and State Park. The drive alone is worth making. The lighthouse was much smaller than I'd imagined, but once you add the hike that goes along the cliffs and down to Hobbit Beach, this became my favorite stop on the Oregon Coast.
We watched tiny crabs dart across the sand.
Rescued a few stranded starfish.
And somehow managed to run into a woman from Germany who recognized us from the Queen tribute band concert a few nights earlier in Bend. (Should I be concerned my dancing is internationally recognizable?)
By the time we hiked back, we were starving! We split the one Snickers and Diet Coke left in the gift shop. Yes, I said we SPLIT that Snickers - file that detail away for later.
By now the parking lot had turned into complete chaos. Cars lined up waiting for spots. People everywhere.
If Heceta Head is on your list...
Go early.
Seriously.
Or you won’t be going at all.
The drive back held yet another surprise. Road construction on Highway 101 stopped traffic completely. Long enough that the entire motorcycle group in front of us climbed off their Harleys, removed their helmets, and lit up cigars while the rest of us just watched in awe.
At this point, my half Snickers was a distant memory.
When traffic finally started moving again and we rolled into Florence, Los Amigos Burritos absolutely saved the day. Their birria burrito? Huge. And worth every single bite.
Then it was back to the rental, which had somehow become even hotter. The sunroom felt less like a room and more like the sun itself.
We escaped again by wandering through Old Town's shops and galleries, where I found the coolest whale-shaped spoon rest that absolutely did not need to come home with me.
Spoiler alert: It came home with me.
The Great Reservation Debacle
Then came...
The Great Florence Reservation Debacle.
Again.
Every restaurant we wanted?
Booked.
Every backup plan?
Also booked.
Apparently, we had learned nothing the night before.
So back to our sloped front walkway we went, dining chairs in hand, making the best of the very limited happy hour supplies we'd packed.
Eventually we got into 1285 RestoBar around 7:30pm. The vibe was cool and the pizza was excellent.
Florence really does know how to feed people...
...if you plan ahead.
Huh.
The Parts I'll Remember
Here's the funny part.
None of those things ruined the trip.
Not the broken AC.
Not the impossible dinner reservations.
Not the road construction.
Not even our increasingly creative attempts to stay cool.
What I remember are the things I never could've planned.
The carrot cake.
The biker gang smoking cigars on the highway.
The German woman politely informing us that our great Oktoberfest story from years ago was..."not something to be proud of."
Our laughter around the dinner table.
Funny how those are the details that stay with you. Florence reminded me that the little details are rarely little. They're often the difference between an okay weekend and one you'll still be talking about years later.
I'd absolutely go back. I'd just make dinner reservations first....and maybe pack a portable air conditioner.
If you're thinking about visiting Florence, I also put together a Weekend Guide with everything I wish I'd known before we packed the car.
This story? This is everything that didn't make it into the guide.
See you down the road.
-Michelle
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