We recently spent a long weekend in Bandon, Oregon, and I can’t lie, I left a bit of my heart there. It is difficult to be surrounded by such natural raw beauty and not fall in love, couple that with my need to be near water and my dislike of the hot summer months where I live, and it’s no wonder I wanted to stay. Bandon is a unique town because it sits on the Coquille River but right where it meets the pacific ocean. Every day, you get to see the immense power of freshwater meeting saltwater, and it’s spectacular. One thing that stood out from just about anywhere on the island is the stately Coquille Lighthouse built out of necessity in the late 1890s to help ships navigate the tricky channel leading into Bandon.

Like all old buildings, I could sit and marvel for hours over the unique architecture, the hidden doors, and the symbolism of what this lighthouse was, a beacon for the lost to deliver them safely to their destination. Unfortunately, when we visited, the lighthouse was closed, but we were able to walk along the jetty; I highly recommend it if you want to feel the true force of God in nature, not for the faint of heart though as the wind and waves are very strong. The desolate beach that runs perpendicular to the jetty is breathtaking in its loneliness, with huge piles of misshapen driftwood and rocks waiting to be explored. The lighthouse sits at the end of Bullards Beach State Park, and there are plenty of places to take a nice hike, grab a picnic lunch or relax along the river while you enjoy the sites.